POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

Ohioans are very fond of saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait a day and it will be completely different.” That saying is true today, when the temperature is 15 degrees chillier than it was yesterday, and the last frost of the spring seems to be likely tonight as the temperature is forecast to fall at least several degrees below freezing.

The saying also applies to other aspects of life in our state, including the politics.

My political attitudes do not generally align with those of Gov. Mike DeWine. That said, he seems a fundamentally decent guy who is committed to public service. That such an assessment is very likely to provoke blowback about his policy positions on everything from abortion rights to tax policies does not necessarily undercut it. Sometimes people with political views that seem extreme in comparison to our own are despicable. But not always.

Gov. DeWine’s character has, I think, been exhibited to best effect during this pandemic. Compared to most of our political leaders, he was out in front of the crisis, and his handling of it has been science-based, thoughtful, and measured. He is not a charismatic public figure, but he has been a reassuring presence. And his actions have produced results. Although Ohio does not have a very large metro area comparable to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco/San Jose, it does have three large metro areas in Cleveland/Akron/Canton, Columbus, and Cincinnati, and several others in Toledo and Dayton that are very sizable. The state very easily could have had a large outbreak of cases and a high number of fatalities.

But it hasn’t, and Gov. DeWine and his administration—in particular, the Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, who has become something of an equivalent in our state to Dr. Fauci on the national level–deserve credit for that success.

In a period in which political ideology and scientific expertise have so often been presented as alternative viewpoints representing equally valid perceptions of reality, it has been refreshing to see political decisions being consistently informed by scientific expertise. In fact, the extraordinary thing is that this circumstance should now stand out as being very noteworthy.

It is in this context that the following series of three news items should be understood.

I Found This to Be Somewhat Surprising 

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reversed course Tuesday, saying face coverings and masks were strongly recommended but not required for retail customers.

The change of heart came after DeWine received criticism for requiring face masks and coverings during a Monday news conference. The message that day was: “No mask, no work, no service, no exception.”

But by Tuesday afternoon, DeWine had backed off that message.

“Within the last 24 hours, it has become clear to me that a mandatory mask requirement for retail customers is offensive to some of our fellow Ohioans,” DeWine said during his daily briefing. He also received a call from the mother who said a mask mandate presented problems for her autistic child.

Gov. Mike DeWine

[Jesse Balmer and Jackie Borshard. “Coronavirus in Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine Reverses Course on Face Coverings Mandate for Retail Shoppers.” Cincinnati Enquirer 28 Apr. 2020. URL: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2020/04/28/coronavirus-ohio-gov-mike-dewine-update-covid-19-reopening-businesses/3039122001/.]

Okay, This Was All Too Predictable and Makes the Previous Item Seem More Inevitable

Gov. Mike DeWine’s office says the governor will veto legislation that would limit the power of the Ohio Department of Health Director.

In an effort to stem the authority of Dr. Amy Acton, the amendment proposed by Republican lawmakers would limit any stay-at-home order issued by the Ohio Department of Health to 14 days. . . .

DeWine blasted the move, saying his fellow Republicans should be focused on increasing coronavirus testing, dealing with a $775 million budget deficit and reopening the economy.

“Creating more uncertainty regarding public health and employee safety is the last thing we need as we work to restore consumer confidence in Ohio’s economy,” the governor said in a statement.

DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said the governor would veto that measure and one that reduced penalties for violating the stay-at-home order if they made it to his desk.

Republican backers said the measure was an appropriate legislative check on the power of DeWine, and his health director, Dr. Amy Acton, who issued Ohio’s orders.

Acton has won praise for her aggressive decisions to combat the coronavirus spread, but those who think the state is moving too slow in reopening its economy have directed their anger toward her in recent weeks.

A small group of protesters stood outside her house last weekend, leading DeWine to later condemn the demonstration, saying “come after me.”

Dr. Amy Acton

[“Gov. Dewine’s Office Says He Will Veto Legislation That Would Limit Dr. Acton’s Power.” WBNS-10 Columbus 6 May 2020. URL: https://www.10tv.com/article/gov-dewines-office-says-he-will-veto-legislation-would-limit-dr-actons-power-2020-may]

Wow. I’ll Freely Admit That I Never Saw This One Coming

A state legislator says he will not wear a mask during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, saying in a Facebook post that the face represents the image of God.

State Rep. Nino Vitale, a Republican who represents the 85th district in west-central Ohio, questions the masks policies set by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, accusing them of flip-flopping on their importance. Vitale also questions whether wearing masks is effective.

He ultimately concludes he won’t wear a mask because of his religious beliefs.

“This is not the entire world,” Vitale says in the post from Monday. “This is the greatest nation on earth founded on Judeo-Christian principles. One of those principles is that we are all created in the image and likeness of God. That image is seen the most by our face. I will not wear a mask.”

Vitale says in the post that counties should “ignore the unelected Dr. Acton’s orders, open your counties now, before it’s too late.” Vitale is one of several Republican legislators pushing for DeWine to immediately reopen all of businesses in the state.

Rep. Nino Vitale

[Pinckard, Cliff. “Ohio Legislator Cites God For Refusing to Wear Face Mask during Coronavirus Crisis.” 6 May 2020. URL: https://www.cleveland.com/coronavirus/2020/05/ohio-legislator-cites-god-for-refusing-to-wear-face-mask-during-coronavirus-crisis.html.]