#BREAKING: SB22, to create an Ohio Health Oversight & Advisory Committee, PASSES in Senate Gov’t Oversight — 1st of many legislative steps to becoming law.

Would allow a bicameral board to review/repeal health orders & emergency orders.

Full Senate vote could be next.

There were SIGNIFICANT changes in committee today & I’m just sorting it out now.

If SB22 becomes law, the new committee will NOT have power to repeal health orders/emergencies. The General Assembly WOULD have that power.

W/ shout to @Tylerjoelb for discussion, let me explain...

1) In 2020, the House/Senate voted t give themselves power to overturn health orders via “concurrent resolution” (both agreeing to it). The bill they passed was called SB311.

@GovMikeDeWine vetoed it & the House/Senate did not (or could not) override his veto.

2) In 2021 w/ a new House/Senate, Sens. @Rob_McColley & @DrTerryAJohnson introduced SB22.

It would give *same exact powers* to House/Senate to repeal health orders — & create a bicameral board to ALSO review/repeal those orders (Senate Pres. @matthuffman1 prefers this approach).

3) The Legislative Service Commission (& @GovMikeDeWine, FWIW) believed that giving the entire House/Senate the power to vote by simple majority & override the Governor, was unconstitutional.

The bill was amended to allow ONLY the new committee to review/repeal health orders.

4) TODAY, bill sponsor @Rob_McColley proposed a substitute bill – plus an amendment – to move ALL that repeal power back to the full House/Senate.

The new committee would still exist & review health orders. But repeal power would now rest SOLELY w/ the full House/Senate.

5) If this sounds a lot like 2020’s SB311 – which @GovMikeDeWine vetoed & House/Senate did not override – that’s because SB22 now *is* a lot like SB311, plus creating a new 6-member committee for “review.”

Again, SB22 has passed committee & could be voted on by full Senate today