The pandemic slowed down work at the 爆料吃瓜 in 2020. But lawmakers did pass bills that make it easier for Ohioans to get health care, make it easier for local communities to get money to fund programs and make it more difficult to get an abortion. Here are some of the major pieces of legislation that were passed and signed into law.
Perhaps the biggest bill Ohio lawmakers passed in 2020 was a and providing $350 million in federal CARES Act funding for improvements for schools and public entities in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.
In September, they聽also passed legislation that protected schools and businesses from being sued because of the transmission of coronavirus.
Gov. Mike DeWine said the legislation does two key things.
鈥淲e believe we can do two things at once. One is to fight the COVID, the virus and keep people safe but at the same time we know that we have to have the economy coming back. And we are making some progress in that area,鈥� DeWine said.
Some lawmakers and Ohioans took issue with DeWine's response to the pandemic, sparking protests at the 爆料吃瓜 in the spring and summer.
They claimed DeWine was killing Ohio鈥檚 economy. And some said he was picking winners and losers by allowing large retailers to stay open as essential while ordering shutdowns of some small "mom and pop" businesses that sold some of the same items.
Republicans pushed聽a bill to strip DeWine of having that power to close businesses but he vetoed it. Ohio lawmakers talked about trying to override it, but Republican Senate President Larry Obhof said they instead included that part about business equity in , an appropriations bill passed during Lame Duck.
鈥淪o that you can鈥檛 have the situation we saw last spring where small businesses close or get heavily regulated while larger ones, since they are deemed essential, get to stay open," Obhof said.
Ohio Senate Adjourns Without Overriding Gov. DeWine's Veto Of Controversial Bill
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At the onset of the pandemic, businesses were allowed to serve alcoholic drinks with to-go meals. That became permanent this fall. Rep. DJ Swearingen (R-Huron) quoted the Rolling Stones when arguing for the bill allowing up to three carryout drinks per meal in sealed or covered containers.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 always get what you want but if you try sometimes you get what you need and Ohio鈥檚 bar and restaurant owners need this bill," Swearingen said on the House floor before lawmakers passed the bill.
Alcoholic ice cream also became legal in Ohio this year.
But this was a challenging year for some lawmakers.
Several members on both sides of the aisle in both chambers tested positive for COVID - Democratic Reps. John Patterson (D-Ashtabula) and John Rogers (D-Mentor on the Lake) were hospitalized.
And House members had to take time out in the summer to replace Republican Larry Householder (R-Glenford) as speaker after he was charged with several federal felonies, including bribery and racketeering.聽
But before the two-year session ended in December, lawmakers tackled a perennial favorite of Republicans - abortion bills. One prevents doctors from using telemedicine to prescribe medication that causes abortion. Another requires fetal remains from surgical abortions to be buried or cremated.
Democratic Rep Erica Crawley (D-Columbus) called her Republican colleagues who voted to pass that one hypocrite because they aren鈥檛 passing proposed legislation that would deal with infant and maternal mortality.
鈥淚t is unacceptable that this General Assembly, the members in this House and Chamber, will continue to talk about the dignity of life but allow women to continue to die," Crawley said.
But lawmakers also passed a bill that would stop surprise medical bills from out of network providers. Ohio Association of Health Plans President Kelly O鈥橰eilly said this will help one in six Ohioans who get bills with expensive out of network charges.
鈥淎nd most can鈥檛 afford to pay them. It鈥檚 unexpected and many times or sometimes, a very high cost," O;Reilly said.
That bill will be important to many Ohioans because many hospitals are closing the year at or near capacity due to COVID-19 patients.
