COLUMBUS – State Representative Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) today sent the following letter to Governor DeWine, Speaker Cupp and President Huffman regarding COVID-19 legislation:
Dear Governor DeWine, Speaker Cupp, and President Huffman,
Like all Americans, Ohioans have needlessly suffered through months of lockdowns, mandates, and restrictions. As Ohioans are rightfully returning to normal life, politicians and unelected bureaucrats in Columbus and Washington, D.C. are calling for a return to those draconian measures.
The voice of my district is overwhelmingly clear: we fully reject any attempt to implement shutdowns, mask mandates, or vaccine mandates from any public or private entity.
As students prepare to return to school, we must ensure that no student – whether at a private school, public school, or university – is forced to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of its FDA approval status. Ohio workers and consumers deserve the same protection. No Ohioan should be mandated to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of pursuing an education, earning a living, or participating in day-to-day economic transactions.
We must defend Ohioans’ right to learn, work, and live free from big government overreach. We cannot allow our citizens to once again be subjected to arbitrary lockdowns and restrictions. We cannot allow COVID-19 vaccination to become a condition for participation in public life.
That is why, today, I am formally calling on the Ohio House and Senate to return to session. Our obligations are clear and cannot be delayed until the next scheduled session in mid-September. We must pass emergency legislation to ensure:
1. Public sector mask mandates, including by public schools and universities, are prohibited
2. Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, in any circumstance, are prohibited
3. Ohio’s businesses and consumers are never subjected to another shutdown.
Speaker Cupp and President Huffman, please call the House and Senate back into session to pass such legislation immediately. Governor DeWine, please be prepared to sign this legislation into law upon its passage. The people of Ohio demand these measures – it is our obligation to act.
Sincerely,
Jena Powell, State Representative