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Critics Of New Law Say Overturning Health Orders Could Cost Ohio Federal Funding

By Karen Kasler

Published March 29, 2021 at 7:07 PM EDT

Ohio National Guard personnel help load food into cars at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank just before Thanksgiving 2020. [Karen Kasler / Statehouse News Bureau] — Ohio National Guard personnel help load food into cars at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank just before Thanksgiving 2020.

Critics of the law that will allow state lawmakers to overturn Gov. Mike DeWine’s health orders say that could be costly when it comes to federal funding. Lawmakers overrode DeWine’s veto of the bill last week.

Analysts who have looked into the CARES Act and other federal COVID-19 relief actions say money in those measures could be at risk if state lawmakers rescind DeWine’s state of emergency order when the law takes effect in June.

John Corlett at the policy analysis group the Center for Community Solutions said there would be a particularly big impact on SNAP, the federal food assistance program.

“If the legislature were to end the emergency order, the public health order emergency, that would mean that Ohio would no longer be able to provide about $90 million a month in federal food assistance to about a half a million Ohio households,” Corlett said.

Corlett said that could lead to even more food insecurity, at a time when food banks are already serving 150,000 more Ohioans a month compared to last year.

An analysis by the Congressional Research Service shows some emergency federal assistance and an employee tax credit for businesses could also be lost if the order is overturned.

State lawmakers have said the law doesn’t require them to overturn a health order, but DeWine is clearly expecting it.

DeWine has said when state statistics drop to 50 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, he’ll lift the public health orders himself, including the mask mandate he issued in July.

At his regular Thursday coronavirus press conference, DeWine said the state could reach that goal in 89 days: “I say 89 days because this bill doesn't go into effect for 89 days.”