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DeWine Unclear on Signing Anti-Vaccine Bill Into Law

Columbus area teacher gets COVID shot Feb. 3, 2021
Dan Konik
/
Statehouse News Bureau
A Columbus area teacher gets a COVID shot Feb. 3. Following the state legislature's passing of a bill that prevents public schools and colleges from requiring students and employees get COVID vaccinations, Gov. Mike DeWine has declined to say whether he will sign or veto the bill.

Now that Ohio lawmakers have passed a bill that prevents public schools and colleges from mandating that students and employees get COVID vaccines, the attention turns to Gov. Mike DeWine. Will he sign it? 

DeWine wasn’t answering questions from reporters who attended a bill signing ceremony about whether he will sign the controversial legislation

“This is a happy day today, so we are not going to talk about unhappy things," Dewine said. "But, we appreciate the great work of the legislature and the bill and the budget."

While DeWine has strongly supported COVID shots, he’s said he wouldn’t mandate them. And he has said he doesn’t want to do anything to dissuade Ohio employers from running their organizations as they see fit. Under the new bill, hospitals affiliated with universities would still be allowed to require COVID vaccines. 

Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles
Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.