Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci on Friday argued that the continued threat of mask mandates in schools will “endanger” children in Ohio.
According to a report from The Columbus Dispatch, state lawmakers are unlikely to pass legislation that would prevent the state and school districts from implementing a mask mandate.
However, Renacci argues that the legislature is the only obstacle from mandates used by Governor Mike DeWine.
“The state legislature is the last stopgap between Ohioans and Mike DeWine’s heavy-handed COVID mandates,” Renacci said in an emailed statement. “DeWine said it himself that he would implement mandates if he could. We must not let that happen. As governor, I will do everything in my power to protect individual freedoms and ensure families are able to make the best decisions for themselves.”
While DeWine has not issued a mask mandate, he has voiced support for the measure.
“I have always said that a Renacci administration would leave these vaccination decisions to parents and their children, not the government. DeWine has shown he not only backs down to the left’s radical agenda, but he is willing to implement and promote these destructive policies that hurt Ohioans,” Renacci continued.
Previously, DeWine’s administration made a “direct appeal” to local school districts, encouraging them to implement mask mandates.
“We all share the goal of keeping our kids in school. Reasonable people may disagree about a lot, but we can all agree that we must keep our children in the classroom so they don’t fall behind and so their parents can go to work and not take time off to watch their kids at home,” he said, justifying the move.
Additionally, a recent report detailed that DeWine and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley (D), who are both running for governor in 2022, exchanged numerous text messages over the past years where they praised each other. Specifically, the two agreed on coronavirus mandates.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
