On Wednesday, Ohio’s Republican governor Mike DeWine signed a new bill into law prohibiting public officials from shutting down houses of worship across the state despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The legislation, House Bill 272, will go into effect in mid-December in the state, Cleveland.com reports.
In March, DeWine stated that he did not plan on calling for houses of worship to be shut down, he did, however, postpone the state’s March primaries, a move that earned him widespread criticism. Under the new legislation, postponement of elections will not be permitted.
Sen. Terry Johnson, a co-sponsor of the bill, explained to Cincinnati Fox affiliate WXIX that he is thankful that the state is protecting religious freedom unlike other states that have imposed forced closures on religious communities.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen several states encroach on Americans’ First Amendment right of worship and assembly, disregarding it completely by forcing the closure of places of worship and religious institutions,” the state Senator said. “While I am thankful that no such order was imposed in Ohio, this amendment is a preemptive step should we ever find ourselves in this situation again.”
According to the Huffington Post, the vote was mainly split between both Republicans and Democrats in the State legislature, where the majority of Democrats were in opposition to…
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