COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, signed a bill last week to ban public schools and universities from requiring students to get the COVID-19 vaccine unless it has full FDA approval. Now, one other Republican lawmaker wants to take things a step further.
State Sen. Andrew Brenner, R-Delaware, introduced Senate Bill 209, which would not allow the state board of education, the Ohio Department of Education and the boards of education of individual school districts to force anyone to wear masks in schools.
“Just because it may reduce a small percentage, I mean, we could say that people need to drive 25 miles an hour down the road. That would save a lot of lives. However, we don’t,” said Brenner.
On Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended all students and staff, vaccinated or not, wear masks in schools.
“I think we need to follow the science on this issue,” said Scott DiMauro, President of the Ohio Education Association, the state’s largest teacher’s union. “Why would any legislator be interested in taking tools away from school districts to keep students safe?”
Brenner said masks are not the most effective measure to slow the spread of the virus.
“The only thing we know that will stop something is something like we’re doing now (which is) socially distance,” Brenner said.
Yet Brenner nor DiMauro want to see remote learning make a full-time comeback.
Another part of the bill says businesses could require customers to wear masks as long as signage is in a place everyone can see while also listing anyone exempt from wearing them may still enter.
“I have had many constituents complain to me about that one,” Brenner said.
Brenner is the also same lawmaker who helped pass the law preventing public schools and colleges from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine.
“If a kid gets COVID, the odds of a kid dying are almost zero,” said Brenner.
When asked how disappointed he would be if SB 209 became law, DiMauro responded, “I don’t know how surprised I would be given the pattern that we’ve been seeing with some legislation, but yeah, certainly I’d be disappointed to see the majority of the legislature go along with this idea. Let’s not cut off avenues for protecting our students.”
Brenner also said he will not recommend anyone get the vaccine despite it being approved for emergency use during the Trump administration.
“Not everybody agrees with the former president,” he said.
