COLUMBUS – Gov. Mike DeWine is not getting directly involved in the brewing constitutional dispute between governors from both parties and President Donald Trump over who has the authority to reopen the economy.
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Trump told reporters at a White House briefing Monday that he has “total” authority to decide how and when to roll back tough social distancing guidelines aimed at fighting the new coronavirus.
“The President of the United States calls the shots,” he said.
The comment echoed one he tweeted earlier in the day.
For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2020
But governors maintain that they have the primary constitutional responsibility for ensuring public safety in their states and will decide when it’s safe to begin a return to normal operations.
Democratic leaders in the Northeast and along the West Coast are forming separate state compacts to coordinate their efforts to scale back stay-at-home orders or reopen businesses.
DeWine says he and other governors are consulting with the administration plans to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen stores, restaurants and other businesses.
“Every state has different and we’re going to have to lay out a plan and I’m confident the Ohio plan we lay out, the White House will think is fine,” DeWine said.
He added, repeating an often-used phrase of his and others’, that governments can’t just flip a switch and turn the country back on.
A crowd of protesters opposed to the shutdown gathered outside the Statehouse during DeWine ‘s daily briefing, chanting and waving signs.
Some lawmakers, including state Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) are calling on the governor to begin the reopening process.
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The state Controlling Board Monday approved more than $248 million in federal funds to bolster coronavirus testing capacity in Ohio, purchase personal protective equipment for healthcare and other emergency workers, expand hospital capacity, and provide relief for residents suffering from the economic impact of the pandemic.
The funds include $76.1 million to buy 2,000 ventilators and 5 million N95 masks and $50 million for additional personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers.
Another $39 million will be set aside for specimen collection, testing kit manufacture, medications, external testing services and lab equipment to improve COVID-19 testing efforts.
Of the funds set aside to supplement social programs, $20 million will be spent in each of the next two years to expand the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, $25 million for the Summer Food Service Program to provide meals for children and teens in low-income areas and $9.5 million over the next two years to support emergency food distribution at foodbanks and pantries.
In addition to the federal funds, some $500,000 in state funds were approved to improve services for state and county Jobs and Family Services offices and another $95,000 for medical treatment and services for inmates at various corrections facilities.