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Huffman Sees Potential In The House Anti-Vaccine Mandate Bill

Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman.
Ohio Senate

The leader of the Ohio Senate said they're going to hold several hearings on a House bill, HB218, that bans certain vaccine mandates and grants broad exemptions.

Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said the anti-vaccine mandate bill could be the right vehicle to tackle COVID-19 vaccine policies, but he's not committing to a floor vote yet.

Huffman adds there's hesitation to regulate businesses.

"I think the sweet spot is how is it that we can draft this to make sure that people aren't being forced to quit their jobs and at the same time, you know, the maximum amount of protection? And I think this bill gets the closest to that of any that I've seen," said Huffman.

Business groups and health care organizations are opposed to the bill, saying they're against regulations on private businesses and that the policy hurts efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

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

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.