Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci on Wednesday blasted Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s support for mask mandates in schools.
The statement from Renacci follows DeWine announcing on Tuesday that his administration will make a “direct appeal” to local school districts, encouraging them to implement mask mandates.
Furthermore, DeWine stated that, without previous legislative action, he would implement a mask mandate for schools.
“If I could put on a statewide mandate, if the health department could do it, we’d do it. The Legislature has made it very clear that if we put a mandate on for kids in schools to wear a mask, they would take it off,” DeWine said in a press conference.
The statement by DeWine led Renacci, a GOP primary challenger to the incumbent, to blast the governor for his support of the measure, calling DeWine’s words a “flip-flop.”
“This should not be surprising to Ohioans as Mike DeWine proves once again he simply can’t be trusted to protect our rights as parents and our children’s rights,” Renacci said in an emailed press release. “He has continued to lie at every turn and his comments show he likely would not stop at masks, paving a path towards vaccine mandates and other Draconian measures. We must stop him before he hurts any more of our children and jeopardizes their future.”
Renacci has been a constant critic of the DeWine administration, specifically over their policies enacted throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
“No child should be forced to wear a mask eight hours a day by an out of touch elected official or appointed bureaucrat. Decisions as to whether to wear a mask or obtain a vaccination should be left to parents and parents alone. Parents should be trusted to make the best decisions for their children,” Renacci said previously.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
