Roegner Announces Bill Protecting Ohioans' Voting Rights and Religious Freedoms Signed Into Law
September 17, 2020
Kristina D. Roegner News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) announced the Governor has signed House Bill 272 into law. The bill protects in-person voting and prevents any public official from canceling or postponing an election. The bill also prohibits any state official from issuing any statewide or regional orders closing places of worship. Both provisions were added by the Senate during its consideration of the bill.
"The amendments made by the Senate to this bill ensure that Ohio's in-person elections and places of worship are protected in every way from any overreaching government authority," said Roegner. "In the United States the right to vote and freedom of worship are fundamentally constitutional and must be upheld.”
The provision protecting the freedom to worship was added in response to a number of “stay at home orders” throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio did not prohibit churches or religious organizations from meeting, but a number of other states did so. The Senate amendment in House Bill 272 would prevent any such statewide or regional closures of churches, if such a situation arises again in Ohio. This is consistent with actions taken by the Trump Administration to declare houses of worship as “essential places that provide essential services.”
"The amendments made by the Senate to this bill ensure that Ohio's in-person elections and places of worship are protected in every way from any overreaching government authority," said Roegner. "In the United States the right to vote and freedom of worship are fundamentally constitutional and must be upheld.”
The provision protecting the freedom to worship was added in response to a number of “stay at home orders” throughout the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ohio did not prohibit churches or religious organizations from meeting, but a number of other states did so. The Senate amendment in House Bill 272 would prevent any such statewide or regional closures of churches, if such a situation arises again in Ohio. This is consistent with actions taken by the Trump Administration to declare houses of worship as “essential places that provide essential services.”