(The Center Square) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine let stand higher fees for public access to body cam footage but eliminated several provisions to other recently passed bills.
DeWine announced late Thursday night he signed four bills into law but issued several line-item vetoes, including stopping provisions that would have allowed doctors to express different opinions from state views.
The so-called “medical free speech protection” was a last-minute add to House Bill 315, a more than 400-page bill passed in the final hours of the last legislative session in December.
The bill would have stopped state boards from disciplining doctors, pharmacists or other health care professionals who expressed medical opinions – either publicly or privately – that differ from the boards’ views.
“Ohio’s medical licensing boards exist to protect patients and the public from bad actors in the medical field,” DeWine said in his veto message. “Section 3 792.07(B) threatens patient safety by providing a health care professional, including hospitals and inpatient facilities, with a legal shield that would prevent being held to account for dangerous or harmful medical care given to a patient by them saying there was a difference of ‘medical opinion.’ Section 3792.07(B) substantially limits state regulatory agencies from appropriately responding to patient and public complaints by investigating and disciplining health care professionals for harm they have caused patients.”
Despite calls from lawmakers and other organizations, DeWine let go part of HB315 that allows law enforcement agencies to charge high fees for public body camera, dashboard camera and surveillance footage requests.
“It is good that the language in House Bill 315 does not include a mandatory fee, but instead, it is optional at the discretion of the agency,” DeWine said. “It is also good the user fees are capped and directly related to the cost of production. If the language in House Bill 315 related to public records turns out to have unforeseen consequences, I will work with the General Assembly to amend the language to address such legitimate concerns.”
DeWine also signed Senate Bill 54, another bill passed on the final day of the session that contains a variety of items. Included is creation of the Ohio River Commission and the Ohio Ireland Trade Commission; increasing the types of national or international competitions eligible for a sports site selection grant; supports state employee compensation; reimburses county boards of elections for certain costs of the May 6, 2025, primary and special election; supports soil and water conservation districts; and supports suicide prevention in schools.
