Editors Note: The following press release was received from State Representative John Becker.
State Representative John Becker (R-Union Township, Clermont County) announced today that he has officially filed 12 articles of impeachment against Governor Mike DeWine. He has been joined by his colleagues Representatives Keller, Vitale, and Zeltwanger in an effort to restore the rule of law.
While the General Assembly has attempted to work with the Governor, he has vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 55. He has threatened to veto other reasonable legislation such as SB 1, SB 311, and House Bill (HB) 618.
The 12 articles of impeachment outline Governor DeWine’s abuse of power and multiple violations of the Ohio and United States Constitutions, as well as multiple sections of the Ohio Revised Code.
Governor DeWine’s mismanagement, malfeasance, misfeasance, abuse of power, and other crimes include, but are not limited to, meddling in the conduct of a presidential primary election, arbitrarily closing and placing curfews on certain businesses, while allowing other businesses to remain open. He weaponized the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to bully and harass businesses and the people; to enforce a statewide mask mandate and other controversial measures of dubious “value,” making Ohio a hostile work environment.
Additionally, Governor DeWine had the further audacity to include congregants at places of worship, forcing citizens to choose between worshipping their God and worshipping at the altar of unbridled government. Many Ohioans find the controversial mask mandate offensive, degrading, humiliating, and insulting. There is also evidence that masks can be a health hazard by retaining bacteria, viruses, and creating panic attacks and other physiological difficulties. Governor DeWine doubled down when he expanded the mandate to our school-age children, who are less susceptible to COVID-19.
“Rather than hearing the cries of Ohioans, Governor DeWine continues to stifle those cries by finding more inventive ways to use masks to muffle the voices of the people. He continues to have callous disregard for the fact that his isolation policies have led to a shockingly high number of suicides, alarming rates of drug abuse, persistently high unemployment, and the forced abandonment of the elderly by their loved ones,” said Representative Becker.
The House Resolution containing articles of impeachment cannot be vetoed, and require a majority (50 votes) in the Ohio House of Representatives and then a two-thirds majority (22 votes) in the Ohio Senate for conviction and removal from office.
Becker calls on the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, Rep. Bob Cupp (R-Lima) to assign the articles of impeachment immediately to the Federalism Committee. As Chairman of the Federalism Committee, Becker has a reputation for fair process and a no-nonsense approach. “I’m envisioning two hearings in early December followed by a floor vote to allow for a trial in the Senate,” said Becker. “The people of Ohio are looking forward to ending the madness and a Governor gone wild,” Becker continued.