Free Republic

During a hearing in the Ohio statehouse on Tuesday, Republican state Senator Steve Huffman asked if "the colored population" is hit harder by the coronavirus because "they do not wash their hands as well as other groups." Huffman, who is a physician, raised the question during a health committee hearing on whether to declare racism a public health crisis. "My point is, I understand African Americans have a higher incidence of chronic conditions and it makes them more susceptible to death from COVID," Huffman said. "But why it doesn't make them more susceptible to just get COVID? Could it just...

Democratic lawmakers in Ohio have proposed legislation to declare racism a public health issue amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd . . . “What we are witnessing around the country is a community simply begging to be seen and heard,” said Democratic Rep. Stephanie Howse, of Cleveland, and the caucus president. “Racism is real and it is the biggest public health threat citizens of color face.”