Black Ohio lawmakers unhappy with state Senate health chair pick over 'colored' people remark

Black state lawmakers are questioning the ability of the new Ohio Senate Health Committee chair to understand the health needs of minorities because seven months ago he asked whether “colored” people had poor sanitary habits that made them more susceptible to COVID-19.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus "demands" a health committee leader "who understands and can help enact health policy that addresses inequities in our state without political influence," said director Tony Bishop in a release Wednesday evening.

The controversy centers on June remarks from Sen. Steve Huffman, R-Tipp City, during a health committee meeting on whether racism should be deemed a public health crisis in Ohio. The measure, which never came to a vote, generated a discussion about racial disparities in COVID-19 infection rates.

Huffman asked: "Could it just be that African Americans — the colored population — do not wash their hands as well as other groups? Or wear a mask? Or do not socially distance themselves?"

Read more: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/01/21/black-ohio-lawmakers-unhappy-steve-huffman-tipp-city-unwashed-colored-covid-senate-health-committee/4240355001/
(Columbus Dispatch)