Ohio Bill To Ban Vax Lotteries, Free Vax Donuts, Saying 'Vaccine' Unless You Turn Around 3 Times And Spit

Biz, government, insurers, all persons may not require or suggest you get a vaccine.

Ohio announced its first winner of the Vax-A-Millions lotteryWednesday. Abbey Bugenske of Cincinnati was on her way to buy a used car when she got the call telling her she'd won, so we hope she decided to go ahead and get the extended warranty. California is following Ohio's lead, designating $116.5 million for vaccine incentives, including a $15 million cash prize that'll be split by 10 lucky people who've gotten vaccinated.

And West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice released a video featuring his bulldog "Baby Dog," advising residents that "she wants you vaccinated, I want you vaccinated, and I want a bunch of you to win all this stuff," by which he means the state's own incentive giveaway of cash prizes, 10 pickup trucks, and college scholarships. 

ICYMI: West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has made his dog "babydog" the mascot of the state's new vaccine lottery. "S… https://t.co/pYsFbLJxYf

— Haleigh Hoffman (@Haleigh Hoffman) 1622171149.0 

 Justice also explained, "I wouldn't dink around with this. I'd go get myself a shot. There's going to be so many wonderful prizes that you can win, it'll blow you away." But mostly, you should do it for this face:

Yes, Baby Dog has her own Twitter account. 

So that's the encouraging vaccination news today, thanks for reading and have a great wee ... oh shit, there's also this Ohio fuckery we have to talk about. While Gov. Mike DeWine brags about how the lottery announcement has actually increased rates of vaccination that had been slacking off, Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly have introduced legislation that would largely eliminate vaccination mandates — or even requests or suggestions — across the state.

We're not just talking the COVID vaccine here, either: The proposal, Ohio House Bill 248, would make it virtually impossible for most entities in the state to require vaccinations for infectious diseases, though we suppose the bill's supporters will generously not try to overturn federal requirements, so enlistees in the military will still lose their precious right to contract diphtheria. The Ohio Capital Journal reports that on Tuesday, anti-vaxxers crowded into a hearing so they could demand freedom for infection.

Just how comprehensive would this sucker be?

The legislation would ban vaccine requirements on customers, employees or students from businesses, hospitals, nursing homes, K-12 schools, colleges, daycares, or others.It would also prevent governments, insurers, or businesses from offering incentives for people to get vaccinated, or even requesting that people get vaccinated. [...]

Under the bill, a small business owned by asthmatics or cancer survivors — both of whom are at higher risk of serious COVID-19 complications — would have no legal right to require or even request that employees or customers who come inside be vaccinated. That's according to Dorit Reiss, a professor with a focus on vaccine policy from the UC Hastings College of Law.

"It's against business rights, it's against the individual rights of private businesses, it's against safety, and it's in support of the virus," she said.

(Our bold.)

And despite his promotion of the COVID vaccine and his confidence that people will recognize that the facts about vaccines will win over folks who are uncertain, DeWine dodged giving a direct answer Monday "when asked about HB 248 or a separate proposal to remove the 'reasons of conscience' exemption from school immunization laws." That's not necessarily a surprise, since the Lege has already overridden his veto of a bill that would limit a governor's ability to impose public health orders.

So Ohio may well end up with a law that's going to actively promote deadly diseases that could be prevented. It's a far more radical gift to anti-vaxxers than the Pennsylvania bill that would limit doctors' ability to ensure that kids get vaccinated.

Not surprisingly, the insurance industry and Ohio's medical community are horrified by HB 248, and doing all they can to oppose it; we'll have to see whether that will be enough to prevent it from becoming law.

Maybe Mike DeWine should get a bulldog.

[ NBC News / Politico / WBOY / Ohio Capital Journal ]

Yr Wonkette is funded entirely by reader donations. If you can, please give $5 or $10 a month to help us inoculate America against stupid.

 Do your Amazon shopping through this link, because reasons .