By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

Admittedly, I trust Bob Conley with my hair. He does a fine job  – and he does it for a fair price.

As a resident of Kosciusko County, I was impressed with how Conley rallied against the idea of a southern loop for a future US 30. And his conservative fiscal approach is commendable.

Editor’s Note: The thoughts found in this weekly column are an expression of opinion by the author and not necessarily the opinion of InkFreeNews.

He and the other two Kosciusko County Commissioners, Brad Jackson and Cary Groninger, are all good leaders and all happen to be successful in business.

I also believe Warsaw City Council is full of smart and thoughtful people who bring a variety of perspectives to the table.

But I don’t think these boards are the best choice to have a final say in public health emergencies.

That role changed to a degree last week after state lawmakers voted to override a veto by Gov. Eric Holcomb and pushed through a new law that shifts final say on health emergency restrictions (when those restrictions go beyond what the state recommends) at the local level from the county health department to the county commissioners or city council (if the city has a health department).

It’s one of two examples of how state lawmakers are reacting to the pandemic.

Lawmakers introduced House Bill 1123 allowing the General Assembly to call themselves into an emergency session and distribute discretionary federal funds. Holcomb vetoed the bill, calling it unconstitutional and an encroachment on the governor’s exclusive powers. Legislators overrode that veto. The issue is now in court.

The governor’s own Republican lawmakers have essentially turned on him, annoyed by his ability to declare a state of emergency and issue various mandates during the coronavirus pandemic. 

I don’t know of any governor who has escaped ridicule or second-guessing from much of their electorate over how to keep their states safe. The pandemic presented a fluid, unprecedented situation that was evolving over time. In the name of public safety, they made tough decisions that made life difficult for business owners, workers and life in general.

As for controlling health restrictions, all five of the state lawmakers whose districts include Kosciusko County supported shifting decision-making from the county health department to the commissioners or city council.

Conley and the commissioners are now stuck in the middle. He seemed OK with the new policy and thinks local elected officials work well with the health department. In fact, Conley gets updates from the County Health Officer Dr. William Remington when the doctor is getting his hair cut.

And Conley is quick to say that he supported 100 percent of the recommendations from the health department.

Holcomb contends having the commissioners or council with the final say will slow down the response to an emergency because they have to advertise before the meeting. Conley says if that’s the case, they should change the law to let elected officials meet without the legal two-day notice.

All of this must feel a bit insulting for health professionals and those whose policies are based on science.

Remington and Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, a leading voice in setting local pandemic policy, both politely expressed disappointment with the change in law.

Remington said health officers need to be real careful in making unilateral decisions and need to build consensus as much as possible when doing so.

Would that prevent the health department from closing down a restaurant if warranted? He said that’s yet to be determined.

“There are times when you do need a really strong public health voice that bucks against commercial interests, I’m sure pasteurization of milk was not a popular thing commercially over a century ago,” Remington said.

Thallemer said he didn’t like the idea of minimizing the role of the health department but said he respects differing opinions.

Local leaders though have to do what’s best for the community, he said.

“For the most part, the state health department and our local health department have done a marvelous job here locally. I don’t feel this is a concern because we never have talked about issuing restrictions any greater than what the state has come up with,” Thallemer said.

The change in policy suggests state lawmakers did not like how things unfolded.

If left unchanged, this new approach adds another level of bureaucracy that officials will have to contend with when they face the next health emergency.

This week’s move doesn’t seem to be popular. In fact, some 77 percent of the respondents in our weekly poll question say they prefer health experts to make the decision rather than elected officials. This is far from a scientific finding, but 77 percent of anything in any poll is quite the statement.

I’m pretty sure none of our elected officials knew much about pathogens, community spread and PPE before this pandemic began a year ago. But the health department did.

What is so difficult about trusting science?

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Dan Spalding is the editor at InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.