Ohio GOP lawmakers battling each other over state's lockdown rules: ’I’m 6′4-290pds & won’t be pushed around!′

According to a report from the Columbus Dispatch, GOP lawmakers in Ohio are engaging in battle with each other over restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, with one state representative boasting about his size in an implied physical threat.

According to the report, "So it’s come to this among conservative Republicans in the Ohio House: One is touting his physical prowess in challenging a veteran GOP state senator who had the temerity to question him. That came after the representative, freshman Rep. Jon Cross, R-Kenton, condemned Gov. Mike DeWine’s pledge to enforce health orders requiring social distancing by noting, 'I’ll continue to fight like hell not to let DeWine’s police squad threaten or bully our small business owners!'"

The Dispatch's Darrel Rowland wrote, "The latest dust-up started Wednesday after the Ohio Senate unanimously shot down a House attempt to use Senate Bill 1 to trim the authority of state Health Director Dr. Amy Acton," which then led to a battle of tweets that escalated as the lawmakers went back and forth with each other.

Things got especially heated when Ohio State Sen. Jay Hottinger, (R-Newark), a 25-year veteran of the legislature fired back at Cross, asking if his criticism stemmed from "freshmen ineptness or laziness.”

That set off Cross who tweeted back, "You’ll quickly learn this freshman State Rep ‘has a pair’ to pass SB1 & fight FOR #OhioSmallBusiness against @GovMikeDeWine and bullying bureaucrats! I’m 6′4-290pds & won’t be pushed around!”

According to Rowland, "At least Cross didn’t get kicked out of a legislative session for not wearing a mask, like one Republican lawmaker did," noting, "Rep. Darren Bailey, a 54-year-old farmer from downstate, was removed after refusing to obey a newly passed rule requiring all lawmakers to wear masks during session."

You can see the tweets below:

You can read more about Ohio legislative battles here.