Rep. McNally to Hold Rest Stop Safety Listening Tour
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today joined Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova and members of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission (OTIC), including OTIC Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed, for a visit to the Mahoning Valley (westbound) Turnpike Service Plaza to view camera technology following her introduction of House Bill (HB) 473. This legislation will require the maintenance of a system of security cameras at each rest area over which the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has jurisdiction, a total of 85 rest stops in Ohio.
“As news spread about HB 473, I was contacted by OTIC who invited my office to tour and see their security system, much like that proposed by this legislation. They also shared how their video footage assisted the Ohio State Highway Patrol with identifying a human trafficking victim and catching the trafficker, which is exactly the goal of this bill,” said Rep. McNally. “Cameras are a cost effective, public safety tool that we must encourage the state to fully implement in rest areas, public spaces that are meant for rest and rejuvenation. HB 473 is how we do that.”
“I am excited to see HB 473 come to life, and I commend Rep. McNally for her work on this proposed legislation. Human traffickers often use transportation hubs to recruit victims of sex trafficking. Once recruited, traffickers rely on transportation systems to transport victims to places where they will be abused and exploited,” said Prosecutor DeGenova. “The installation of cameras will serve as a vital tool in trafficking investigations and prosecutions.”
Rep. McNally provided sponsor testimony on HB 473 during the May 1, 2024, hearing of the Ohio House of Representatives’ Homeland Security Committee, an important first step in the legislative process. During her comments, Rep. McNally shared several stories, much like the one provided by OTIC, that had been brought to her attention by advocates and public servants in support of the safety measure.
“One story came via law enforcement as part of yesterday’s Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence’s statehouse advocacy day. They shared with my staff that they successfully used cameras after a report came in of a missing family member with a dementia diagnosis. Another story came from advocates with the Ohio Association for Justice. They shared that cameras were used by law enforcement after a report of a missing veteran who was in the middle of a mental health crisis. They found the veteran on a bridge, saving their life in the process,” said Rep. McNally during her sponsor testimony. “These are real people, real Ohioans, with families who love them who are speaking to the value of this legislation.”
HB 473 currently awaits additional committee hearings.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos of Rep. McNally and Prosecutor DeGenova during the OTIC service plaza visit are attached to this release.