Carruthers, Brent Reintroduce Aisha's Law

COLUMBUS –State Representatives Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) and Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) today held a press conference on Aisha’s Law, legislation that directs the Attorney General to adopt rules to require training on evidence-based lethality assessment screening tools in peace officer basic training.

House Bill 486, known as Aisha’s Law, is named after Aisha Mason, a Shaker Heights resident who was stabbed to death by her ex-husband, Lance Mason, a former judge and state lawmaker in 2018. 

This will be the third time the legislation has come before the legislature for consideration. The House passed Aisha’s Law in the 133rd and 134th General Assembly with strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, both times, the legislation was stalled in the Senate.

“This issue is very personal to me as my mother was a survivor of domestic violence,” said Carruthers. “It is important that we pass Aisha’s law quickly to equip law enforcement with better training in these situations and to offer more support to survivors.”

Specifically, Aisha’s Law:

Requires officers who handle domestic violence complaints to have intervention technique training and can connect survivors of domestic violence to advocacy programs;
Requires courts that issue domestic violence protection orders to have a judge or magistrate available to accept a petition for a domestic violence protection order 24/7;
Expands the offense of “child endangering” to include the offense of domestic violence in an occupied structure when a child is present; and
Expands the offense of “aggravated murder” to prohibit purposely causing the death of another when the victim was a family or household member of the offender.
 

“Enough is enough,” said Brent. “How many more people must die as a result of domestic violence before this legislation is law? This General Assembly must prioritize this domestic violence bill to have risk assessment training for law enforcement and stop child endangerment. Ohioans are tired of empty promises. It is time for legislators to put people first.”

House Bill 486 awaits committee assignment.