Recent Legislative Initiatives Make for a Better Ohio, a Better Government

My job as a state representative is to listen to and serve the constituents of the 23^rd House District by studying and enacting legislation that better serves these constituents and the rest of Ohio. Recently, the state legislature passed House Bill 483 as part of the Mid-Biennial Review (MBR), a package of bills that strives to initiate reforms to state spending, agency operations, and state policies and programs. This bill allows me to do my job to my greatest ability as it ensures more money in the pockets of Ohioans and stronger local services.

Two perspectives I firmly believe make Ohio a better place are lower taxes and more support for the issues that matter most to Ohioans, such as education resources, investments in local governments, and services for the poor and vulnerable. House Bill 483 accomplishes all of these goals, thus making Ohio a better place for families and businesses to thrive. A total of $400 million in tax relief for tax year 2014 was authorized when Governor Kasich signed the legislation in June. Both small businesses and individuals will benefit immensely from such tax changes.

In addition to cutting taxes, the legislation also appropriates money to the services that Ohioans care about most. Some appropriations include:

• $10 million to protect vulnerable older Ohioans;
• $10 million for fiscal year 2015 for Child Protective Services to provide additional safeguards for Ohio’s children;
• $16 million for more uninterrupted access to quality childcare and early education for Ohio families, funding I secured in the MBR through diligent work with Senator Lehner and other colleagues;
• $17 million for security upgrades at public and private schools statewide;
• Redirects $47.5 million in funding for Mental Health and Addiction Services to provide a comprehensive continuum of care for the mentally ill and addicted.

In addition to the MBR, another initiative recently deployed was Start Talking, Governor Kasich’s program to educate kids and teenagers about substance abuse and addiction and to prevent the opiate epidemic in Ohio from spreading further. This program, combined with the $47.5 million in comprehensive funding for Mental Health and Addiction services, represents a strong effort by your state government to help those who struggle with addiction and prevent further addiction from happening.

These policies are the solution to keeping Ohio on the right path towards a healthy, prosperous, and successful state. I fully support the work done by the legislature this spring and look forward to seeing the positive results from such enactments.