 I am greatly honored to represent Ohio's 80th House District, covering Miami and southern Darke counties. If you are ever in Columbus, please feel free to call and schedule a visit at The People's Office of District 80.
Ohio's Children Must Be Protected
I am a co-sponsor of House Bill 635, the ‘Child Protection Reform Act.’
The bill works to tighten reporting requirements, expand information sharing, reduce gaps between law enforcement and children services, increase oversight of children in custody, and strengthen accountability when abuse occurs - or when warning signs are missed.
The legislation is also designed to improve cross-county and cross-agency coordination by requiring critical information to follow a child and ensuring agencies share records, so no child falls through jurisdictional gaps. It integrates law enforcement data into child welfare decisions, requiring domestic violence information to be reviewed in abuse and neglect investigations so patterns of harm are not overlooked. Additionally, the bill increases oversight of residential and congregate care placements by requiring more frequent in-person visits and documented reporting.
House Bill 635 includes the core components of "Vivian's Law," which originated from an unthinkable crime committed against Baby Vivian in Piqua, Ohio, by an adult male who was recently sentenced for murder.
House Bill 635 awaits its second hearing in the House Children and Human Services Committee.
Ohio Needs To Bring Back The Death Penalty
Numerous leaders in law enforcement and members of the clergy have commented on the need to bring back the death penalty in our state. Attorney General Dave Yost has called for an end to the long pause on executions, calling it "a mockery of the justice system and of the dead and their families,” Yost said. “For the worst-of-the-worst killers, Ohio is wandering in a wilderness of lawlessness and desert of justice.”
Furthermore, the death penalty is affirmed in Holy Scriptures. Genesis 9:5-6 states that God requires a reckoning for the shedding of man's blood, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."
This is why I am co-sponsoring H.B. No. 36, to once again make capital punishment available for use in sentencing.
Ohio Must Go After Drug And Human Traffickers
I am a co-sponsor for House Bill 88, legislation to directly combat drug trafficking in Ohio. This legislation comes as a result of the staggering increase in drug overdoses, specifically fentanyl poisoning, in Ohio and throughout the United States. According to the Ohio Department of Health, in 2023, illicit fentanyl or fentanyl analogs were involved in 78% of unintentional drug overdose deaths in Ohio, often in combination with other drugs.
Key provisions of the bill are as follows:
- Increases penalties for drug trafficking of fentanyl-related compounds;
- Increases penalties for repeat drug traffickers;
- Establishes a 5-year mandatory minimum prison term if an individual is convicted of or pleads guilty to a fentanyl-related death;
- Requires death certificates to list fentanyl poisoning as the cause of death if a lethal amount was found in a person’s body and was determined to contribute to the cause of death;
- Designates August as “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month”; and
- Requires public schools to develop age-appropriate curricula and instruct students on the dangers of fentanyl.
House Bill 88 now moves to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
Ohio Is Thankful For Ted Finnarn
 Theodore O. Finnarn, local Darke County farmer and attorney, has served on the Ohio Department of Taxation’s CAUV Advisory Committee for approximately 50 years. In Darke County, Agriculture remains our leading industry in large part to the work of this faithful Ohioan. Few others have cared for the well-being of our farm community like Ted has. We owe you our gratitude for your endless efforts. Thank you, Ted!
Theodore O. Finnarn, local Darke County farmer and attorney, was recently honored by the Ohio House of Representatives for his long-time service (47 years) on the Ohio Department of Taxation’s CAUV Advisory Committee.
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