 Chairman’s Update
Good Evening, I hope you will join me in wishing President Trump a very Happy Birthday today. He has been a true leader to Americans since 2016, and has proven his leadership is what we need to guide us through another four years. Last week, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel announced the Republican National Convention will now take place in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida is President Trump’s home state and will play an important role in the president’s path to victory. President Trump has been leading our Great American Comeback, and I am excited to head out to Jacksonville to celebrate President Trump’s re-nomination in August so we can Keep America Great! Sincerely, Jane M. Timken
Portman Highlights How Restore Our Parks Act Will Support More Than 100,000 Jobs & Rebuild Park Infrastructure Last week, Senator Rob Portman highlighted his bipartisan Restore Our Parks Act currently under consideration on the Senate floor this week, which will support more than 100,000 jobs over the next five years. The bill will help rebuild our parks infrastructure by addressing the nearly $12 billion backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service (NPS). The Restore Our Parks Act is a part of a broader package, the Great American Outdoors Act — landmark bipartisan legislation to address the deferred maintenance backlog across the federal land management agencies and to provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Governor DeWine Continues Work to Improve Law Enforcement On Tuesday, Governor DeWine announced several efforts to improve community-police relations in Ohio. WSYX in Columbus provided a recap:
First, Governor DeWine directed Ohio’s Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board to begin developing uniform minimum standards related to mass protests. Ohio’s Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board was formed in 2015 to create uniform minimum standards for Ohio’s law enforcement agencies covering use of force, including deadly force, hiring and recruitment. Second, Governor DeWine directed the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Office of Criminal Justice Services, which oversees the certification process, to reach out to every agency that is not certified in these standards and assist them in moving toward certification. As of today, 79-percent of all of Ohio’s law enforcement officers work for an agency that has voluntarily complied with these standards or is in the process of certification. These agencies serve 75-percent of Ohio’s total population. However, the total number of certified agencies only accounts for slightly over half of all of Ohio’s departments. Collaborative standards also exist for community engagement, body cameras, bias-free policing, employee misconduct, telecommunicators, and law enforcement pursuits. The 2020 Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board report, which lists the certification status of all law enforcement agencies in the state, is available at publicsafety.ohio.gov. Governor DeWine also announced that he will create a new Ohio Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment within Ohio’s Office of Criminal Justice Services. Lt. Governor Husted Talks Economic Recovery Lt. Governor Jon Husted this week joined Stewart Varney on Fox Business to discuss Ohio’s ongoing economic recovery efforts as the state continues to battle the spread of the coronavirus. The Lt. Governor highlighted the fact that new and renewing unemployment claims are falling in Ohio, which is good news for Ohio job seekers, and especially those who may have lost their job due to the pandemic. Lt. Governor Husted noted that Ohio employers are working hard to reopen the right way in order to keep their employees and customers safe. Yost Goes After Inflated, Manipulated Drug Prices Attorney General Dave Yost joined 51 states and territories last week to file a lawsuit involving a widespread conspiracy by drug manufacturers to inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and restrain trade for generic topical drugs across the country. A multistate investigation found evidence of unlawful agreements to lower competition and raise prices on dozens of topical products. The ensuing lawsuit seeks damages, civil penalties, and actions by the court to restore competition to the generic drug market. “Price-fixing unlawfully benefits the producer at the expense of the patient,” Yost said. “In the absence of competition in the drug market, folks who most need medicine bear the brunt of the cost.” LaRose Helps Minority Entrepreneurs This week, Secretary LaRose held his sixth regional minority business roundtable with entrepreneurs in the Akron business community. The Zoom discussion gave participants an opportunity to learn about resources, ask questions to a panel of experts, and give feedback on what more can be done for entrepreneurs looking to grow their businesses. Check out a clip from the virtual Roundtable here. Increasing Penalties for Theft in Office This week the Ohio House took another step toward stiffening penalties for public officials who commit theft while in office by passing Senate Bill 10. Auditor Keith Faber has urged the legislature to take action so that when his office catches someone stealing from taxpayers, they can get the punishment that they deserve for betraying the public trust.
Treasurer Sprague Talks Challenges, Recovery with Business Leaders and Local Officials Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague continues to engage business leaders and local officials to discuss the various economic challenges facing our state and the ways we can work together to ensure a long-term recovery. Recent weeks have seen Sprague speak with the Bowling Green Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee, the St. Clairsville Chamber, and the Mason Deerfield Rotary.
Kennedy Continues Connecting with Ohioans
Justice Sharon L. Kennedy’s week included an event in Adams County at the J. McCoy Lumber Company, a virtual meeting with the Ohio Contractors Association Board, and endorsement announcements from the Ohio Real Estate Investors Association, Ohio Business Roundtable, Ohio Chamber, Ohio Farm Bureau, and NFIB. Sharon rounded out her week by speaking at a Clinton County Event. “With 141 days until Election Day, there is a lot of work to be done,” said Sharon. “As we continue engaging Ohioans and asking for their vote on November, I ask you for your help. Please continue connecting with friends and neighbors and tell them about my candidacy for re-election. Tell them about my 34 years of diverse service in the justice system, and my commitment to upholding the law, not re-writing it or legislating from the bench. Control of the Ohio Supreme Court is at stake this year and the road to victory is begins and ends with you. Together – we will be victorious.” French Participates in Virtual Town Hall with Students
Judi participated in a virtual town hall with students from the Ohio YMCA Youth & Government program this week. The Youth & Government program has a rich history of bringing the democratic process to life for young Ohioans. Teens learn about the legislative and judicial processes, how to write legislation, and how to participate in elections. The program builds character and confidence and even brings good ideas to Ohio’s policymakers. Justice French talked about her pathway from a small town in Mahoning County to the Ohio Supreme Court. She encouraged the students to consider running for office and bringing their unique talents to public service. |
