Republican News

As our students and families begin the school year, I hope to make everyone aware of some changes to Ohio’s health curriculum. Since 2007, the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio has been drug overdose. According to the most recent finalized statistics, during 2013, 2,110 individuals died from an accidental drug overdose. More than 70% of these individuals were using either prescription opioids or heroin, and the rate of overdose deaths closely correlates with the amount of dispensed prescription opioid doses. From 2003 to 2013, within the State of Ohio, the amount of prescription opioids being dispensed increased more than ten-fold. Specifically, in 2013, there were over 828 million dispensed doses. 

The Ohio House Healthcare Efficiencies Study Committee today held its first hearing at the ProMedica Flower Hospital in Sylvania. The committee, chaired by State Representative Dr. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), held a graduate medical education panel to discuss healthcare models in Northwest Ohio that the Ohio House can help support and promote.

During a press conference at the Statehouse today, State Representatives Doug Green (R-Mt. Orab) and Sean O’Brien (D-Bazetta) introduced legislation called “Maiden’s Law,” which is aimed at encouraging expectant mothers who are addicted to heroin and opiates to seek medical help.

Earlier this month, shoppers around the state took part in a three day Sales Tax Holiday codified into law by the Ohio General Assembly last year through Senate Bill 243. From Friday, August 7^th through Sunday, August 9^th, Ohioans were able to get a head start on their back-to-school shopping while avoiding sales and use tax on items like clothing, school supplies and instructional materials.

The Ohio House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee held a hearing today in Wooster at the OSU Agricultural Technical Institute, focused primarily on agricultural education.

The Ohio House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee held a hearing yesterday at The Ohio State University to examine new developments in agricultural technology.

State Representative Rick Perales (R-Beavercreek) and a bipartisan group of Ohio state representatives took a tour of the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

The Ohio House Community and Family Advancement Committee held a hearing at the CityLink Center in Cincinnati yesterday, primarily focusing on finding policies that lead to good-paying jobs for Ohio residents living in poverty.

State Representative Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) has announced that the Ohio House Healthcare Efficiencies Study Committee will hold four hearings around the state. The committee will be examining healthcare efficiencies that lead to better health outcomes at a lower cost to Ohioans.

The Ohio House Community and Family Advancement Committee held a hearing at the Friendly Inn Settlement House in Cleveland yesterday to examine the effects of poverty on families and the ways that the state can help lift up struggling Ohioans, including through workforce development programs.