News and Notes: General Assembly Races

Duly noted:

OH House-17 - State Rep. Josh Mandel (R-Lyndhurst) has returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq, his second. He is opposed in the November general election by attorney Bob Belovich (D-Broadview Heights).

OH House-20 - Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) has been endorsed by the Ohio Federation of Teachers. "I feel grateful to have the support of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, an organization that represents over 20,000 teachers across our great state," Garland said. "As a Representative, I will stand up for our state's public schools to make sure our teacher's have the right tools to educate our state's young people. Ensuring that our state's students have a bright future will be one of my top priorities."

OH House-33 - State Rep. Tyrone Yates (D-Cincinnati) would appreciate some measure of credit for the 28% interest rate cap imposed by the new payday lending bill, HB 545. He points out in a press release that it is closer to his proposed 25% rate cap than to the 36% limit sought by others. “My colleagues have joined me in offering strong reform for this predatory industry,” said Rep. Yates in a press release that characterizes the new bill as drawing upon his own. “We have come together, Democrats and Republicans, agencies and non-profit groups, legislative and executive branches to do the responsible thing for Ohio’s consumers and pass a bill that will be a model for the nation."

OH House-48 - Yesterday the Ohio House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill sponsored by State Rep. Edna Brown (D–Toledo) that allows juvenile victims of teen dating violence to file petitions for protection orders in Juvenile Court. “Thirty other states have statutes on their books addressing dating violence, and I am proud that Ohio may soon join them,” Rep. Brown said. “This is good public policy to protect young people in Ohio from becoming victims of teen dating violence.” The issue came to Rep. Brown’s attention when Shynerra Grant, a 17-year-old girl from Toledo, died at the hands of a young man she had previously dated. Rep. Brown also noted that teen dating violence is more common than many people realize, and that statistics indicate that adult victims of relationship violence often have a history of violent relationships that started when they were teens. Brown's bill also strengthens current domestic violence laws by expanding the definition of “family or household member” to include a foster parent.