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Dear Constituents,
As Ohio has been leading the nation in opioid and heroin overdose deaths, 1
Democratic lawmakers in Ohio have been calling on Gov. John Kasich to declare a
state of emergency in Ohio to bring more resources to bear in the fight and increase
our focus across the state. Recently, the president of the United States of America
announced he is declaring a national state of emergency on the opioid crisis.
Ohio House Dems
I believe it is more important now than ever that our governor put aside petty
disagreements or political differences with the president to do what I believe is the
Are Now On:
right thing, here at home in the Buckeye State: declare a statewide emergency and
release emergency funding for law enforcement, treatment, education and prevention.

Too many families in Ohio have experienced firsthand the tragic loss and devastation
that highly addictive painkillers and heroin have brought us. Drug-addicted parents
have abandoned young children, forcing them into the states growing foster care
system or even worse temporary state custody.2

I believe that, unless we declare a statewide emergency and truly invest in treatment
and prevention, more Ohio families will be torn apart, more neighbors will become
criminals to support their addiction and more people will become dependent on state
assistance to make ends meet.

It is difficult to imagine what things could be like in our state if we dont do everything
in our power to stop the devastation and destruction now.

Ohioans already rank first in the burden of student loan debt3, 35th in household
income4, and first in reliance on the federal government for financial help fighting
poverty5. We simply cant afford to do any worse.

I would like to see Ohio leading in job creation, take-home pay and economic stability
not deaths from drugs.

Thank you for taking the time to stay engaged and informed, and please do not
hesitate to contact me with your ideas, concerns and questions. I am honored to
serve as your voice in Columbus.

Sincerely,

Kent Smith
State Representative
Ohios 8th House District
1
http://www.dispatch.com/news/20161129/ohio-leads-nation-in-overdose-deaths/1
2
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2017/02/opiate_addiction_including_her.html
3
http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170805/ohio-ranks-worst-when-it-comes-to-college-students-in-debt
4
http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/index.ssf/2015/09/ohio_income_up_but_state_ranki_1.html
5
http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-state-budgets-federal-funding-2015-2018-trump.html

In This Issue
Charter school sponsors should return money/New bill would protect domestic violence victims

I feel ensuring a quality education for our children should

not be a partisan issue. Moving forward, I hope we can
do a better job at shining light on the misuse of taxpayer
funds and ensuring that charter schools operate in a
transparent, accountable manner.

Dem lawmakers proposal seeks to address domestic

violence by allowing judicial discretion in cases of
temporary protection orders allowing a judge to order
the surrender of firearms while a temporary restraining
order is in effect.

Click here to read more.

Medicaid restrictions, potential law changes from House GOP veto showdown with governor

In an unusual move and what I believe was a politically-

charged response, the Republican-controlled House voted to
override 11 of the governors line-item vetoes. Under these
overrides, future Medicaid expansion will have to be approved
by the Republican-controlled state Controlling Board, and
what I consider to be out-of-pocket fees will be imposed on
working people who rely on Medicaid to meet their healthcare
needs.

Click here to read more.

Columbus Office
77 South High Street
State Representative Columbus, OH 43215
Kent Smith (614) 466-5441 Phone
Contact Information
Send me an e-mail! rep08@ohiohouse.gov
On the Web: http://www.ohiohouse.gov

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2017 State Representative Kent Smith