I believe in rewarding hard work, promoting personal responsibility, and keeping with the values and principles our great nation was founded upon.

Why did I decide to run for State Representative?

For me it’s quite simple: I care deeply about my community and I want to make sure it’s well-represented at the State level.

Below are the key issues I am fighting for as your State Representative:

Strong Families = Strong Ohio

I will fight to foster an environment that strengthens Ohio families through strategic legislation, job creation, rewarding people who work hard, and promoting personal responsibility.

I am pro-life and I believe we have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn. I have been an outspoken advocate for the unborn for years. I believe pregnancy support centers can have a positive impact on our communities and I will work to ensure such centers are welcome in Ohio.

For me, being pro-life also means being pro-adoption. In addition to fighting to stop abortion from being legal, I want to make the adoption process in our state easier. As my family knows first-hand, adoption is an arduous journey, and we need to support families that take on this noble mission by making it as smooth and as affordable as possible.

Jobs & Business

construction workers, job, industry

Despite the challenges of the last two years, Ohio’s economy continues to be strong because we have an environment that invites small businesses to start up, and encourages existing companies to move into Ohio. I will work hard to keep it that way. Every small business in Ohio is essential and important, and I will continue to fight for these businesses and their rights.

Taxes and regulations are two of the biggest job killers in our state and nation today. When the taxes and regulations on doing business increase, the cost of goods and services for consumers rises as well, which in turn fosters a stagnant economy. I want to work to abolish hidden taxes that kill small businesses, such as the Commercial Activity Tax that companies must pay just for the privilege of doing business in Ohio.

Oil & Gas Industry

I believe that when oil and gas producers come to Ohio, everybody wins. The oil and gas industry has been a major catalyst for Ohio’s economy in the last decade, bringing thousands of jobs directly to our state. The industry has also created thousands more indirect jobs throughout Ohio due to the economic trickle-down effect provided by oil and gas production. As a State Legislator I have worked to make Ohio an inviting place for oil and gas exploration and production. I believe one way we can encourage the industry’s continued growth in Ohio is by keeping the oil and gas severance tax as low as possible, so that companies don’t have to pay huge taxes just for taking the product out of the ground.

Drug Addiction

The heroin epidemic in Ohio has been raging out of control for years, and we all continue to see its effects in our own communities. The events of the last two years have not helped matters, as public health officials nationwide are reporting increased drug use and overdoses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (Millennium Health’s Signals Report COVID-19 Special Edition).

In recent years, between 25-50% of Ohio children taken into protective custody were removed from their homes because a parent had a drug addiction (Public Children Services Association of Ohio Factbook, 13th & 15th editions, 2017 & 2019). This is costing Ohio taxpayers millions of dollars as these parents go through our penal system, and their children are forced into our foster care system. This is simply unacceptable. I will push for Ohio to come down hard on drug dealers who are ultimately responsible for overdose deaths, and work to ensure heroin addicts can get the treatment they need in a timely fashion. I also believe education is one key to dealing with this drug crisis, and will work to increase programs to teach our children the dangers of drug use.

Education

classroom, education, school

Ohio must ensure our graduating seniors are truly getting an education that will prepare them for the workforce. While nearly 70% of our graduating seniors are going off to college and getting a 4-year degree, the remaining 30% are entering the workforce immediately after graduation (Bureau of Labor Statistics Economic Release, April 2017). And of those graduating college, about 40% of recent graduates are working in a field that doesn’t even require the degree they just earned (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, February 12, 2021). Couple this with the fact that our young people are graduating college with an average of $30,000 in student loan debt (U.S. New and World Report, September 14, 2021), and we have a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the fact that many businesses are currently struggling to find the skilled workers they need to run their businesses.

I have supported strengthening Ohio’s vocational training so that our high school graduates can hit the ground running with a skill or trade already under their belt. These skilled trades are critical to the success of our economy and society. Instead of flooding the job market with over-educated, under-experienced college graduates, we need a stronger emphasis on vocational training that can equip people for the jobs in demand today – electricians, plumbers, welders, carpenters, and many, many more.

Infrastructure

Route 30 Ohio, highway Expanding Route 30 to a 4-lane highway from East Canton to West Virginia is another initiative I will work toward. An RTIP (Regional Transportation Improvement Project) has already been established to collect tax dollars to help fund the project which is a great step forward. As your Representative, I will work to find other revenue streams to fund this project as well. The economic boom will be massive when the Route 30 expansion is complete, and will bring countless opportunities and jobs to our region.

Gun Rights

gun rights, 2nd amendment, Constitution The 2^nd amendment of our nation’s Constitution gives the citizens of our great country the right to bear arms. We should not take this right for granted, and must elect leaders who will ensure it is not infringed upon. As a gun owner and member of the NRA, I will stand up for your right to bear arms.