Guest Column from State Representative Marlene Anielski

As the temperature drops and holiday shopping begins, we know that the time to celebrate the close of another year is upon us. As your state representative, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on 2015 and some of the changes the Ohio House of Representatives has accomplished during the past year in the hopes of making a difference in the lives of Ohioans.

This past summer, my colleagues and I worked to pass House Bill 64, the state biennial budget. The budget sets the spending for the State of Ohio for the next two years, and I am confident that many beneficial changes were incorporated into the budget, including:

· Nearly $1.9 billion in tax relief to Ohioans over the next two years through income and small business tax cuts

· Ensures no school district will receive less state foundation funding in FY’16 or FY’17 than it did in FY’15, including a total increase of over $850 million in state aid

· Reduces the cost of higher education by freezing tuition and fees at state institutions for the biennium, making a college degree more affordable and accessible for all Ohioans

Additionally, the House of Representatives has introduced and, in many cases, already passed legislation on a variety of topics. These bills and resolutions include:

· House Bill 4: addresses opioid addiction by allowing naloxone to be more readily available for individuals suffering from an opioid overdose;

· House Bill 74: reduces the impact felt by grade school students from the increased pressure of standardized testing by reducing the amount of testing hours within a school year;

· House Bill 151: aims to combat cyberstalking and harassment by prohibiting social media posts with the intention of making another individual believe they are in danger;

Senate Bill 1: following the Toledo water crisis, SB 1 creates guidelines for crop fertilizer to ensure Ohio’s water quality is not compromised by algal blooms;

· House Bill 28: creates suicide prevention programs at Ohio’s institutions of higher education; and

· Sub House Bills 313 and 319: allows the creation of specialty license plates for several public and private schools, which would create additional funding for the schools to utilize specifically for the emotional and mental well-being of their students.

Have a safe, prosperous and healthy New Year!