General Assembly gets it right but also gets it wrong

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The Ohio General Assembly is moving in the right direction with one bill that concerns kids and going the wrong direction with another.

First, the bill that’s going in the right direction, SB 167, which proposes to end the “policy of zero tolerance for violent, disruptive, or inappropriate behavior.”  Enacted in 1998, zero tolerance has been plagued by problems. Administrators have failed to demonstrate critical thinking when employing it, and its use is often discriminatory. Because it generally lacks key elements ...

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28
JAN
0

Social Issues

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Kids shot accidentally because of easy access to guns

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Just a week ago, NBC News reported that a 12-year old walked into a New Mexico middle school gymnasium, armed with a sawed-off shotgun.  He shot two students.  Both sustained serious injuries.

Yesterday, The Dispatch reported that a 4-year old boy in Detroit was fatally shot by his 4-year old cousin, a girl.  According  to police, the children were playing in a bedroom, where the cousin found a rifle under the bed. The rifle was loaded and unlocked. The cousin picked ...

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19
JAN
0

Gun Policy

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Gun storage bill is about safety

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Rep. Bill Patmon, D-Cleveland, is sponsoring H.B. 31 that, if passed, will require all firearms to be either safely secured or locked when they are kept in residences and there are minors about who can gain access to the firearms. Gun advocates view the bill as an infringement of their rights.

I understand the concerns of gun advocates, but let’s take a look at the bill’s purpose: keeping kids safe. Too many get shot because guns are left within a kids’ ...

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8
JAN
0

Gun Policy

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Voting is too important to be subject to political haggling

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Secretary of State John Husted is advocating on-line voting. Regrettably, politics are in play whenever it comes to anything related to voting. Democrats want to improve access to the voting polls, while Republicans voice concern about the problems that come with greater access.

Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, stated, “I’ve been told that there are folks in the Senate concerned that it [on-line voting] would hurt some of their members’ ability to get re-elected” because college students would take advantage of it. ...

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2
JAN
0

Social Issues