These are Bills Steve has sponsored in the Ohio House Of Representatives.

HB 92: Methamphetamine Notification

This bill, which is supported by Republican Sheriff Drew Alexander, would have law enforcement call in to the state to report every meth lab that is busted. That address, either home, apartment or hotel room, would then be placed on a state website so folks could see if the home they're purchasing or renting used to be a meth lab. Counties could also opt to place the notice in a property's chain of title. Once the site is clean, according to standards adopted by the state, the address would be removed from the website and chain of title. This would also apply to cars.

My passion for fighting meth began while I was a reporter at the Akron Beacon Journal and saw how there are no requirements for owners of properties that used to be meth labs to tell innocent purchasers that they were purchasing a toxic waste dump. This would alleviate that problem.

HB 126: Non-Responsible Contractor Notification

This bill, which is co-sponsored by Republican Jim McGregor of
Gahanna, would ensure that public entities would make the best decisions when awarding construction contracts. Currently, if a public entity decides not to go with a low-bid contract, they can call the contractor a non-responsible contractor, meaning that despite their low-bid status, they are not responsible enough to carry out the contract. While that finding is a public record, it is almost impossible to find and contractors can essentially go from entity to entity without the next one knowing the contractor's history.

This bill would have each non-responsible finding put on file with the state so entities could check bidders to make sure contracts are given to responsible bidders.

HB 147: House Committee Meeting Minutes

This bill would force House Committees to take as detailed minutes as every other public body in Ohio has to do. Currently, minutes consist of saying someone spoke for or against an issue and questions were asked. There is no way the public can find out what questions were asked or what was said in the meeting, unless they actually attend the meeting.

This bill came out of my experience as a reporter, where meeting minutes were essential to keep tabs on the activities of public bodies. This bill has yet to be heard in any committee.

HB 167:
Walter Reed Transfer

This bill would allow for the State of Ohio to transfer its brave men and women who are currently at Walter Reed Medical Center to another comparable facility to heal their battle wounds. At the time of the bill's introduction, Walter Reed was in great disrepair. Some servicemen and servicewomen could look up from their beds and see into the bathrooms on the floor above them. I found these conditions unacceptable for those who have sacrificed so much to make our country free. So I proposed allowing the state to pay for any Ohioan to be transferred out of Walter Reed to another facility that was more befitting the service the men and women staying there had performed for this country.

HB 336: Absentee Ballot Postmark

This bill would allow for absentee ballots to be counted after the election as long as the ballot was postmarked prior to the election. This was a reaction to what happened in the Sept. 11, 2007 primary where several Summit County ballots were not counted because they were received after the election, even though they had been sent before the election. Apparently, the post office had misplaced the ballots. Several elections were decided by narrow enough margins that the votes could have swung the tally in one way or the other.

HB 338:
Sales Tax Holiday

This bill would create a Sales Tax Holiday the second weekend in August for any item up to $2,500, with a few exceptions, like clothing, which is capped at $250. This bill was a result of seeing the kind of economic stimulus the holiday created in Massachusetts, creating a mini-Black Friday in the middle of the summer shopping doldrums. While we are going through tough economic times, I believe any relief the state can give its people, especially as school starts, is a benefit to the people of Ohio. Ensuring that every child can obtain the clothes, books and supplies they need to succeed is a driving force behind this legislation.

HB 408:
The Luke "Doc" Emch and Matt "Doc"
Conte Corpsmen Memorial Highway

This bill would name the portion of I-76 through Brimfield Township after two men who gave their lives in the Iraq War. One thing I have had to do too much during my first year serving you is grant condolences to grieving families of the brave service men and women who are serving our country in Iraq and Afghanistan.  I hope that our troops can come home soon, safe and sound. This is a small token of appreciation to the families and their sons' sacrifices so that our country can remain free from terror. I want to acknowledge as well that Sen. Tom Sawyer is sponsoring the same bill in the Senate. And I must also acknowledge the passion of Wes Emch, Luke's dad, and the rest of the families who have dedicated so much to ensure that we all remember their children. Because of their work and love, we never will.

HB 494:
Mosquito Abatement District Reform

Those of you living in the portion of the 43rd District in Summit County are well aware that the Barberton-Norton Mosquito Abatement District (with the appropriate acronym MAD) is trying to expand into most of the 43rd. However, due to a quirk in the law, they will be able to raise our taxes without us voting on it. All they need is a judge to OK the district, then our property taxes go up. What makes this more maddening is that we already get mosquito spraying from the Summit County Health Department. So we will be paying double to receive the same services we're receiving now. And to add insult to injury, it appears that Barberton-Norton will contract with the very same Summit County Health Department to do their spraying! Talk about outrageous!

I think this is wrong. So this bill will force MADs to go to a vote of the people to be created, expanded or dissolved. It also allows for individual communities to back out of MADs by a vote of the people.