Ohio, Let's Celebrate Success!

While June marks the point in the year when the legislature begins its summer recess back in the districts, prepping for the upcoming election, the 135th General Assembly will continue until December 31, 2024. As a result, we will still have opportunities to pass, or defend against, outstanding legislation upon their return in November, in what is called a “Lame Duck Session.”

A MASSIVE thank you to each of you for the testimony, phone calls, legislative meetings, e-mails, and time you dedicated to ensuring the American Heart Association and Ohioans walked away from this FY with several successes. Those contacts and actions genuinely do make a difference!

It’s time to review where we are in our work, celebrate the successes and look forward to the work that lies ahead.  Here are the highlights:

Please join me in celebrating the following SUCCESSES!

AEDs in Schools:  In the last week before the summer recess, state lawmakers passed AEDs in Schools legislation (HB 47) sending it to the Governor for his signature. This legislation would require AEDS to be placed in each school and sports and recreational locations in Ohio. It also requires emergency action plans to be adopted at these sites and for staff to be trained in using AEDs, which complements and reinforces Ohio’s existing requirement that coaches be certified in CPR.
Thank you to all the volunteers who joined us to testify in support, make phone calls and sent e-mails advocating for this bill.  Additionally, we extend our sincere appreciation to our colleagues in the Smart Heart Sports Coalition for all their work and dedication.

Funding secured for CPR Training in Ohio Schools: With help from long-time advocates Gail Hogan and Tony Lindeman, we secured $1.2M in funding to ensure that the current CPR training curriculum requirement for all high schoolers can be met. Ohio will have approximately 119,000 students graduate this year. Just imagine how many lives may be saved because schools now have the resources needed to train the next generation of lifesavers.

T-CPR and Funding for Next Generation 9-1-1: Working with groups like the County Commissioners Association we successfully advocated for the passage of telecommunicator CPR requirements for all 9-1-1 dispatchers.  Additionally, lawmakers provided $45.8M to fully fund the implementation of a statewide framework for Next Generation 9-1-1 updating the technology across the state.  A very special shout-out to American Heart Association Development Director, Lauren Yedlick for providing personal testimony in the House and Senate Finance Committees.

Increasing access to healthy foods – Working with Produce Perks, Ohio’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Double Up program administrator, we secured $2M in funding for the program that doubles the purchasing power of SNAP consumers to purchase fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables from Ohio farmer’s markets and grocers across the state. This increased appropriation will allow the program to expand its reach across the state, providing a $1-to-$1 match on all fresh fruits and vegetables (up to $25) for more of Ohio’s SNAP participants at participating farmers markets and independent grocers.

Local success helping address the toll of tobacco on Ohio communities – Working locally with advocates and local officials Lorain and Gahanna passed tobacco retail license programs (TRL) to hold retailers accountable for the sale of products to underage customers and lay the groundwork for the potential of enacting a restriction on all flavored tobacco in the future.
Special thanks to Central Ohio AHA Board President, Dr. Laura Gravelin, and Gahanna residents and AHA staff, Connie Spear and Kathleen Marron, for their testimony before Gahanna Council. In addition, special thanks are also owed to Diana Briggs, Sonya Vezmar, James Meerdink, and Julie Thomm for their continued assistance on the language drafts, attending late-night council meetings, as well as their moral support throughout the, sometimes lengthy, process.

Improving Stroke Systems of Care – Representative Jean Schmidt championed making sure the current Ohio stroke registry was codified in state law and updated the stroke facility designation list to include “Thrombectomy-capable centers.
Special thanks to Drs. BJ Hicks (Midwest AHA Board member) and Syed Zaidi (Toledo AHA Board and AHA State Advocacy Committee member), as well as AHA volunteers, Dr. Brett Kissela (fmr Cincinnati AHA Board member), Ben Osburn, Jeri Ward, and Mark Matasic for their testimony highlighting the importance of this registry on the future of stroke care.  

 As with most efforts, we aren’t done yet!  We continue to work on the following issues:

Fighting preemption and local tobacco control policies: State lawmakers have passed legislation that negated all local tobacco control policies, including tobacco retail licensure programs, intended to enforce the state’s Tobacco 21 law, and any flavor ban policies in effect. It could also negate outdoor smoke-free policies at schools, universities, and parks as they go beyond the state’s indoor smoking ban put in place in 2006.
In reaction to the bill passage, the City of Columbus and 20 other municipalities, filed a lawsuit to protect their ability to enact policies that will protect their citizens from the egregious marketing of flavored products and the ability to hold tobacco retailers accountable. The American Heart Association and other public health organizations joined the amicus, providing support for the case. At the hearing’s conclusion, Judge Serrott ruled the state's actions to be unconstitutional therefore allowing those plaintiffs to continue enforcing their local tobacco ordinances. Two weeks after the ruling, the State filed a notice to appeal. That case has not commenced and could take a while before a resolution is found. We will continue to keep you updated as this progresses.

Cigar Bar exemption from indoor smoke-free law: Eighteen years ago in 2006, Ohioans overwhelmingly voted to eliminate smoking indoors by approving a ballot measure called the Smoke Free Workplace Act. There are, unfortunately, some exemptions to this policy, however, those require explicit permission from the Ohio Department of Health. Representatives Dell’Aquila and Adam Matthews introduced a bill (HB 530) to allow “cigar bars” that “derive at least 15% of its gross revenue from the sale of cigar products, accessories, and fixtures, including the renting of humidors to customers."  The typical threshold for the percentage of tobacco-related sales for a carve out is listed at 80% of gross revenue; this bill would expand that policy considerably.  The most troubling part of this legislation is the possibility that it could lead to allowing bars across the state to permit smoking, considering the bill also states that the “cigar bar” may also include “an establishment that has been issued a liquor permit.” 
We are watching this very carefully and will be providing more information to you when lawmakers return to work. 

Defending Ohioans access to food, medical and child care assistance: A bill (SB 240) sponsored by Senator Tim Schaffer would make it harder for Ohio families with who need help the most access food, medical and child care assistance by creating more bureaucracy and inefficiency for County Job and Family Services (CJFS) offices throughout Ohio.
We are encouraging lawmakers to instead focus on improving the efficiency at CJFS offices to ensure timely and accurate processing of benefits. This critically important work supports low-income Ohioans succeed in the workforce and ensure children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities can meet their basic needs. We will continue to update you about this legislation and how you can use your voice to make an impact to help build a healthier Ohio.