In this episode I give an update on my two final committees which have met- Public Insurance and Pensions & Arts, Athletics, and Tourism Committees. I also discuss the bills I have introduced including legislation on Property Tax Abatements, Vacated Officeholders, Utility Billing, and much more. It is also budget time and we are reviewing the Governor's proposals. 

In this Episode of Ohio's Bios I give a brief update of my testimony before the Legislative Committees on bills such as HB 21 and HB 43 already before the Ways & Means and Education Committees. I also go into the upcoming bills I will be introducing and testimony to be given during the week of February 17th before the Natural Resources Committee and Ways & Means Committee. Finally, I break down what we have been hearing in the Energy Committee and the plans for the large HB 15 work ahead. 

The Ohio House has been busy getting our organizational structure up and running and hitting the ground running for this General Assembly. In this Episode I dive into my Committee assignments, the areas of policy those assignments will be touching, and the past two weeks of activity in Columbus! 

Opening Day for the 136th Ohio General Assembly was many things but in a word- special. In this episode I walk you through opening day from my perspective and the work in a first week that occurs as a new Legislator. 

With the start of the new year begins a new General Assembly, I am beyond excited to get to work in Ohio's 136th General Assembly starting January 6th. In this episode I review some of my thoughts on the prior General Assembly's Property Tax Review & Study Committee's report that was just release. This committee did a tremendous job at hearing testimony, ideas, and gathering input from across Ohio on our Property Tax System. 

I share some of my views on the good recommendations they have released and plans for what to best tackle to help our tax payers in the coming year! 

In Episode 2 of our returned podcast I discuss what I have been doing in Columbus since the November 2024 election, the Speaker election, why Lame Duck will always be with us and some of the outcomes from this most recent session, along with the Ashtabula County Auditor's Office transition and what lies ahead to January 6, 2025 and the start of the next Ohio General Assembly. 

Join Ashtabula County Auditor and incoming State Representative for Ohio's 65th District David Thomas as he welcomes listeners back to the Ohio's Bios Podcast while cooking up a little lunch. 

The podcast will be coming back regularly to update you on the insights he is gaining from Columbus, behind the scenes views on the important happenings of today, and a look at who makes our state great! 

Brian Walsh is a former Washington DC Hill Staffer and current spokesman for the Capital Access Alliance (CAA). We spoke about the group's goal for the FAA Reauthorization Bill to make air travel more affordable and accessible to and from Washington D.C. Since the late 1960s, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has been the only airport subject to a federally imposed perimeter rule, which limits the number of flights that are allowed to take-off and land outside a 1,250-mile perimeter. This, along with limits on the number of total flights, causes ticket prices to be artificially inflated. We talk about how removing this bureaucratic holdover policy will create better competition for the airplane ticket market. 

You can learn more about this group and their plan at: https://capitalaccessalliance.com/

In this episode I speak with Ben Schwartfigure, the Ashtabula County Veterans Service Commission Director,  about the services provided to our community's veterans. From health benefits to housing assistance and work with federal and state agencies, the VSC assists veterans everyday. Many are unaware of the programs VSCs across Ohio provide and the federal and state dollars brought in to counties as a result of their work. 

Take a listen then learn more about the Veterans Service Commission here: https://www.ashtabulaveterans.com/

This episode is different from others run in Ohio's Bios. For Episode 12 I share about a unique opportunity I had to visit the US Mexican Border in McAllen, Texas to view firsthand the Border Crisis at the southern border, learn how it impacts the entire United States, and determine policies ideas for helping to secure the border. I took this trip led by American's For Prosperity, a national policy nonprofit aimed at educating citizens and advocating for economic freedom. 

We saw a Rio Grande River crossing in the McAllen Water District run by Othal Brand. Touched several variations of walls, technology, and structural barriers. Also heard from retired Yuma, Arizona Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem about his experience and policy ideas- just a wall or just technology or just more staff will not secure our border, policy changes must be made to clear confusion and direct behavior to legal immigration. Then visited the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley to hear how they process and serve as respite care hundreds of people daily before they go to their sponsor in America.   

The solution isn't just a 1 prong approach but 4. 1) More physical barriers where it makes sense to slow border crossers, 2) more technology for surveillance and notifications where it makes sense, 3) more staffing for Border Patrol Agents to increase the force and immigration Judges, 4) change of policies for Immigration itself removing unclear policies and increasing ability for legal immigration or work migration.

See photos at: www.davidthomasforashtabulacounty.com/single-post/my-visit-to-the-us-mexican-border