Ohio State Representative Bob Young (R-Green) will not resign as state representative or chair of the Ohio House Pensions Committee due to alleged domestic violence charges.
This follows Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) requesting that Young step down as state representative and committee chair so he can focus on his family.
“Although I believe that people are innocent until proven guilty, I asked Bob for his resignation as state representative so he can focus on his family at this time,” Stephens said.
On Thursday, July 6th, Young held a fundraiser with Stephens as the guest of honor. According to a statement from Stephens, he attended the fundraiser and afterward went to Young’s home to spend time with his friends and family. According to Stephens, the alleged incident occurred after he left the Young home.
Records from the Barberton Municipal Court show that a warrant was issued for Young’s arrest last week and he was charged with a 1st-degree misdemeanor domestic violence charge and a 4th-degree felony charge of disrupting public services at his home in Green.
Young appeared in Barberton Municipal Court last week and Judge Todd McKenney set a $5,000 bond. Young paid $520 or 10 percent plus fees to secure his release.
Reportedly, Young’s lawyer John Greven confirmed Wednesday that Young will not resign from his position despite Stephens’ request.
If Young was to resign, local party members would choose a replacement to serve out the remaining two years of his tenure.
According to the Ohio Constitution, if there is a vacancy in the Ohio General Assembly, lawmakers must fill the vacancy by an election conducted by the members of that chamber – in this case, the State House of Representatives – where the vacancy happened, who are members of the party that last held the seat. A simple majority vote is needed in order to approve a replacement.
Young, who presently serves a large portion of southern Summit County in the 32nd District, won his first election to the Statehouse in 2020 against Democratic opponent Matt Shaughnessy. Young is currently in his second term in the Ohio House. He has a wife and four children.
Young spent seven years as a senior member of the Green City Council. Additionally, he presided over the Committee for Community and Economic Development. He has held a variety of different jobs as an entrepreneur, a realtor, and an auctioneer.
As a state representative, part of Young’s job is listening to the concerns of his constituents in the 32nd district and speaking for them about those concerns. Part of his position is also developing solutions to the needs of his district through legislative action.
Young is a proponent of legislation such as Madeline’s law which aims to require health insurers to cover the cost of hearing aids for Ohioans ages 21 and younger, legislation to curb catalytic converter theft, and legislation to require school systems to give parents notice of sexually explicit materials and create a health care plan for students with their parents.
The lawmaker contributed to Stephens’ election to speaker by joining alongside the Democrats in voting for Stephens over the more conservative State Representative Derek Merrin (R-Monclova), in defiance of the majority of Republicans in their own party.
In the wake of this incident, a bipartisan group of Ohio lawmakers plans to re-introduce legislation to prevent domestic violence.
State Representatives Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) and Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) plan to reintroduce a similar bill to Aisha’s Law to combat domestic violence in response to the allegations against Young.
Aisha’s Law would improve how law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence cases and provide added protections for those in high-risk situations.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star, The Star News Network, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
