Two Republican Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to increase the penalties for drug and human trafficking in Ohio.
House Bill (HB) 230, known as the Saving Ohio Communities Act, sponsored by State Representatives Cindy Abrams (R-Harrison) and D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron), looks to address the staggering increase in drug overdoses, specifically fentanyl poisoning in the state.
According to the lawmakers, in Ohio in 2021 there were 4,209, and nationwide over 106,000 people who died from a drug overdose.
The legislation aims to increase drug trafficking charges for cocaine, fentanyl-related compounds, heroin, and methamphetamine, raises the charges for human trafficking to a first-degree felony with its expansion of the definition of human trafficking, and adds a specification that if someone is found or pleads guilty to a fentanyl-related death, there is a mandatory prison term of five years.
Abrams (pictured above, left) said that earlier this year, she had the opportunity to travel to the Arizona southern border to see the border crisis firsthand and although some may think the border crisis doesn’t directly affect Ohio, the Mexican cartels are in Ohio communities right now.
“There is a border wall. It goes for miles and miles and it goes to a barbed wire fence and then it goes to nothing, just wide open land. The cartel is there. They are literally arming people dressing them in camouflage and they are bringing in as much meth, cocaine, and fentanyl as they can carry 24 hours a day. They are then recruiting Americans to come pick up these criminals from the side of the road to take them to Phoenix where they are deployed across the United States. They are coming to Ohio. They are here right now,” Abrams said.
According to Swearingen (pictured above, right), although they don’t have any say in what goes on with the southern border as that’s a federal issue, they do have a say in what happens in Ohio communities.
“Drug and human trafficking are two horrific crises that are present right here in our state. It is our responsibility to protect all Ohioans and make Ohio the best place to live and thrive,” Swearingen said.
The lawmakers said the drug and human trafficking trades connect. Oftentimes the cartels tell people that they will bring them into the U.S. to find work when the cartels will use them to sell these illegal drugs.
According to Abrams, increasing the drug and human trafficking penalties will make people think twice before committing these crimes in Ohio.
“Our message is clear: don’t come to Ohio if you want to traffic illegal drugs or humans. We are ready to take legislative action and partner with our law enforcement to fight hard to keep our communities safe,” Abrams said.
The legislation is not currently in a House committee.
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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]
