State Rep. David Thomas Provides Sponsor Testimony for House Bills 676 and 609

State Representative David Thomas (R-Jefferson) provided sponsor testimony this week for House Bills 676 and 609.

Rep. Thomas provided sponsor testimony for House Bill 676 in House Agriculture Committee, which is legislation that is a targeted response to the tragic incident that happened in Ashtabula County at a fur and urine farm.

"The goal of House Bill 676 is to protect both animals and bystanders following lessons we learned from a tragic incident in Ashtabula County regarding Bad actors in the urine and fur Farm collection. My hope is to never have this type of incident happen again," said Thomas.

H.B. 676 would do the following:

• Establish statewide registration and safety standards for wolfdog hybrids
• Improve coordination between county auditors, dog wardens, and public health officials
• Allow counties to recover costs associated with emergency animal neglect responses through nuisance abatements

Rep. Thomas also provided sponsor testimony in House General Government Committee on House Bill 609.

H.B. 609 would require public comment at public meetings, ensuring citizens always have a seat at the table and a voice in the decisions that directly affect their communities. This bill responds to a concerning trend we've seen across Ohio, where some local governments have moved to restrict or eliminate public comment altogether.

"Public comment just makes sense and should be a requirement for all elected bodies," said Thomas. "With the growing number of local entities who are stopping public comment, we have to turn that tide and allow the taxpayers' voice to be heard."

To learn more about these bills and other pieces of Rep. Thomas' legislation, click here.