CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - An Ohio State Representative is sponsoring legislation that would ensure jail time for anyone convicted of assaulting an official before, during or after a sporting event.

State Rep Joe Miller, who is also a basketball official, is a sponsor of House Bill 208, which would increase any violence against an official to a fifth-degree felony.

To read the full story, please click here: https://www.cleveland19.com/2019/09/07/ohio-legislator-wants-protect-refs-violent-fans-with-felony-punishment/

After the passing of literary icon, Toni Morrison, representatives in her native home of Ohio have introduced a bill to create a day in honor of her.

Northeast Ohio State Representatives Joe Miller, (D-Amherst), and Stephanie Howse, (D-Cleveland), introduced the bill to make Morrison’s birthday, February 18th, “Toni Morrison Day” in Ohio, the Cleveland Scene reports. Morrison was born and raised in Lorain, Ohio. Since her passing on August 5 of this year, tributes and memorials have been held in her honor around the world. The bill is headed to the House Rules and Reference Committee and is expected to get a committee assignment soon. 

To read the full story please click here: https://www.becauseofthemwecan.com/blogs/news/ohio-representatives-introduce-bill-to-recognize-toni-morrison-s-birthday

State Rep. Joe Miller (D-Amherst), who represents Lorain, says this is why the state needs to move away from the current district takeover model.

"I find it egregious that a bureaucratic system from Columbus should be dictating how the community educates its citizens," says Miller.

The Ohio House passed Miller’s bill, HB154, that repeals academic distress commissions and replaces them with a community-based model.

The language of that measure was inserted into a draft of the state budget but was later removed by the Ohio Senate. A compromise among the House and Senate resulted in a one-year moratorium of any new academic distress commissions.

Senate leadership and Gov. Mike DeWine have indicated they want to make changes to the current system, instead of an all-out repeal.

To read the full story please click here: https://radio.wosu.org/post/problems-lorain-put-spotlight-school-takeover-issues#stream/0

“House Bill 154, one of three pieces of legislation addressing the state’s takeover of struggling school districts, passed the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday evening.

The bill, introduced by state Reps. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, and Don Jones, R-Freeport, looks to dissolve existing Academic Distress Commissions and prevent the creation of new ones and require improvement plans for low-performing buildings, passed 11-2. State Reps. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, and Todd Smith, R-Germantown, voted against the bill.”

http://www.chroniclet.com/Local-News/2019/05/01/HB-154-passes-first-House-committee.html

“Miller, an Amherst Democrat, said he’s heard stories of other umpires who have taken huge amounts of abuse.

“We just have too many adults that are bringing bad behavior to the sporting arena, and then they’re directing it at officials, umpires, referees and such,” Miller said.”

https://www.cleveland.com/politics/2019/04/the-umpire-strikes-back-ohio-bill-would-make-assaulting-sports-referees-a-felony.html