Archive for category: Community Events

Jena Powell

PRESS RELEASE: Powell, Schmidt Introduce Prosecuting Trafficking Proceeds Act

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COLUMBUS – State Reps. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) and Jean Schmidt (R-Loveland) last week introduced House Bill 276, legislation that aims to better target pimps and traffickers and aid in the fight against human sex trafficking in Ohio.

The bill prohibits an individual from knowingly receiving money or anything of value from a prostitute that was exchanged for sexual activity, making it a third degree felony or a second degree felony if the prostitute is a minor.

“Ohio has the fourth highest rate of suspected human trafficking in the United States,” said Powell. “Victims, often underage girls, are coerced and abused while their victimizer walks away with a profit.”

The bill sponsors noted that current law makes it difficult to charge pimps and trafficking because they are not physically present at the scene where prostitution is occurring.

“In order to push against the indignity and horror of sex trafficking we must bring these people out of the shadows,” said Schmidt. “The goal of this legislation is to serve as a new tool that will make it easier for law enforcement and prosecutors to tie traffickers and pimps to illegal activity and return convictions for these heinous crimes.”

The measure has the support of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

H.B. 276 now awaits referral to a committee.

 

State Representative Jena Powell is currently serving her second term as a state representative. She represents the 80th Ohio House District, which encompasses Miami County and a portion of Darke County.

State Representative Jean Schmidt is serving her first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. She represents the 65th house district, which includes northwestern Clermont County.

For more information, contact Rep. Powell’s office at 614-466-8114 or Rep80@ohiohouse.gov or contact Rep. Schmidt’s office at (614) 466-8134 or rep65@ohiohouse.gov.

Jena Powell

Powell Sworn-In for Second Term of 134th General Assembly

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COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) today took the oath of office for her second term as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. She represents the 80th House District, which consists of Miami County and southern Darke County.
“It is truly an honor and a privilege to be sworn in as state representative,” said Powell. “I look forward to continue advocating for the people in my district in Columbus” Powell recently announced her legislation, the Small Business Crowdfunding Act, was signed into law. The bill allows Ohioans to raise up to $5 million through intrastate equity crowdfunding to start, grow, or expand their business. Powell plans to sponsor more legislation that supports Ohio businesses and promotes economic growth during her second term. “There is still much work to done to ensure the people’s voice is heard at the Ohio Statehouse,” added Powell. Powell is from southern Darke County, where her family has been farming for generations. After receiving her degree from Liberty University in Business, she started an outdoor marketing company with her brother. In 2019, Powell was named to Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 List for Law & Policy.

Today’s session marked the beginning of the 134th General Assembly.

State Representative Jena Powell is currently serving her second term as a state representative. She
represents the 80 th Ohio House District, which encompasses Miami County and a portion of Darke County.

Jena Powell

Powell’s Small Business Crowdfunding Act Passes Senate

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COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) today announced the Senate approved House Bill 312, her legislation allowing Ohioans to raise up to $5 million through intrastate equity crowdfunding to start, grow, or expand their business.

“I’m on a mission to make Ohio the most business-friendly state in the nation,” said Powell. “The Small Business Crowdfunding Act encourages investment in Ohio businesses and serves as another tool for entrepreneurs to raise capital.”

Crowdfunding is a relatively new and evolving method of raising capital online for startups and small businesses. An individual or entity typically seeks small individual contributions for a large number of people in order to raise funds.

In order to qualify, a business must have 80% of its assets in Ohio, and 80% of the money must be spent in Ohio. Only Ohio residents can purchase securities, and an investor is typically limited to a $10,000 contribution per year.

The crowdfunding must be collected through a website operated by a portal operator who is required to provide disclosures to investors and records to the Division of Securities.

The bill also contains safeguards to protect Ohio consumers and penalties for those who conduct deceptive acts.

The Senate added an amendment that increases the appropriation to the Facilities Establishment Fund to provide funding to state capital projects.

H.B. 312 now heads to the House for a concurrence vote.

State Representative Jena Powell is currently serving her first term as a state representative. She represents the 80th Ohio House District, which encompasses Miami County and a portion of Darke County.

For more information, contact Rep Powell’s office at 614-466-8114 or Rep80@ohiohouse.gov.

Jena Powell

GUEST PODCAST: Lockdowns vs. Liberty | Falkirk Podcast 60 w/Jena Powell

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Earlier this month Rep. Jena Powell had an opportunity to jump on a podcast and discuss Ohio, lockdowns, and our freedom! Check it out below.

“Look out! Government lockdowns and stay-at-home orders are coming around again, leaving many Americans divided on how to respond. Are these orders really effective or do they cause incalculable damage because they go unnoticed? Entrepreneur and Ohio State Representative Jena Powell joins the Falkirk Center podcast to discuss the tensions between individual liberties and the government’s authority over your liberty.”

Jena Powell

Powell Supports Business Fairness Act

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Powell Supports Business Fairness Act

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) today supported the House passage of House Bill 621, legislation that allows any business that can comply with safety standards from government orders or regulations to stay open.

“I am proud that the Ohio House took action today to protect our small businesses and keep Ohio open,” said Powell. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and deserve keep their employees on the job.”

The bill, known as the Business Fairness Act, creates competitive fairness by giving small businesses the ability to maintain operations during a public health emergency.

“There is more work to be done, and I will continue to fight to have the voices of my constituents heard,” added Powell.

H.B. 621 is supported by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, and Ohio Small Business Council.

The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Jena Powell

Conservative Values and Election Day with Jena Powell and special guest David Closson

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Join me on Facebook live as we discuss in-depth policy from a conservative perspective.
Do Christians have a moral or biblical obligation to participate in government? Is there a distinctively Christian conservative way to engage in the political process? How do I vote my pro-life values? What’s the biggest contrast between Trump Vs. Biden?
I’ve received so many incredible questions that we will be discussing next week.
I will be hosting David Closson to dig into these questions and so much more. Mark your calendar and join us on Facebook live.
Meet special guest David Closson:
David Closson serves as the Director of Christian Ethics and Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. He researches and writes on life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview.
David is the author of FRC’s Biblical Worldview Series, which seeks to help Christians and Christian leaders apply the teachings of the Bible to difficult moral questions.
While in seminary, he served as a Teaching Assistant for courses including Introduction to Christian Ethics, Systematic Theology I, Personal Spiritual Disciplines, and Southern Baptist Heritage and Mission. He also served as an assistant to the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary for two years.
David has served as a Program Leader for Covenant Journey, leading trips to Israel designed to strengthen Christian college students in their faith through an experiential journey of biblical and modern Israel. He has served on staff or as an ordained deacon at churches in Florida and Kentucky. He also interned for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. His writing has appeared at Fox News, National Review, Real Clear Politics, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, The Gospel Coalition, and Townhall. David is a regular guest on Washington Watch, FRC’s national radio program heard on over 350 stations in thirty-nine states. Currently, David is completing a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. David is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and the University of Central Florida (B.A., political science, cum laude). David lives in Washington, D.C. and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
Link For Event Here:https://fb.me/e/2W6fhthCY
Jena Powell

OP-ED: Media Lies vs. Reality – Our Community Cares

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 Media Lies vs. Reality – Our Community Cares

It is easy to look at the past six months and see only hardship throughout our nation. But, if you look a bit closer, it is not hard to see the solidarity that our community has shown. If you look at social media and turn on the news, it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like riots are filling our streets and deep-rooted hate is the norm across America. But I don’t believe it. Our community is more than what the media portrays. Our community is full of loving individuals who risk it all for the sake of one another.

Let’s stop allowing the liberal media to tear our community apart. As your state representative, I get a special inside look, a peak behind the curtains. I’ve talked to thousands of people in OH-80 (Miami and Darke counties) in the past couple months. Here is just some of what I’ve learned and want to share with you.

Our community is generous with love and care

A couple months back, I did a Facebook Live and told the story of a young mom who wasn’t receiving her unemployment money. I left the Facebook live and put down my phone. An hour later, I came back to numerous messages from individuals asking to help this young mom – covering everything from food to paying her rent. These messages came from people both financially well off, as well as others who were barely making it themselves. I was humbled and blown away by the generosity.

Businesses stepped up in the face of uncertainty

When COVID first hit, schools were closed and children had to learn from home. This left many children without a place for daily food. The schools were working overtime to help, but were also overloaded with transitioning all classes to online schooling. Business owners stepped up, and provided free food for many kids, until the schools could transition to delivering meals or having drop-off locations for food. Thousands of children in our community were fed, on the dime of small business owners who didn’t know if they would have to permanently close down themselves. Truly heroic efforts by women and men business owners practically caring for our children.

Servant-hearted law enforcement

A couple months ago, I stopped by a nonprofit in our community. As I was looking around, I saw a police officer playing with young boys, teaching them about sports, and talking about life. Law enforcement in our community protect us well, and they are deeply about the welfare of our community. Law and order must be preserved. The officers in our community do everything they can to build relationships and make it safe for people to walk our streets. The heart and kindness of these officers will never be portrayed by the media, but I see it on display weekly.

 

I’m proud of our community. I’m proud of our businesses. I’m proud of the families who sacrifice daily for others. The liberal media skews the truth, and wants us to turn on our neighbors and friends. Our community will not stand for the lies the media is trying to stuff down our throats.

We stand for truth. We stand for law and order. We stand for the American flag, and we will continue caring for our community.

-Jena Powell

Jena Powell

Open Letter To Speaker Bob Cupp and Governor Mike DeWine

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Dear Governor DeWine and Speaker Cupp,

For the past 164 days, our community has been under a declared state of emergency. At the beginning of this pandemic, we did not have the data we now have. We now have a clearer picture of what is going on. We know, according to the data we now have from the CDC, that only 1% of Americans have contracted COVID-19 and only 0.04% of Americans have died from COVID-19 (as of the week of July 10-15).

There are many secondary effects occurring in our state as a result, which include business closures, domestic abuse, child abuse, substance abuse, and numerous other issues.

Today, I would like to specifically discuss the suicide and drug overdoses happening in Ohio’s 80th House District. My community is hurting in many ways, and the heavy hand of government is harming individuals and businesses across our state.  When it comes to opioids, we have seen a 178% increase in drug overdose calls to the Troy Fire Department. The House, Senate, and Administration have worked hard combating the opioid epidemic over the past five years, but now we are unfortunately seeing a rise. We are also seeing a rise in suicide in our community. Troy has experienced a 267% increase in suicide calls this year. According to a recent CDC survey, 24.7% of 18-24 year olds and 19.5% of 25-44 year olds started or increased substance use to cope with pandemic-related stress or emotions. The same survey, taken at the end of June, found that 25.5% of 18-24 year olds and 16.0% of 25-44 year olds had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days.

Again, I’d like to reiterate. According to the CDC, as of July 10-15, only 1% of Americans had contacted COVID-19 and only 0.04% of Americans have died from COVID-19.

Speaker Cupp, my request is that we go back in session and address the seven policy points I laid out last week.

Governor DeWine, my request is for you to remove the COVID-19 regulations that are on our state, and get Ohio working, educating, and living again.

Ohioans elected me to represent them in the legislature, and I will work diligently for every student to be back in school, every business to be open, and all of our rights to be protected.

Sincerely,

Jena Powell, State Representative for Ohio’s 80th House District

‘Community Conversation’ event on Covid-19 Data with Special Guest, Troy Fire Chief Matthew Simmons

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ARCANUM — State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) will be hosting a community conversation event with Troy Fire Chief Matthew Simmons to discuss COVID-19 numbers and statistics. The event will be held via Facebook Live on Wednesday, August 12 at noon. “I look forward to discussing COVID-19 with a well-respected leader in our community,” said Powell. “This community conversation will bring to light important statistics, including drug overdoses, successful treatments, studies on asymptomatic spread, and more.”

Chief Simmons has served the city of Troy in fire service for 20 years. He has pioneered multiple community outreach programs, including a heroin task force in conjunction with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to combat the increasing epidemic. Chief Simmons is also a Navy veteran and holds certifications as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Fire Safety Inspector, and Fire and Explosive Investigator.

Rep. Jena Powell is currently serving her first term as a state representative. She represents the 80th Ohio House District, which encompasses Miami County and a portion of Darke County.

Jena Powell

Open Letter To Governor Mike DeWine and Speaker Bob Cupp

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August 11, 2020

Dear Governor DeWine and Speaker Cupp,

Ohioans need to have complete confidence that the leadership of Ohio is putting the needs of Ohioans first during this time of economic and health crises. Today, I am firmly and respectfully calling for the Ohio House to meet and act upon the following legislative priorities:

1. Remove the Statewide mask mandate

2. Remove stifling COVID-19 regulations on small businesses

3. Take pandemic powers out of the hands of bureaucrats

4. Pass COVID-19 litigation reform for private businesses and schools

5. Override the veto of Senate Bill 55

6. Fully and safely re-open schools this fall

7. Protect in-person voting in the November election

I also call upon the Governor to remember his duty to the Constitution of the State of Ohio, and to the citizens of our great state. Stifling COVID-19 regulations on Ohio individuals, small businesses, and schools must be removed immediately so that our communities can make their own responsible decisions during this pandemic. Ohioans elected me to fight for them, and I will not stop fighting until every student is back safely in school, every business is open, and all of our rights are protected.

Sincerely,

Jena Powell

State Representative

Ohio’s 80th House District