Team Jena Powell

Rep. Powell Introduces Cosmetology Reform Act

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Representative Powell (R-Arcanum) Wednesday filed House Bill 399 – Cosmetology Licensing Reform Legislation.

Rep. Powell says, “I am on a mission to make Ohio the most business-friendly state in the nation, and one of the biggest steps we can take in that direction is to stop overregulating individuals in our state.”

“As a state, it is time we move forward from the past policies of overregulation, and move forward to make Ohio a more attractive place for individuals to live, work, play, and raise families in our communities,” continues Powell.

H.B. 399 will lower the state mandated licensure hour requirements from 1,500 to 1,000 for cosmetologists, from 1,200 to 800 for hair designers, and from 1,800 to 1,000 for barbers. It will authorize distance learning for cosmetology school students, and allow on-demand scheduling and working outside a salon to increase flexibility and training experience for students.

As always, if you have any questions about this or any other state government concern, please reach out to our office at 614-466-8114 or Rep80@ohiohouse.gov.

Jena Powell

Ohio House Passes the “Tax Code Streamlining and Correction Act”

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Ohio House Passes the “Tax Code Streamlining and Correction Act”

COLUMBUS— State Representatives Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) and Derek Merrin (R-Monclova Township) today announced the Ohio House passage of House Bill 197, “Tax Code Streamlining and Corrections Act”; HB 197 makes over 100 changes to update the laws governing taxation. The legislation makes our tax code accurate and clear by fixing errors.

HB 197 updates the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) sections by addressing typographical errors, incorrect cross-references, removing obsolete sections, and rearranging organizational defects.

“The Tax Code Streamlining and Corrections Act is not a flashy bill, but corrects over 100 errors in the tax code,” said Powell. “Today, with a single bill, the Ohio House is fixing decades of accumulated mistakes and errors embedded into our tax laws…mistakes which undermine our legal code.”

“Ohioans and businesses will have a better opportunity to prosper with a clear and accurate tax code,” said Merrin.

This bill has garnered support from the Ohio Society of CPAs, the County Treasurers Association of Ohio, the County Auditors Association of Ohio, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

HB 197 passed the Ohio House unanimously and now heads to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.

For more information, contact Rep. Powell’s office at 614-466-8114 or Rep80@ohiohouse.gov or Rep. Merrin’s office at 614-466-1731 or Rep47@ohiohouse.gov

Jena Powell

September: Constituent Liaison In-District Office Hours For State Rep. Jena Powell

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Monthly In-District Office Hours

COLUMBUS –
Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) will again be sending a constituent liaison from her Columbus office to be in-district this upcoming Monday, September 9th. No appointments are necessary – individuals and families can feel free to show up and talk to the liaison about any government questions or concerns you may have.

“I know government can be hard to navigate alone,” says Powell. “Our office’s constituent liaison does a wonderful job of helping you work through specific issues. If you want to meet with me personally, as always call our office and we’ll set up a time.”

This Monday, September 9th, a constituent liaison will be at the Troy-Miami Public Library in Troy from 10am-11:30am. Rep. Powell’s constituent liaison will then be at the Arcanum Public Library in Arcanum from 12pm-1:30pm on Monday.

To schedule a personal meeting with Rep. Powell, or if you have any state government concerns you can give our office a call at 614-466-8114 or email Rep80@ohiohouse.gov.

Jena Powell

Op-Ed: Cut the Bureaucratic Red Tape and Fix the Workforce Shortage

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In our community, we know that Ohio is a wonderful place to live. As our Columbus office says when you call in, “It’s a great day to live in Ohio!” 

While we love living in Ohio, there are things we can do to make Ohio a more attractive place to live and work. Right now, we have a workforce shortage in Ohio. One way to help families, businesses, and individuals in our state is through initiating license reciprocity in a way that will cause Ohio’s economic climate to thrive.

License reciprocity says that if you hold an occupational license in another state, you can come and practice that occupation here in Ohio without having to go through the whole education, training, and testing component again. For example, if you are an electrician in Indiana, and you want to work in Ohio and/or move to Ohio, right now you would have to apply for an occupational license in Ohio take a test, pay a fee, and jump through bureaucratic hoops.

The House recently passed temporary license reciprocity for members of the military and their immediate family members. We want to expand this reciprocity for every individual whose license is held in good standing in their state. If we allowed for license reciprocity, that Indiana electrician would need to show Ohio’s licensing authority his Indiana occupational license, and after receiving an Ohio-reciprocal license, would be allowed to practice his trade in Ohio.

Cutting through red tape will allow workers to use their skills, and will encourage businesses and entrepreneurs to move to Ohio. License reciprocity will bring more business and more income to our state. This is something that our office is excited to be researching and working on. If you have any questions, let me know.

-Jena Powell, State Representative

Team Jena Powell

Constituent Liaison In District

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Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) will be sending a constituent liaison from her Columbus office to the district every month to meet with constituents.

“We are here to serve the people of Miami and Southern Darke County,” said Powell. “We understand that government can be challenging and hard to navigate on your own. I’m thrilled to have a constituent liaison here to help you navigate the bureaucratic process we’re fighting so hard to simplify.”

On the first Monday of every month, Representative Powell’s office will hold in-district office hours at the local libraries from 9am-1pm.

On August 5th, a constituent liaison will be at the Troy-Miami County Public Library in Troy. On August 6th, a constituent liaison will be at the Arcanum Public Library in Arcanum.

To schedule a personal meeting with Rep. Powell, or if you have any state government concerns you can give our office a call at 614-466-8114 or email Rep80@ohiohouse.gov.

* Constituent liaison hours is where a liaison from Rep. Powell’s office will be in district to help with government questions and issues. If you wish to meet specifically with Rep. Powell, come to one of her town halls and/or schedule a personal meeting with her.

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