Powell to Host Town Hall in Greenville

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.
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) recently cosponsored legislation that prohibits vaccine passports.
“We’ve witnessed unprecedented government overreach during the course of the pandemic, and vaccine passports are another extreme method of stripping Ohioans of their freedom,” said Powell. “Showing proof of COVID-19 vaccination is an invasion of privacy and prohibits individuals from exercising their everyday rights.”
Powell noted New York is the first state to announce a vaccine passport program titled “Excelsior Pass,” which plans to use QR code technology to allow vaccinated individuals into venues.
“In Ohio, we value personal liberty and I will continue fighting to stop radical government overreach on my constituents,” added Powell.
The measure is sponsored by State Rep. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) and currently awaits a bill number.
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) on Monday signed her support to The Promise to America’s Children, a collaborative effort between the Family Policy Alliance, The Heritage Foundation, and Alliance Defending Freedom that outlines 10 guiding principles to protect children in America.
The goal of the initiative is to rally support for legislation that promotes pro-family and pro-religious freedom policy.
“In today’s age, our children are constantly exposed to explicit, adult content through social media, entertainment, cultural forces, and oftentimes, our own government,” said Powell. “We have a collective responsibility to protect the health, privacy, safety, and relationships of children in America.”
Below are the 10 guiding principles for The Promise to America’s Children:
1. Every child deserves to be protected from being used in or exposed to pornography, graphic sexual content or activities as well as from being exposed to it in media and on the Internet.
2. Every child deserves an education that is suited for their specific needs and development as guided by their parents, including free from graphic sexual curriculum or content, the promotion of abortion, and politicized ideas about sexual orientation and gender identity. To protect this right, all public school sexual education programs should be opt-in, voluntarily chosen by parents. A general opt-out should be provided for other sensitive topics that families do not believe is appropriate for their children. Parents should have the right to review all curriculum, reading materials, teacher’s guides, and computer programs or apps.
3. Every child deserves the right to free speech, to either speak or not speak and to affirm or not affirm messages or ideas that violate their beliefs or conscience.
4. Every child deserves the opportunity to be guided and supported in making the healthiest decisions for their current and future physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual health, including obtaining counseling that the parents determine is safe, appropriate, and in the child’s best interest, without government interference that excludes parents or exhibits a bias based on beliefs about sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
5. Every child deserves safety and privacy in sex-specific spaces such as locker rooms, showers, and restrooms at schools and other federally-funded public facilities.
6. Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in fair and safe athletic competitions. Female athletes should not be forced to compete against biological males who identify as female in sports competitions intended for females.
7. Every child deserves the opportunity to be affirmed and in their genetically-determined sex, and to be supported as they mature through puberty and other normal adolescent changes that shape their maturity and reproductive capacity. Gender reassignment medical treatments (including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sterilizing surgeries) are neither natural nor healthy, and should not be permitted on minors.
8. Every child deserves a “forever family.” Authorities should not limit or reduce the pool of foster or adoptive parents by forcing either child welfare agencies or prospective adoptive or foster care parents to violate their moral or religious beliefs, including the belief that every child deserves a mother and a father.
9. Every child deserves a relationship with their mother and father. No child should be taken from their parents over disagreements between their parents and the state about sexual orientation/gender identity counseling, therapy, or medical procedures.
10. Every child deserves to have their parents informed of and involved in important life decisions. Authority figures (including teachers, counselors, or medical professionals) should not withhold information about a child’s sexual activity, development, or identity from parents or take any action that undermines the parents’ role in guiding the child in these areas. Nor should authority figures encourage or coerce a child to withhold information about important life decisions from the parent
On October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln announced the nation would “observe the last
Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father.” This
announcement officially declared the last Thursday of every November to be a national holiday
of Thanksgiving.
This year, it’s no question we are facing hardships as a community, state, and nation. However,
we still have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. I especially want to highlight one of
our greatest blessings – our constitutional freedoms in the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, but it does not change our
inalienable rights. It does not change our right to assembly and association, protected by the First
Amendment. No governmental body can tell you who can and cannot gather in your home –
including the Governor. And for many Ohioans, Thanksgiving serves as a day of worship to
thank God for His many blessings. Your religious freedom is, of course, protected by the First
Amendment.
This is not the first pandemic America has seen, and it probably will not be the last. While our
way of life has changed this year, the Constitution remains the same. Thanksgiving is a time for
all of us to slow down and remember the blessings we are given. I believe one of the most
important blessings is being a citizen of the United States of America, where we can exercise our
First Amendment rights.
I hope you and your family have an enjoyable and healthy Thanksgiving.
Jena Powell
Let’s talk about numbers. Americans have 1% chance of contracting Covid-19 and .04% chance of dying from it.
Year to date suicide calls in Troy, Ohio, our community, have increased 267%.
Two hundred and sixty-seven percent.
We cannot live in fear, we must care for our family, neighbors, and community.
Over the years we’ve been at war with a raging drug epidemic. Through so much work in our community, we were seeing amazing headway on fighting the drug epidemic that’s been plaguing too many families for years.
Sadly, year to date, we have a 178% increase in overdose calls in 2020.
This is heartbreaking to see in our community.
We cannot continue to live in fear over Covid-19 and allow individuals to be in isolation fighting suicide and overdose alone.
As a community, we must be aware of the true numbers and data in our community.
Overdose calls year to date are up 178%. Suicide calls year to date are up 267%.
1% of Americans have contracted COVID-19 and .04% have died from it.
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.
Hi! I’m Jena Powell, your State Representative. Thank you for serving our community through your calling as a pastor, and through your leadership with your Church.
I wanted to tell you a little bit about myself and about my testimony. I grew up on a farm in southern Darke County. Currently, I own a billboard company with my family across Ohio and Indiana called Huntington Outdoor. While in Columbus, I work to reduce regulation, cut taxes, enact pro-life and pro-family legislation, and defend our 2nd Amendment rights. As a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, I view every policy through the lens of Scripture.
The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for our sins and rose again, having eternal victory over sin. Romans 10:9 says that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
We are sinners in need of a Savior, because sin brings death upon us. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The good news is that Jesus came down to earth, lived a perfect life, and was the atonement for our sins. As Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are forgiven of our sins when we call upon the name of the Lord. That’s the gospel. But the chief good of the gospel is not forgiveness, justification, or eternal life — as wonderful as these are. The highest, fullest, deepest, sweetest good of the gospel is God Himself, enjoyed by His redeemed people. The gospel is the good news that we get to be in relationship with Jesus and get to worship Jesus, every single day. No work we do can earn salvation; it’s already bought by Jesus by His perfect life. What a beautiful gift He gives His people.
I am incredibly blessed by His gift of salvation in my life. As an undeserving sinner, my Hope is in Jesus Christ alone.
The Christian church is not a building, but a body of believers united in Christ. Its role is to worship God, nurture and edify and reach out to a suffering world with the saving message of the gospel as well as the practical compassion and mercy exemplified in Christ.
With this knowledge, the church should be at the heart of every community – sharing the Gospel, loving our neighbors, and providing a space for fellowship. I will always be fighting for religious liberty, and for the rights of churches to be faithful to their witness in the world.
Thank you again for everything that you do for individuals and families in our community. If there is ever anything that our office can do to serve you, or if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can call us at 614-466-8114 or email us at Rep80@ohiohouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Jena Powell
State Representative | OH-80
State Representative Jena Powell represents Ohio’s 80th House District. She can be reached at Rep80@ohiohouse.gov or (614) 466-8114.
Congrats, Troy Christian Class of 2020!
We are so proud of each of you, and of the effort you have put forth. Best wishes on your future successes!
-Office of State Rep. Jena Powell
Congrats, Bradford Class of 2020!
We are so proud of all the work you have put into your studies, and wish you all the best of success!
-Office of State Rep. Jena Powell