Latest news with #R-Columbus
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawmakers propose replacing Ohio's lead pipes
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio has one of the highest numbers of lead pipes in the nation, so lawmakers are trying to fix that; for some, it is personal. 'I didn't know that I was going to fight for my life and the culprit was lead, lead poisoning,' Ohio Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (R-Columbus) said. Jarrells said when he was growing up, like for many families now, getting a glass of water at home was never a second thought. Poisonous plant rapidly spreading across Ohio: what to do if you see it 'Back then, I didn't know the name of this silent threat that invaded our home,' he said. 'I didn't know that it would show up in our doctor's office, I didn't know it would show up in my speech therapy class.' But now, he said his story has given him purpose, to try and fight for other Ohio families and children. 'This is silently killing our children and futures of Ohio,' he said. 'Nearly 4,000 of Ohio's children are tested for high levels of lead poisoning, and the number is likely higher because of the reality that not every child in this state is tested.' Ohio still has an estimated 745,000 lead water service lines, accounting for more than 8% of all lead pipes in the country. The state ranks third highest for the number of lead pipes, only behind Illinois and Florida. That's why Jarrells and Ohio Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana) are sponsoring the Lead Line Replacement Act. Bexley Library patrons compete for limited digital access amid increased demand 'No amount of lead exposure is safe for our children,' Blasdel said. The bill would mandate that local water producers work with the state to identify where the lead lines are and develop a plan to replace them. The bill adds a 15-year deadline to get all lead pipes in the state replaced. 'No more patchwork repairs, no more half fixes, no more kicking the can down the road,' Jarrells said. 'We're going to get this right for families and children.' Annalisa Rocca, drinking water manager for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund, pointed out that for children under six, elevated levels of lead can cause impaired brain development and lower intelligence. But she said it doesn't only hurt children. 'Adults are more likely to experience increased risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and kidney and nervous system problems when exposed to lead,' Rocca said. Columbus firefighter arrested for allegedly owning child sex materials Archie Beasley, program director of the Junction Coalition, said even the smallest amount of lead can have a huge effect. 'A pack of salt [worth of lead] can contaminate Ohio stadium,' he said. 'There's a lot more than just salt packets running through our water right now,' Jarrells said. Replacing all the lead pipes in the state will not come cheap. Over the 15-year period, it is estimated to cost $5 billion to replace every single one. Jarrells and Blasdel said, though, for every $1 that goes towards replacing a pipe, the state will recoup $32 to $45 in public health outcomes and economic return. 'And over 15 years, this investment can grow Ohio's economy by more than $185 billion,' Jarrells said. The price tag gives some leaders pause. 'A number like that means one of two things: it means a substantial tax increase some place or diminution of services on another side,' Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. The sponsors said the plan is to pool resources that state already has, like federal dollars and the money in H2Ohio that is dedicated for lead pipe replacements, as a start. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also pointed to H2Ohio and the work that has already gone into replacing lead pipes. Bexley Library patrons compete for limited digital access amid increased demand 'Good, clean water is vitally important,' DeWine said. 'And we need to do as much as we can in that area.' But H2Ohio faces an uphill battle right now. The program, created by DeWine, faces a cut in funding of nearly 50% during the next two years. DeWine said the potential cut concerns him. 'We need to keep moving on [lead pipe replacements], we need to be steady every single year and make progress in that regard,' DeWine said. 'We don't need another task force, we don't need another group of folks that come together and talk about this issue; we need action,' Jarrells said. 'This is something that needs to be done. This is not a vision for the future. This is necessary for the future.' The bill must get through both the Ohio House and Senate. It awaits its first committee hearing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
For NC's Helene team, challenges begin: Slow-moving money, housing data and demanding lawmakers
North Carolina Rep. Brendan Jones (R-Columbus), left, and Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Bladen) listen to testimony at a hearing on Hurricane Helene recovery on March 6, 2025. (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) State officials charged with leading western North Carolina's recovery from Hurricane Helene have warned that there are years of rebuilding ahead. But top state lawmakers made their expectations clear Thursday: they want shovels in the ground, and houses under construction, as soon as possible. During a two-hour hearing, Republicans demanded details on how Gov. Josh Stein's lieutenants for Helene recovery would approach homebuilding — a process that bedeviled former Gov. Roy Cooper's administration and infuriated lawmakers across the aisle. 'It's starting to feel like Groundhog Day again,' said Rep. Brenden Jones (R-Columbus), the House majority leader. 'We don't have six years to do this,' he added. 'I want to see some houses. This body wants to see some houses. We want some people made whole.' But rebuilding can't begin in earnest without funding, administration officials said — and it remains an uphill battle to get aid money flowing into the mountains. The legislature is on the brink of approving $140 million to kickstart the program. But federal dollars — which make up the lion's share of relief — will be slow to arrive, between a strict regulatory process and staffing shakeups in Washington. 'We have to work through (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) and the federal requirements,' said Stephanie McGarrah, a Stein appointee heading up a new Department of Commerce team focused on Helene. 'We just have to be realistic about what we can, and cannot do, with these funds.' Officials have submitted their plan to spend $1.4 billion in federal dollars — a key chunk of money for housing efforts. But reported cuts to the office handling that money could complicate things. McGarrah said when the state met with HUD officials last week, 'they couldn't confirm' whether or not those cuts were coming. When that money does arrive (likely in late summer), the administration will face other obstacles in spending it. Information on housing damage in the region is fuzzy, McGarrah said, between FEMA, the Small Business Administration, HUD and local governments. 'We're struggling to define the problem because of the data we have and don't have,' she said. Republicans are frustrated by those complications. Sen. Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson) said he didn't have a lot of trust in either the state or federal efforts. 'I would trust my colleagues to take a checkbook to their districts,' he said. 'Because we could administer that more immediately than these complicated processes.' Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe) cautioned her colleagues against directing frustrations attributable to federal government delays and inaction toward state officials. 'I don't want us to be back here in two years yelling at you all because of chaos at the federal level that has prevented that money from flowing,' Mayfield said. The state will soon start taking steps towards a formal housing aid program. Jonathan Krebs, Stein's advisor for western North Carolina, said they'd begin shopping for a vendor to lead the application process 'within the next 30 days.' But they would not begin accepting applicants for rebuilding until the money was totally guaranteed, he said. 'Our ability to not wait depends on your action,' Krebs told lawmakers. Stein's Helene staff shared a raft of data and numbers with legislators Thursday as they outlined recovery efforts. Here are a few of the most notable. 30-40: How many staff McGarrah is estimating her Commerce team will hire to handle Helene. Cooper's homebuilding agency, ReBuild NC, attracted Republicans' ire by hiring more than 200. The administration plans to rely more heavily on outside contractors than prior relief teams. Currently, McGarrah's team has just a handful of employees. $57 million: An estimate of how much outstanding Helene repairs to public school facilities will cost the state. 'Additional need is required,' officials note in a presentation to lawmakers. $191 million: The amount of federal money that state officials have proposed spending on rebuilding rental housing. It caught the attention of Rep. Mark Pless (R-Haywood), who grilled officials on how it would be used. $50 million: The amount expended by the Department of Commerce (through the Golden LEAF Foundation) for small business loans. That's all of the money allocated to the program. Business owners have continued to call for further aid from the state.
