Personal crusades are tricky business

Some lawmakers got into politics just to get one law passed.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- A legislative maneuver at the Ohio Statehouse underscored the personal passion that lawmakers sometimes bring to their causes.
The move arose out of Senate President Doug White's frustration at House inaction on a bill limiting jury awards for injured Ohioans.
White took the bill, which caps pain-and-suffering awards at $1 million, and tacked it on to a second bill preventing obese people from suing fast food restaurants over their weight or other health problems.
The Senate easily passed the jury cap as its own bill last summer, but House Judiciary Chairman Scott Oelslager has taken a slow approach since, scheduling multiple hearings and collecting as much information as possible on jury verdicts and frivolous lawsuits.
Since the House already has passed the obesity bill, adding the jury caps to it and sending the legislation back to the House will force the issue before the lawmakers.
House Speaker Larry Householder hasn't announced what he will do but gave no indication he would move off his deliberate timeline.
Lawsuit target
White, a southern Ohio farmer, said he had been the victim of a lawsuit himself and agonized while it dragged out and almost went to trial before settling. He didn't offer details but said the experience made a lasting impression.
"It's unfortunate that you have a president of the Senate who was a sole proprietor businessman, who was leery every time visitors came to the farm," said White, a Republican. "You know, 'Have I checked every ladder, have I checked every hole?"'
It's not the first time White has brought his personal life into the Statehouse. Moved by the experiences of a disabled granddaughter, White sponsored a bill creating the state prosthetic device board, then fought to prevent its elimination during last year's budget debate.
Rep. Lynn Olman, a suburban Toledo Republican, has tried since 1995 to pass a bill requiring insurance companies to offer mental illness coverage. His work honors the memory of a brother who committed suicide after showing signs of depression.
Former Rep. Barney Quilter, a Toledo area Democrat, pushed for legislation helping people with Alzheimer's after his wife, Mary, was diagnosed with the illness in 1978.
In Florida, Rep. Irv Slosberg entered politics with the sole goal of passing legislation allowing police to pull people over for not wearing a seat belt. His inspiration was the 1996 death of his daughter, Dori.
In Minnesota, Rep. Mindy Greiling pushed a bill allowing people to get care for their loved ones before their deteriorating mental condition requires drastic help. She had her own son involuntarily committed for mental illness in 1999.
Tricky business
Bringing personal crusades into the Legislature is a tricky business, said former Senate President Richard Finan.
"I'm not sure you air both sides of the story that way when someone gets passionate about it," said Finan, a Cincinnati Republican.
At the same time, "40 percent of the laws are because someone is passionate about a subject, and they may never see the light of day if not for that individual," he added.
Personal experience helps lawmakers become specialists, which in turn benefits the political process, said Vernon Sykes, a Kent State University political analyst and former Democratic lawmaker. His wife, Barbara, is a current House member.
"You want to draw a line between personal interests and the public interest," he cautioned. "You want to be careful and make sure that you're considering other points of view."