Officials meet to discuss Ohio's drug sentencing laws

CHAMPION — State Sen. Sean O’Brien of Bazetta, D-32nd; State Sen. John Eklund, a Republican from Geauga County; Mahoning County Common Pleas Judge John Durkin; Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeff Adler; Ashtabula County Prosecutor Nick Iarocci and local probation officials and met today at Kent State Trumbull today to discuss a proposed update to Ohio’s drug sentencing laws.

“We’ve been meeting with local law enforcement, judges and citizens all over the state to determine how to best update our laws to balance helping Ohioans with addiction get treatment and putting drug traffickers behind bars,” O’Brien said. “The scourge of the opioid epidemic has touched all of our lives, and we need to update Ohio law to help people get into treatment and back into the workforce.”

In February, O’Brien and Eklund introduced Senate Bill 3 to reform Ohio’s drug laws. They are working to gain insight and suggestions from interested parties with the goal of passing an updated bill by the end of the year.