Louis Blessing
Louis W. Blessing III | |
|---|---|
| Member of theOhio Senate from the8thdistrict | |
| Assumed office October 9, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Terhar |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 29th district | |
| In office January 7, 2013 – October 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Lou Blessing |
| Chairman Government Accountability and Oversight | |
| In office September 22, 2016 – December 31, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Brown |
| Chairman Primary and Secondary Education | |
| In office February 8, 2019 – October 8, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Brenner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 11, 1980 Cincinnati,Ohio,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Heather Mann (m.2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Colerain Township, Ohio |
| Alma mater | University of Cincinnati |
| Profession | Electrical engineer |
| Nickname | Bill |
Louis W. Blessing III(born November 11, 1980) is aRepublicanmember of theOhio Senatefor the 8th district,[1]and a former member of theOhio House of Representativesfor the 29th District. He is the son ofLou Blessing,who previously served in theOhio Senateand theOhio House of Representatives,before he was forced to step down due toterm limits.
Early life, education, and pre-political career
[edit]Blessing was born in 1980 inCincinnati,Ohio, the son of Louis William and Linda Ann (née Lameier) Blessing Jr. He graduated fromLa Salle High Schoolin Cincinnati in 1999, and then from theUniversity of Cincinnatiin 2003, earning aB.A.inMathematics.He later went on to obtain aB.S.degree inelectrical engineeringfrom theUniversity of Cincinnatiin 2007.
As a practicing engineer, Blessing earned his professional engineer's license in 2011.[2]
Ohio General Assembly
[edit]Ohio House of Representatives
[edit]Energy
[edit]In 2017 Blessing introduced H.B. 114,[3]legislation aimed at reducing energy efficiency mandates and eliminating renewable energy mandates in Ohio. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support.[4]
Banking and Finance
[edit]In 2017 Blessing introduced H.B. 199. This legislation created the Ohio Residential Mortgage Lending Act for the purpose of regulating all non-depository lending secured by residential real estate, limited the application of the current Mortgage Loan Law to unsecured loans and loans secured by other than residential real estate, and modified an exemption to the Ohio Consumer Installment Loan Act.[5]
Heroin epidemic
[edit]Along with RepresentativeJonathan Dever,Blessing jointly sponsored H.B. 171 in the 131st General Assembly. The legislation sought to get drug dealers off of the streets by decreasing the minimum amount of heroin to be considered a first-degree felony trafficking violation.[6]
Education
[edit]In 2015, Representatives Blessing andJeff Rezabekjointly sponsored H.B. 299.[7]The legislation allows children who are with a legal, permanent or temporary custodian to apply for one of the state's Autism Scholarships. A constituent in Blessing's district, who is the legal guardian of a young girl with Autism, had lost the Autism scholarship. The legislation was ultimately passed and signed by governorJohn Kasich.[8]
Alcohol
[edit]Blessing, with fellow Cincinnati RepresentativeDenise Driehaus,introduced H.B. 47, which sought to establish "outdoor refreshment areas": areas designated by local governments that allow for open containers.[9][10]
In the 132nd General Assembly, Blessing sponsored H.B. 444, which allowed free sampling of alcohol beverages in restaurants.[11][12]
Ohio Senate
[edit]Blessing entered the Ohio Senate on October 9, 2019, after the retirement of his predecessorLouis Terhar.
Committee assignments
[edit]During the 14th General Assembly, Blessing was assigned to the following Ohio Senate committees:[13]
- (Chair of) Ways & Means Committee
- (Vice Chair of) Primary & Secondary Education Committee
- Finance Committee
- Transportation Committee
Electoral history
[edit]| Year | Republican | Votes | Pct | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Green | Votes | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Louis W. Blessing III | 31,427 | 61.27% | Hubert E. Brown | 19,869 | 38.73% | |||
| 2014 | Louis W. Blessing III | 20,746 | 67.34% | Tammy Simendinger | 8,852 | 28.73% | Nathan D. Lane | 1,209 | 3.92% |
| 2016 | Louis W. Blessing III | 37,138 | 100% | ||||||
| 2018 | Louis W. Blessing III | 28,386 | 64.43% | Carrie R. Davis | 15,668 | 35.57% |
Personal life
[edit]Blessing and his wife Heather have two children: Louis William Blessing IV and James Warner Blessing.
References
[edit]- ^"Senator Louis W. Blessing III (R)".Ohio Senate.Retrieved17 October2019.
- ^"Ohio Engineers and Surveyors Board".Retrieved19 April2018.
- ^"Energy bill passes House, but fight expected in Senate".The Harrison Press.Retrieved19 April2018.
- ^"Ohio House passes bill to change renewable energy mandates".The News Center. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017.Retrieved23 April2018.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^"Governor Kasich signs 15 bills into Ohio law".ABC 6. 22 December 2017.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"New heroin law takes aim at drug dealers".The Akron Legal News.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"House bill would revise guidelines for Autism Scholarship program".The Akron Legal News.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"Governor Signs House Bill 299 Into Law, Includes Great News for Autism Scholarship".School Choice Ohio.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"Ohio House passes bill allowing drinking in designated public district".WLWT5. 27 March 2015.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"State Passes H.B. 47" Outdoor Refreshment Area Legislation "".City of Cincinnati.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"Let them drink samples".The Toledo Blade.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"H.B. 444".Ohio House of Representatives.Retrieved23 April2018.
- ^"Senator Louis W. Blessing, III - Bio | The Ohio Senate".ohiosenate.gov.Retrieved2022-11-06.
- ^"Hamilton County, Ohio Board of Elections".Hamilton County, Ohio Board of Elections.Retrieved23 April2018.
Current members of theOhio Senate | ||
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135th General Assembly(2023-2025)
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