Sherrod Brown pitches new anti trafficking bill
TOLEDO — Sex trafficking and drug addiction are often found together, said Cara Rearick, a mental health counselor for A Renewed Mind, which is why she is glad to see a bill in the U.S. Senate designed to tackle the intersection of the two issues.
“Traffickers, as we know too well, often exploit drug addiction or expose victims to drugs for the first time to control or force victims into prostitution,” U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio — one of the sponsors of the bi-partisan PROTECT Act of 2018 — said Tuesday at the University of Toledo. “These crimes are already heinous enough. Fanning the flames of drug addiction only makes victims’ trauma worse, makes it that much harder to recover.”
The bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and four other sena- tors from both parties, seeks to hold human traffickers accountable for causing or exacerbating drug addi- tion in their victims along with offering protections for trafficking victims who are forced to commit crimes.
“Law enforcement supports this because they see the situation with these young women, often picked up as high school run- aways,” Brown said. “We want to see these young women protected. It’s hard enough to break out of this cycle without the law coming down on you.”
Traffickers will use strong opiates to addict and subdue victims, complicating an already difficult process of extricating women from their traffickers.
Congressman Jordan talks gun rights
LIMA — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, visited a meeting of the Allen County Patriots and a large part of the conversation focused on gun laws and ways to curb mass shootings.
“There’s some things I think make sense to better help our schools better protect students. Mainly, I think, if local school boards are for this, guys like this coach who gave his life for the kids he taught and worked with — the student athletes he had an impact with everyday — if folks like him could be trained and carry concealed firearms and protect them (students) in schools.”
The majority of the crowd gave the statement their approval, but roughly 20 people — individuals dressed in black who came to the meeting wearing the names of the victims of the Parkland shooting — continued to ask for more clarification, and individuals representing both sides of their issue weren’t pulling punches when discussing their thoughts on the issue. Jordan continued to explain his position.
“(There are) hundreds, maybe thousands of laws on the books right now, and that didn’t stop this evil individual Mr. Cruz going and doing the terrible things that he did in Florida. I’m not convinced more laws will in any way help that. In fact, what we know is there were all kinds of — look, hindsight is a little different — but it was like 30-some times that law enforcement interacted with this guy, and he should have been on all kinds of radar screens that there’s a problem here. I think the concern is, the problem is a cultural phe- nomenon. I think it’s not... I just think it’s bigger,” Jordan said. By Jamie Dupree WASHINGTON — As several hundred high school students rallied at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, asking lawmakers to press for gun controls, there were more calls in the halls of Congress for action on gun violence, with both parties waiting to see what President Donald Trump might do on guns.
The White House did not immediately reject some of the ideas, such as age limits for people buying high-powered weapons like an AR-15. voted against such a plan support for an assault weap
“I think that’s certainly back then. ons ban. something that’s on the table Some Democrats argue On Tuesday night, the for us to discuss and that that 2018 – and the ParkPresident tweeted his supwe expect to come up in land, Fla., school shooting port for stricter background the next couple of weeks,” – will be different, as a grow- checks on gun buyers – but White House Press Secre- ing number of students have that type of statement can tary Sarah Huckabee Sanddemanded action on gun mean many differentthings. ers told reporters on Tuescontrol. Was the president saying day, when asked about the While students from Flor- he would back plans from age limit idea. ida were rallying at their state Democrats to require pri
That plan is already draw- capitol in Tallahassee, sevvate gun sales to have a backing bipartisan support, as eral hundred students from ground check – what’s been S en. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., the Washington, D.C., area referred to for many years announced that he is work- marched to the U.S. Capi- as the “gun show loophole?” ing with Sen. Dianne Fein- tol to voice their demands. Or is this tweet from the stein, D-Calif., on a mea“Keep guns out of schools,” president something less sure to raise the minimum read one sign. “Ban Assault sweeping – simply about purchase age to 21, from 18. Weapons,” was another, as insuring that more infor
Feinstein has also advo- the students urged action in mation gets into the instant cated a return of something the Congress. check database system? that was put into law on a “I came out of my office Like lawmakers, reporters temporary basis in 1994, a to say, I am with you 100 weren’t getting much in the ban on certain semi-autopercent,” said Rep. Jamie way of detailed answers on matic weapons. Raskin, D-Md., one of many some of the more contro-
“When the assault weap- more liberal Democrats who versial items of gun control ons ban was in place, the would like to see action. legislation – for example, number of gun massacres But despite the enthusi- does Mr. Trump still favor fell by 37 percent and the asm, the path forward for an assault weapons ban? number of people dying from almost any gun measure is “I don’t have any specific gun massacres fell by 43 per- cloudy at best in the Conannouncements, but we havcent,” Feinstein argues. gress, as GOP leaders have en’t closed the door on any
But while that might sell given no hint that they will front,” Huckabee Sanders with a number of Democrats suddenly bring gun bills said in response. in Congress today, you don’t backed by Democrats to a It was a reminder that the have to go back too far – only vote in the House and Senate. president could roil the gun to the aftermath of the school The one wild card may be debate in Congress, depend- shooting in Newtown, Conn., President Trump, who has ing on how he deals with in December 2012 – to see held more liberal views on some of these post-Parkthat a number of Democrats guns in the past, including land issues.
■ Anthony Shoemaker, politics editor. Follow him on Twitter at @OhioPoliticsEd. Email news tips to anthony.shoemaker@ coxinc.com
■ Laura Bischoff, statehouse bureau reporter. Follow her on Twitter at
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■ Lynn Hulsey, political/investigative reporter. Follow her on Twitter at @LynnHulseyDDN. Like her Lynn Hulsey DDN Facebook page. Send news tips to lynn. hulsey@coxinc.com
■ Jim Otte, political/ investigative reporter for Newscenter 7. Follow him on Twitter at Like his Jim Otte WHIO Facebook page
■ Jack Torry, Washington Bureau reporter. Follow him on Twitter at @JackTorry1
■ Jessica Wehrman, Washington Bureau reporter. Follow her on Twitter at @JessicaWehrman
■ Jamie Dupree, Washington Insider. Follow him on Twitter at