A bill signed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Saturday makes the children of slain Toledo police officer Anthony Dia eligible for four years of tuition and fee waivers at state colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 259 ensures spouses and children of law officers, firefighters, or service members who were killed in the line of duty are eligible for the waivers if they were residents of Ohio at the time their spouse or parent was killed.
Previously, the Ohio Safety Officers College Memorial Fund only provided tuition and fee waivers to the family members if they remained Ohio residents.
Dia's family has recently moved across the border into Michigan near the state line.
In September, State Rep. Derek Merrin (R-Monclova) introduced the “Anthony Dia Act,” which would have expanded the fund to include Officer Dia’s sons.
"It's the least that we can do," said Merrin. "Anthony Dia and so many men and women in our law enforcement have given the ultimate sacrifice and we have a longstanding program in Ohio to try and take care of their children, and thats really the best thing we can do for them."
Maumee Police Chief Dave Tullis says 20-20 was a difficult year for law enforcement, and that's why he fully supports Officer Dia's children receiving a free education at an in-state university.
"I think it's a good thing. It's a great benefit. Unfortunately somebody would have to die in the line of duty but what you're taking away from a household when somebody serves the community and they were killed during that....it's a great gesture," said Tullis.
Senate Bill 259 states “ the child, spouse, or qualified former spouse of a public service officer or a member of the armed services of the United States killed in the line of duty shall be considered a resident of this state for the purposes of this section if the child, spouse, or qualified former spouse was a resident of this state at the time that the public service officer or member of the armed services was killed."
Officer Anthony Dia was a Toledo Police Officer who was shot and killed in July responding to incident in parking lot of a Home Depot store. He is survived by his wife, Jayme, and two sons.
