COLUMBUS, Ohio — House Bill 111 passed unanimously in the Senate on Wednesday, which would increase the sentence a person could serve if convicted of specific domestic violence charges. The bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives this time last year.
State Rep. Jeff LaRe, R – House District 73, is one of the bill’s co-sponsors. He called it common sense legislation.
The bill would increase the sentence a person could serve if convicted of third-degree felony domestic violence, which is anyone who has previously been convicted of two or more domestic violence charges. It would also create the presumption of prison time for that offense.
The bill would raise the minimum sentence for a third-degree felony to 12 months. The sentence is currently nine months. It would also mandate a year in prison if the offender knew the victim was pregnant at the time.
"The premise behind this whole thing is really to give those victims an opportunity to get out of their situation and move on with their lives,” LaRe said.
It’s legislation that groups like the Ohio Domestic Violence Network works to support.
"Often people who are leaving abusive relationships, it's a process… you need help, support, and assistance to come in and just recognizing that often there are additional barriers that are created,” Rachel Ramirez, director of health and disability programs at ODVN, said.
It’s barriers that can be broken down in part through the implementation of bills like HB 111, which was inspired by a real-life tragedy.
"It was almost five years ago to this very week,” LaRe said.
LaRe said the idea for the bill came to him from one of his constituents.
"[She] came to tell me the tragic story about somebody she knew that ultimately became the victim of domestic violence and later died by her abuser,” LaRe said.
LaRe said one of the problems with domestic violence cases is survivors often aren’t sure when their abusers might be released from jail, but adding the presumption of jail time will make a difference.
"To give those individuals that peace of mind knowing that they've got the opportunity to move to a different residence, to enroll their children into a different school, and use the resources that we've got here in the state of Ohio,” LaRe said.
According to Columbus Police, there have been 19 domestic violence related homicides in the city so far this year. Across the state, that number is at 114, up two more than the previous year according to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.
It’s data that shows more work needs to be done.
"We all gotta come together to help these victims out, move on, and provide them that safe space to get out of those situations,” LaRe said.
The bill now moves on to the governor’s desk to potentially be signed into law.