"Had I been alerted to the whole picture, I would have voted no." — Rep. John Patterson
Rep. Sarah LaTourette says she has been assured by Ohio House leadership that proposed legislation will not move forward.
After a four-day furor, Columbus legislators say the juvenile offender bills in the Ohio House and Senate that could have provided parole-eligibility to convicted murderer T.J. Lane will not go forward, said Reps. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and Sarah LaTourette (R-Chester Township).
LaTourette talked with Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) and Rosenberger said it “would not get out of the house chamber.”
The Chardon Schools community and Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz led the charge against House Bill 521 and Senate Bill 272 that granted parole-eligibility to juveniles with life sentences without parole. That back story is here.
Patterson and LaTourette both voted for the bill, which passed 92-4, in May, but both admitted on Friday morning it was a mistake.
“Nobody alerted us to any major concerns,” said Patterson, who serves on none of the committees that crafted the bill’s language. “Had I been alerted to the whole picture, I would have voted no.”
He said the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association was neutral on the bill. But after talking with Flaiz, he would have not voted for it.
“I understand fully the emotional toll that a bill like this would bring on our people,” he said. “And I’m positive that the constituents of the 99th district would have not wanted it to pass.”
LaTourette also talked with Flaiz: “I respect his opinion … I’m not a lawyer, I don’t pretend to be a lawyer, and it never crossed my mind, with the crimes (Lane) committed, it would affect him.”
“I would not have voted for the bill and I would have done everything I could to kill the bill,” LaTourette added.
State Sen. John Eklund (R-Munson Township) is the primary co-sponsor of the senate bill and chair of the Ohio Senate Criminal Justice committee. As of Friday morning, he had not returned phone calls asking for comment. But Eklund’s office had received a lot of phone calls, his staff said, and he had been in contact with county officials.
Both legislators received a lot of feedback from the communities they represent in the last 24 hours, and both said it was that outreach that helped bring about change.
“I applaud those who are engaged, and I encourage our citizens to stay engaged, so that we, to the best of our abilities, can represent our constituents,” Patterson said.
“I think the message was heard loud and clear, and some people reached out,” LaTourette said. “This is why it’s so important that communities get involved. It takes one person to get my attention. It doesn’t take hundreds.”
Chardon Schools released a statement on Friday morning:
“While it is not the district’s intention to take any position on the underlying merit of the reforms proposed in SB 272 or HB 521, we think it is appropriate to express our concern … juvenile offenders convicted of serious offenses … will have the possibility of parole (however remote) …” said a statement from Superintendent Michael Hanlon’s office.
It continued: “We would welcome the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with legislators related to the very real longterm impact that this proposed legislation will have on our school community should either bill pass in its current form.”
Television personality Montel Williams, who has actively engaged with the Chardon Schools community since the shooting, said he had also spoken with Ohio House leadership, tweeting: “@geaugamapleleaf senior leadership has assured me neither bill will move this session.”
Flaiz said he felt satisfied with these promises.
“I want to thank the families and the entire community for their efforts to stop this legislation,” Flaiz said. “I want to especially thank Representative Sarah LaTourette for her work on this. I look forward to working with our legislators moving forward on a bill that does not retroactively grant parole eligibility in homicide cases”
