Ohio Senate Passes Senator Fedor’s Human Trafficking Legislation

Senate Bill 235 goes to House of Representatives

Columbus – State Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) is pleased to announce that the Ohio Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 235 today. The bill, jointly sponsored by Senators Fedor and Tim Grendell (R-Chesterland), makes Human Trafficking a stand-alone felony in Ohio.

“Today’s victory is the result of five years of work,” Senator Fedor said. “In 2005, we were first awakened to the width and breadth of human trafficking in Ohio when more than 30 minors from Toledo were caught in a prostitution ring.

“For years, we as legislators have worked with key people from across the State to gather data, identify sources of the problem and to draft legislation to combat it.”

Milestones in Senator Fedor’s fight against Human Trafficking:

• During the 127th General Assembly, Senator Fedor introduced Senate Bill 205, increasing the penalty for crimes that include trafficking in persons. Senate Bill 205 was amended into House Bill 280, which was signed into law by Governor Ted Strickland in January, 2009
  
  
• The Trafficking in Persons Study Commission was created through the 2009 legislation described above.
  
  
• In November, 2010, over one hundred supporters of Senate Bill 235 gathered at the Ohio Statehouse for Senator Fedor’s Human Trafficking Advocacy Day. Advocates visited the offices of Ohio Legislators urging their support for the bill.
  

In Senate session today, advocates of Senate Bill 235 wore buttons designed by Senator Fedor’s staff to show their support for the legislation.

“Freedom from slavery is a fundamental human right, recognized worldwide,” Alex Kreidenweis, Chairman of the Ohio Abolitionist Coalition, said today after session. “Unfortunately, it is a human right that is violated across the world, and Ohio is no exception. Attaining a slave-free world requires intelligent policy action like Senate Bill 235. Forty-four other states have enacted strong laws concerning human trafficking, and now Ohio has done the same.”

On January 11, 2011, Senator Teresa Fedor will hold a Human Trafficking Awareness Day at the Ohio Statehouse. Details of the event will be released by her office at a later date.

“The struggle is not yet over,” Senator Fedor said. “There is much left to do in the fight against Human Trafficking.”

*Watch video of Senator Fedor speaking to SB 235 here:

http://www.ohiochannel.org/MediaLibrary/Media.aspx?fileId=128202&startTime=529