Representative Tours Facility, Listens to Concerns
Rep. Sarah LaTourette’s first step toward running for public office wasn’t rooted in her father’s career or her college study in political science and history.
It was more about dogs.
“I’m a little animal crazy,” she told a room full of county employees during her visit to Geauga County Job and Family Services Sept. 15.
Over the years, LaTourette and her husband, Scott, have fostered more than 50 dogs and she did volunteer work with the Golden Retrieve Rescue, a passion of hers, she said.
After graduating from Miami University in 2006, she took a job in communication with a nonprofit, but after a few years, she had to ask herself a question.
“I said, ‘Why am I not getting paid for something I’m passionate about?’” she told the audience.
Her work with the Adoption Network of Cleveland, a nonprofit organization helping individuals who have been adopted, actually led her, almost reluctantly, into politics.
As the daughter of the late Congressman Steve LaTourette, she had, in the past, sworn off elected officialdom.
“Never in a million years would I have run for office,” LaTourette said.
But ANC matched her up with Jasmine, 12, who was in the system and wanted a home.
She was very mature for her age, an honor student and she earned a place on the school varsity basketball team as she went through high school, still without a family. Finally, when Jasmine was 16, her dream was attained.
“It is difficult for teens to get adopted,” LaTourette said, adding Jasmine opened her eyes to the needs of youth who have been in the system.
From 1964 to 1996, adoption records were sealed, which was a stumbling block for many reasons, she said. The records of 300,000 Ohio residents were unavailable to them.
For 25 years, various efforts had been made to fix the problem.
“That’s what brought me here — working with people who need help the most,” LaTourette said. “It is so easy to get passionate about that work.”
She was elected to a two-year term as representative to the 76th District in November 2014 with nearly 70 percent of the vote and soon was involved in the successful effort to get those birth records opened.
After 20 months in office, LaTourette serves on four committees: agriculture and rural development, health and aging, state government and insurance, is the assistant to the majority whip and is one of six members in the Republican caucus leadership.
“It’s extremely exciting. We’re really making sure things happen,” she said.
She had only been in office six months when House Bill 6, which she introduced, was signed into law. It extended the statute of limitations on rape from 20 to 25 years because cases were timing out.
Currently there are several bills in various stages targeting the rampaging opiate addiction in Ohio, LaTourette said.
“It terrifies all of us,” she said of the opiate epidemic.
Term limits are especially challenging for representatives, who only have two years between elections and a total of eight years in one office. LaTourette said the first year is stressful.
“It’s an extremely fast learning curve,” she said, adding finding the right sources is vital. “In order to become an expert on these issue, I have to talk to experts.”
Job and Family Services Director Craig Swenson said he invited the representative to his department because so many of the issues she deals with directly affect his staff and the work they do in the county.
“A large portion of bills that go through the Legislature impacts programs my agency is involved in,” he said after her visit, adding LaTourette is from Geauga County.
The JFS staff explained what the department is able to accomplish with the limited resources the state supplies, he said.
“We had an awesome conversation about all the programs, how we administer them in Geauga County and what’s on the horizon,” Swenson said.
For instance, a bill that would keep foster children in the system in some form from age 18 to 21 is a great idea, but there are a lot of questions attached to it, he said.
“I’m happy to serve that population,” Swenson said, but he will need to know who has custody of the young adults and, if the county is expected to provide services for them, where will the money come from?
He also told LaTourette about the problems with the new computers the state installed for his department to handle income maintenance, including cash, food stamps and Medicaid.
The new computers don’t communicate well with the system at GCJFS, especially on Medicaid, he said, so the staff spends a lot of time doing a 20-step work-around to be sure people get the help they need.
“It’s incredibly draining on our staff, and, if we don’t get it right, the client doesn’t get the services he or she needs,” Swenson said, adding his Medicaid staff is worn out.
“Sarah’s working on some of these issues,” he said, adding her track record is good in Columbus.
So good, in fact, she was to receive the Legislator of the Year award from the Public Children’s Services Association of Ohio on Sept. 21. Swenson said he was asked to present it to her during the ceremony.
