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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Former Member, Civil Justice Committee, Ohio State House of Representatives

Former Member, Joint Committee on Education Oversight, Ohio State House of Representatives

Former Chair, Public Utilities Committee, Ohio State House of Representatives

Former Member, Rules and Reference Committee, Ohio State House of Representatives

Education

  • JD, Law, Cleveland State University - Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, 1989-1992
  • BA, History, Cleveland State University, 1989

Professional Experience

  • JD, Law, Cleveland State University - Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, 1989-1992
  • BA, History, Cleveland State University, 1989
  • Partner, Callender Law Group, Limited Liability Partnership, 2012-present
  • Professor, Kent State University, 2005-present
  • Partner, Buckley King Legal Professional Association (LPA), 2007-2012
  • Special Counsel, Office of the Ohio Attorney General, 2005-2008
  • Partner/Attorney, McNamara, Hanrahan, Callender and Loxterman, 1998-2007
  • Professor, Lakeland Community College, 1997-2005
  • Associate, Robert H. Meyers & Associates, 1992-1995

Political Experience

  • JD, Law, Cleveland State University - Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, 1989-1992
  • BA, History, Cleveland State University, 1989
  • Partner, Callender Law Group, Limited Liability Partnership, 2012-present
  • Professor, Kent State University, 2005-present
  • Partner, Buckley King Legal Professional Association (LPA), 2007-2012
  • Special Counsel, Office of the Ohio Attorney General, 2005-2008
  • Partner/Attorney, McNamara, Hanrahan, Callender and Loxterman, 1998-2007
  • Professor, Lakeland Community College, 1997-2005
  • Associate, Robert H. Meyers & Associates, 1992-1995
  • Representative, Ohio State House of Representatives, District 61, 1997-2004, 2019-present
  • Candidate, Ohio State House of Representatives, District 61, 2020
  • Candidate, Ohio State Senate, District 18, 2004

Current Legislative Committees

Chair, Agency Rule Review

Member, Finance Committee

Member, State and Local Government Committee

Member, Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • JD, Law, Cleveland State University - Cleveland-Marshall School of Law, 1989-1992
  • BA, History, Cleveland State University, 1989
  • Partner, Callender Law Group, Limited Liability Partnership, 2012-present
  • Professor, Kent State University, 2005-present
  • Partner, Buckley King Legal Professional Association (LPA), 2007-2012
  • Special Counsel, Office of the Ohio Attorney General, 2005-2008
  • Partner/Attorney, McNamara, Hanrahan, Callender and Loxterman, 1998-2007
  • Professor, Lakeland Community College, 1997-2005
  • Associate, Robert H. Meyers & Associates, 1992-1995
  • Representative, Ohio State House of Representatives, District 61, 1997-2004, 2019-present
  • Candidate, Ohio State House of Representatives, District 61, 2020
  • Candidate, Ohio State Senate, District 18, 2004
  • President/Vice President, Lake County Historical Society, 1993-present
  • Member, Willowick Central Committee, 1992-present
  • Member, American/Federal/Ohio State Bar Asociation
  • Former Member, Central Committee, Lake County Republican Party
  • Member, Certified Grievance Committee, Lake County Bar Association
  • Former Member, Executive Committee, Lake County Republican Party
  • Member, Hope Ridge Methodist Church
  • Former Chair, Lake County Young Republicans
  • Member, Painesville Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Master Mason, Willoughby 302 Masonic Lodge
  • Member, Mentor Public Library Board, 2009-2011
  • Member, Ohio Board of Regents, 2001-2003
  • Member, State Board of Education, Ohio Department of Education, 2001-2003
  • Lake County Chair, Mike DeWine for United States Senate, 1994
  • President of the Board, Retinitas Pigmentosa Foundation, Ohio Affiliate, 1991-1994
  • Board Member/Chair, Willowick Recreational Board, 1992-1994
  • Committee Member, Concord Central Committee, 1988-1990
  • Lake County Chair, Jim Petro for Auditor, 1990
Policy Positions

Ohio State Legislative Election 2002 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- X

2. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- X

7. Support the ban on the dilation and extraction procedure known as partial birth abortion.
- X

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budgetary, Spending and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.

1. Education (Higher)
- Slightly Increase Funding

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Funding Status

3. Environment
- Slightly Decrease Funding

4. Health care
- Maintain Funding Status

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Funding Status

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Maintain Funding Status

7. Welfare
- Greatly Decrease Funding

8. Other or expanded categories
- Greatly Decrease Funding

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Eliminate

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Estate taxes
- Eliminate

6. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Eliminate

8. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

9. Property taxes
- Greatly Decrease

10. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

11. Vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status

12. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- No

14. Do you support using a portion of the "rainy day" fund to help alleviate the budget deficit?
- Yes

15. Should state-sponsored gambling be expanded to help solve the education-funding problem?
- Yes

16. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Campaign Finance and Governmental Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit on terms for Ohio governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support the current two-term eight-year limit on terms for Ohio state senators?
- No

3. Do you support the current four-term eight-year limit on terms for Ohio state representatives?
- No

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

1. Individual
- No

2. PAC
- No

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Parties
- No

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- No

7. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- No

8. Do you support voting on-line?
- Yes

9. Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes?
- Yes

10. Do you support prohibiting media exit polling of voters until all polling locations in Ohio are closed?
- No

11. Should communications between Ohio legislators and their staff be kept secret, even under subpoena?
- No

12. Should Ohio recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No

13. Should Ohio restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
- Yes

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- X

3. Support the use of the death penalty in Ohio.
- X

4. Support a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in Ohio.
- No Answer

5. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- No Answer

6. End parole for repeat or violent offenders.
- X

7. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

8. Implement penalties other than incarceration for first-time, non-violent offenders.
- X

9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

10. Support the lower .08 blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- No Answer

11. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

12. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- No Answer

13. Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- No Answer

14. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- No Answer

15. Increase state funding for additional security of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.
- No Answer

16. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Educational

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X

2. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- X

3. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- No Answer

5. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- X

6. Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
- X

7. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- X

8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

9. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- X

10. Increase state funding to expand Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- No Answer

11. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

12. Support age-appropriate sexual education programs that teach about abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
- No Answer

13. Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
- X

14. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.

1. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X

5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children of low-income working families.
- X

6. Include sexual orientation in Ohio's anti-discrimination laws.
- No Answer

7. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity, or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:

1. College and university admissions
- No

2. Public employment
- No

3. State contracting
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Environmental and Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- X

2. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- No Answer

3. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

4. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer

2. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

3. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- X

6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- No Answer

7. Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
- No Answer

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

1. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
- X

2. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- X

3. Create a discount drug program for seniors based on bulk purchasing of drugs by the state.
- X

4. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

5. Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
- X

6. Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

7. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- X

8. Legalize physician-assisted suicide in Ohio.
- No Answer

9. Increase state funding for training health workers to recognize and respond to the release of biological agents.
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Support current time limits on welfare benefits.
- X

2. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

3. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X

4. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- X

5. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

6. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

7. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- X

8. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

In a total of seventy-five (75) words or less, please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer