Written by By now, most of you have probably heard about the state of Ohio’s plan to construct a new highway that connects I-71 at Marengo in Morrow County with US-23 north of Waldo in Marion County.
This whole scheme, which will likely result in the state using eminent domain to confiscate the homes and land of many people living in the path of the highway, originated with the passage of the state’s $11 billion dollar, 227-page transportation bill in March of 2025.
The total process from introduction to signing into law took less than two months.
The bill, sponsored by Brian Stewart (R-12th District) and known as House Bill 54, was introduced in the House of Representatives on 02/04/2025.
Interestingly, the original version of the bill that was passed by the House DID NOT include any provisions for the construction of the new highway. That was added by the State Senate.
Even more interesting is the fact that after it was passed by the House, the bill landed in the Senate’s Transportation Committee.
And who is a member of that committee?
You guessed it! Senator Bill Reineke (R-26th District) of Seneca County, whose district encompasses both Marion and Morrow counties.
As you can see from his statement on the matter of the highway, he’s in favor of it. Well, of course he is, he was behind its inclusion in the bill.
But it wasn’t just Senator Reineke who betrayed his constituents in Marion and Morrow counties, when the Senate passed its version of the bill on 03/19/2025 and it went back to the House, both State Representative Tracy Richardson (R-86th District) and State Representative Riordan McClain (R-87th District) voted in favor of it.
The two representatives who allegedly serve the people of Marion and Morrow counties voted in favor of this travesty of a bill!
So for all of you folks living in Richland Township, Waldo Township, Lincoln Township, Westfield Township, and Peru Township, when the bulldozers come to tear down your houses, you can thank YOUR very own Senator Reineke, Representative Richardson, and Representative McClain.
When your farms are shredded in two by asphalt and your way of life in your peaceful rural paradise is forever destroyed, send ’em a thank you card.
