Kevin Miller faces Charlotte Owens in redrawn 69th Ohio House District
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Kevin Miller, R-Franklin Township, received the Republican Party appointment in June 2021 to replace expelled Larry Householder in representing the 72nd Ohio House District. Miller, employed 22 years with the Ohio Highway Patrol, was unopposed in the primary and faces Charlotte Owens, D-Lithopolis, in the redrawn 69th Ohio House District.
The 69th District is mostly in the southern and eastern parts of Licking County, including Etna Township, Reynoldsburg in Licking County, a sliver of Pataskala, Kirkersville, Hebron, Buckeye Lake, Gratiot, Hanover and extends up to Utica. It also includes parts of Perry and Fairfield counties.
“It’s been extremely rewarding," Miller said of the experience in the state legislature. I’m proud of being the voice for first responders at the Statehouse, being someone other legislators can ask questions about policy and practice of law enforcement.”
Miller said there are two bills he hopes get passed. One would make swatting a felony. Swatting is making a prank call to emergency services to bring a response to a specific address. The other bill would allow K9s injured on duty to be transported in an emergency squad instead of an officer's vehicle.
Miller said he is focused on employment, infrastructure and housing needs that affect his district outside of the immediate Intel area.
"My district essentially surrounds that area, with Utica, along the eastern edge and the I-70 corridor," Miller said. "It will be affected by Intel, most notably by jobs. The opportunity for jobs is significant. It’s something that’s going to be a significant change for the entire area, for the entire state.”
Owens has tasted election defeat before and may be an underdog, but is running to provide alternatives and make her case on some key issues.
Owens, an adjunct instructor at Central Ohio Technical College in Newark and Pataskala, lost her 2020 bid for the Statehouse, winning just 24% of the vote in the 78th Ohio House District race against Republican Brian Stewart. That district did not include Licking County.
“I keep emphasizing I’m for democracy and fair districts with rights, strong public education and strong communities in Ohio and the people I’m talking to like those things," Owens said. “When you consider the redistricting process drawn by Republican control and rejected by Ohio Supreme Court multiple times, it’s really important to stand up for fair districts.”
Miller said he is focused on employment, infrastructure and housing needs that affect his district outside of the immediate Intel area.
"My district essentially surrounds that area, with Utica, along the eastern edge and the I-70 corridor," Miller said. "It will be affected by Intel, most notably by jobs. The opportunity for jobs is significant. It’s something that’s going to be a significant change for the entire area, for the entire state.”
Owens said she has concerns about housing availability, the impacts on small communities and school districts' building capacity for additional students.
“Money needs to be coming back to communities," Owens said. "Utica needs $4 million to update its sewer system. They need grants or other resources. Too much money is gone from local communities. A lot of communities feel stripped and left behind.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Miller faces Owens in redrawn 69th Ohio House District
