To Whom It May Concern,

From East Liverpool’s East End to downtown, from Liverpool Township to St. Clair Township, Wellsville, and Salineville, our communities in the southern part of Columbiana County, Ohio deserve to be represented by elected officials who work in our communities’ best interests.

For too long, certain lawmakers have pursued their own political agendas instead of listening to the people who elected them. They make decisions that impact our lives based on what is best for them and ignore what we have to say about it. Abolishing the East Liverpool Municipal Court is their most recent attempt to ignore the will of the southern part of Columbiana County. Passing Representative Tim Ginter’s House Bill 613 to abolish the East Liverpool Municipal Court will cost our loved ones their money, time, health, and more. It will put unnecessary and unjust pressures on all of us by decreasing our access to the court.

The people of Columbiana County deserve to have a say in how their courts operate. Some elected officials are trying to grab political power by eliminating the East Liverpool Municipal Court against the wishes of residents. They want to deny us the opportunity to elect judges who represent the very best of us to oversee our traffic court, civil court, and drug court. They want to deny us the opportunity to elect judges who will offer our community the innovative solutions we need, such as the veterans court. We thrive when we have the power to elect a judge who we trust to do what is right. Our communities thrive when we have access to the judicial system.

We, the undersigned, urge the Ohio General Assembly to end the pursuit of HB 613 which was sponsored by State Representative Tim Ginter. We demand the Ohio General Assembly to keep the East Liverpool Municipal Court open.