Heard faces challenger Healy

By David S. Lewis
Contributing Writer
Columbus Post

State Representative Tracy Heard (D-OH) is running for her second term. Heard worked on a variety of legislation during her first term. Recently, she sponsored a bill (H.R. 241) that prevents registered sex offenders from taking up residence near schools, playgrounds and other areas with high youth traffic. The bill would authorize authorities to evict sex offenders living within 1,000 feet of such an area; failure to comply within 30 days would be at least a misdemeanor and up to a second-degree felony.
“ My number one priority for my next term is getting hearings for my bills for the Criminal Justice committee. I didn't do all this work because it was fun, I did it because it was necessary,” said Heard at an interview on last Thursday. Three of her bills for that committee deal with sex offenders; her district, the 26th, has over half of all registered sex offenders in the county and Heard is working towards more comprehensive legislation.
“ The majority of our legislation is reactionary. We need to focus on real protection, and on prevention,” stressed Heard.
According to Heard, working on the budget for Ohio was the accomplishment of her first term of which she was most proud.
“ I came through the process feeling like I accomplished something,” noted Heard who sits on four standing committees: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Criminal Justice, Economic Development and Environment, and the standing committee on education.
Heard must defend her incumbency against a first-run Republican – Joseph Healy (R-OH). Healy has been a member of the Franklin County GOP Central Committee for eight years. Although he has never held a public office, he has worked on campaigns for many Republican officials, from Ronald Reagan and George Voinovich to Jim Hughes and John Kasich.
Healy, an independent home-improvement contractor, has been self-employed for 20 years. He believes that free-trade policies such as NAFTA are “decimating our domestic industries” and thinks they are un-Constitutional.
“ The U.S. Congress has the duty to regulate our commerce,” said Healy in a phone interview last Thursday. “These trade agreements give a foreign body decision-making power over U.S. Trade.” As an Ohio representative, Healy stressed that he would work to relieve regulatory burdens on businesses.
“ Let's ease up on them so they can survive. It seems anybody can open a factory and run it, except here in the United States,” said Healy.
A proponent of traditional family values, Healy is opposed to abortion and gay marriage, but thinks they are issues for states to decide, and not the federal government. He is married with four children, all of whom are enrolled in private schools, but Healy says he doesn't receive vouchers for their education. He also believes education should be more localized.
“ I believe the states should get out of education issues and leave it to municipalities to fund and direct,” noted Healy.
Healy said he does not believe in Federal or State-level oversight of education, and believes large urban school districts should be broken up and maintained at a more localized level.
The seat will next be up for grabs in 2014.

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