Butler County Today

State Representatives Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) and Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) held a press conference in Columbus to reintroduce Aisha’s Law, a legislation aimed at improving training for law enforcement in handling domestic violence cases.

Named after Aisha Mason, a victim of domestic violence, House Bill 486 has been before the legislature twice before with strong bipartisan support but was stalled in the Senate both times. Carruthers, speaking on the importance of the law, shared, "This issue is very personal to me as my mother was a survivor of domestic violence."

The legislation, if passed, will require officers dealing with domestic violence complaints to undergo intervention technique training and provide connections to advocacy programs for survivors. It also mandates 24/7 availability of judges or magistrates for domestic violence protection orders and expands the definition of offenses like "child endangering" and "aggravated murder" concerning domestic violence cases.

Brent emphasized the urgency of passing Aisha’s Law, stating, “Enough is enough. How many more people must die as a result of domestic violence before this legislation is law?" She urged the General Assembly to prioritize the bill and provide risk assessment training for law enforcement to combat child endangerment.

House Bill 486 is currently awaiting committee assignment.