Senator Blessing, Representative Baker Provide Details on the Safer Communities Workgroup Final Report
COLUMBUS—State Senator Louis W. Blessing, III (R-Colerain Township) and State Representative Rachel Baker (D-Cincinnati), hosted a news conference on Wednesday to explain the findings and next steps from the Safer Communities Workgroup Final Report.
“Ohio loses over $1.2 billion in economic activity due to acts of domestic and sexual violence,” said Senator Blessing. “As a result of this report, I am committed to child sex abuse statute of limitations reform. Ohio is one of six states to still have a limitation on these types of cases. I look forward to seeing legislative ideas included in this report introduced to the General Assembly over the coming months."
“2025 was the most lethal year in decades for domestic violence homicides in Ohio," Representative Baker said. “Our goal with the workgroup is to make a blueprint of actionable legislative priorities for the General Assembly. The final report is the result of an intense, detailed process between experts, advocates, and stakeholders who care about making Ohio a safer place.”
The Safer Communities Workgroup was jointly established in 2025 by Senator Blessing and Representative Baker to investigate a variety of legal issues in Ohio that impact people who have been victims of domestic and sexually violent crimes. Following an initial strategy session in October of 2025 with leaders, state policymakers, professionals, and advocates, the group was divided into four specialized subgroups to collaborate with field experts and craft policy priorities addressing these crimes.
The specialized subgroups focused on the following areas:
- Expanding Access to Forensic Nursing in Ohio
- Statute of Limitations Reform
- Children and Vulnerable Populations
- Domestic Violence Policy Priorities
The workgroup included 37 participants who contributed their time and expertise to developing legislative ideas addressing domestic and sexual violence.Several advocates joined Senator Blessing and Representative Baker at the news conference, including Rebecca Surendorff with Ohioans for Child Protection, Maria York with the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, Emily Gemar with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Danielle McCament with Ohio Network of Children Advocacy Centers, and Michelle Reali with the Cleveland Clinic.
To read the final report, click here. To watch the full news conference, click here.
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