[Counselor_Educ] FW: Great news! Update on Senate Bill 366 and House Bill 617

[Foreman, Tamarine]

Greetings.  I wanted to thank everyone for their help and support in assisting with educating our law makers about the potential of the SB 366 and HB 617 to negatively impact our counseling profession.  With your help, the bills were defeated.  Please stay tuned, as it sounds like their may be additional opportunity to assist our lawmakers with how to best organize the professional boards so that everyone is served.

Here is the email I received: "Today the Ohio General Assembly is holding what is expected to be the last voting session of the year.  The Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate did not act on SB 366 or HB 617!!  These pieces of legislation would have dramatically reconfigured and consolidated several of the healthcare professional boards in Ohio.

We asked the members of OCA to contact your own legislators to express concerns with the proposal.  Those grassroots activities, along with a coordinated effort with other effected professional associations, was ultimately successful in heading off this proposal in 2016.

Thank you to all that took the time to advocate for your profession and the preservation of your professional identity!

While, we were successful this year, we fully expect this proposal, or one very similar to be considered in 2017.  If and when that happens, we will certainly alert the OCA membership, and reactivate the call to action if necessary.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday and again thank you for your efforts!"

I will add my thanks to all of you who participated in this call to action.  OCA has a powerful voice, and we have used it well in this effort.  We will keep you informed as to developments in this matter.  In the meantime, may your holiday celebrations, whatever they are, be peaceful and happy!

Blessings, Martha S. Flemming, M.A., LPCC-s, LICDC "

Thanks again!
Sincerely,
Tamarine Foreman, PhD, LPCC-S, NCC


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