SUSPICIOUS. TOUGHER PENALTIES COULD BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE FOR PEOPLE CAUGHT DEALING DRUGS. IN OHIO, A STATE REP FROM HARRISON HAS A PROPOSAL AND IT’S GAINING MOMENTUM RIGHT NOW AT THE STATE HOUSE AND WLWT NEWS FIVE’S TODD -- LIVE WITH WHAT IS IN HOUSE BILL 230. HI, TODD. YEAH, MIKE AND SHERRY, HELLO TO YOU BOTH. YOU KNOW, A KEY PROVISION OF THE BILL CO-SPONSORED BY REPUBLICAN CINDY ABRAMS OF HARRISON CALLS FOR MORE TIME BEHIND BARS FOR PEOPLE WHO SELL ILLICIT DRUGS, SPECIFICALLY FENTANYL, BUT ALSO THINGS LIKE COCAINE. AND HOUSE BILL 230 DOESN’T STOP THERE. AS A PARENT AND A FORMER CINCINNATI POLICE OFFICER, CINDY ABRAMS SPENDS A LOT OF TIME WORRYING ABOUT A DRUG THAT CAN KILL PEOPLE WHO CONSUME JUST A TINY AMOUNT. YOU COULD ASK THE CORONER. YOU COULD ASK ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT DEALS WITH THIS FENTANYL. IT’S SOMETHING WE’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE BECAUSE FENTANYL CAN BE SO LETHAL. ABRAMS, A STATE HOUSE REPUBLICAN WHO REPRESENTS HARRISON, WANTS DRUG DEALERS CONVICTED AT THE STATE LEVEL TO FACE PRISON SENTENCES. FAMILIAR TO FEDERAL INMATES. AND IF THE DEA IS INVOLVED, YOU’RE GOING TO PRISON. THE STATE LEVEL DOESN’T HAVE THOSE AS STRONG PENALTIES. BUT NOW WE’RE RAMPING THEM UP TO MIRROR FEDERAL LAW. HOUSE BILL 230, CO-SPONSORED BY ABRAMS AND SUPPORTED BY SEVERAL DEMOCRATS, INCLUDING CECIL THOMAS OF CINCINNATI, NOT ONLY CALLS FOR TOUGHER DRUG TRAFFICKING PENALTIES, IT WOULD ALSO MAKE FENTANYL EDUCATION A REQUIREMENT IN THE CLASSROOM AGE APPROPRIATE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH K THROUGH GRADUATE SCHOOL, BECAUSE I THINK OUR COLLEGE KIDS NEED, NEED EDUCATION, TOO. THE PROPOSAL, WHICH WAS RECENTLY APPROVED BY OHIO’S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WOULD ALSO LET POLICE USE WHAT’S CALLED ORAL FLUID TESTING DURING ROADSIDE STOPS TO SEE IF A DRIVER IS HIGH BEHIND THE WHEEL. A LIEUTENANT COLONEL WITH OHIO’S HIGHWAY PATROL EXPLAINED HOW THE TEST WORK. IT’S NONINVASIVE. IT’S BASICALLY A COTTON SWAB THAT YOU WOULD PUT IN YOUR MOUTH, AND IT WOULD ABSORB, UM, YOUR SALIVA, BE IN A TUBE AND BE SUBMITTED TO THE LAB. AND THAT WOULD HELP US A LOT ON DRUG DRIVING. THIS ROADSIDE TESTING, I BELIEVE, IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT KEEPING OUR PEOPLE SAFE, OUR ROADS SAFE. NOW, IF HOUSE BILL 230 DOES BECOME LAW, THOSE MOUTH SWABS WOULD BE ANOTHER TOOL THAT POLICE COULD USE DURING A ROADSIDE STOP IN ADDITION TO BREATH, URINE AND BLOOD TEST. NOW, THERE ARE CRITICS OF THE MEASURE. THEY SAY THAT IT WOULD MAKE PRISONS IN OHIO MORE CROWDED WHILE DOING LITTLE TO TREAT ADDICTION. BUT ABRAMS ARGUES THAT THIS THE BUCKEYE STATE HAS MORE SERVICES NOW FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH DRUG ABUSE THAN WAS THE CASE JUST A FEW YEARS