COLUMBUS — State Representative Margaret Ann Ruhl, R-Mount Vernon, recently announced her candidacy to serve as representative of the 68th Ohio House District — which will include all of Knox County and portions of eastern Delaware County — during the 130th General Assembly.
“Serving as state representative of the current 90th House District has been such an honor, and I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to represent the newly apportioned 68th District during the next General Assembly,” Ruhl said.
During the 2011 session of the 129th General Assembly, Ruhl has helped the Ohio House to fill an $8 billion budget deficit without raising taxes on Ohioans, reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses, and strengthen Ohio’s schools by reducing and eliminating unfunded mandates.
She specifically worked to eradicate the use of harmful drugs that have gone largely unchecked within Ohio’s communities. She sponsored House Bill 64 to add synthetic cannabinoids—commonly known as K2 or Spice — to the list of Schedule 1 controlled substances and enforce penalties similar to those associated with marijuana possession and trafficking. It also includes a ban on bath salts and any analog chemicals. This legislation was passed by the House in March and was signed into law by the governor in July.
Additionally, Ruhl continues to work closely with the Ohio Department of Transportation to improve traffic flow on I-71 with the addition of one extra lane in both directions in the northern part of Delaware County through Morrow County. She plans to work to make improvements to the I-71/U.S. 36 interchange within the near future.
A lifelong resident of Knox County, Ruhl formerly served as the Knox County auditor and as the auditor for the City of Mount Vernon. She serves as the vice-chair of the Financial Institutions, Housing and Urban Development Committee, as well as a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
