Representative Dontavius L. Jarrells - District 1

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) today volunteered at the NNEMAP Food Pantry in Columbus, offering hands-on support as part of his ongoing efforts to assist constituents, particularly with the potential lapse in federal SNAP benefits. Jarrells worked alongside volunteers to distribute food, underscoring the essential role food pantries play in keeping families fed during times of crisis. 

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) today released the following statement after Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) giving $7M though the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to various Ohio food banks and up to $18M in funds to Ohioans who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty level who already qualify for Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance. While 63,000 of the 1.4 million Ohioans on SNAP may be provided some relief due to this effort, excluding 529,000 children who are currently on SNAP, the $18M in emergency funds does not go far enough to support those living just at the federal poverty level. For example, a family of four making roughly $17,000/year or more will not be eligible for this benefit. While a small step in the right direction, this insufficient allocation of funds is hardly enough to address the urgency of this crisis in the state. 

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Majority Whip Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) today held a press conference introducing the Break the Silence Act, bipartisan legislation that would establish a consistent, statewide approach to identify and support domestic violence survivors in hospitals and urgent care settings.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) today called out Ohio Republicans in the state legislature for failing to act on measures that could have preserved Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for 1.4 million Ohioans. In two days, more than half a million children, more than 250,000 seniors, and an estimated 45,000 veterans are at risk of going hungry when the federal government defaults on its November deposit to fund SNAP benefit cards due to President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ refusal to end the federal government shutdown.