Schaffer Gives Legislative Update

ZANESVILE, Ohio-State senator Tim Schaffer of Ohio’s 20th district made a trip to Zanesville this afternoon to meet with local elected officials. 

We sat down with senator Schaffer to discuss legislative bills that he has sponsored and cosponsored in the state house. One such bill is senate Bill 8 which looks to expand broadband access to underserved areas of Ohio. 

“What if in the 1950’s, when president Eisenhower and congress were building the interstate highway system, and they said, ‘okay we’ll build a nice four lane divided highway from West Virginia all the way to the Franklin County line and we’re gonna stop’. The people of Franklin County probably wouldn’t appreciate that… When broadband came on in the last twenty years, thirty years, it kind of left out the rural areas of Ohio.”, Schaffer said.

The bill allocated $20 million towards broadband expansion in 2022 and Governor DeWine has proposed $250 million in the state budget spread over 2022 and 2023 to cover the cost. The bill has passed in the senate unanimously. 

“This is a matter of fairness, it is a matter of making sure that whatever tax money and incentives have gone into it the last couple of decades, into helping to expand broadband, that Appalachia and rural Ohio is getting its share as well. So this legislation really makes sure that we’re getting our share of the incentives to get broadband expanded to our schools, our neighborhoods, our libraries, all throughout rural Ohio.”, Schaffer continued.

An estimated 30% of Muskingum County residents have no access to the internet.