Governor signs Takoda Collins-inspired bill into law

COLUMBUS — The Takoda Collins-inspired bill to reform Ohio’s child welfare program has been signed into law by the Governor.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 4 into law Monday. The bill was drafted by Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) following News Center 7′s I-Team reports involving the murder of Takoda Collins at the hands of his father Al McLean.

McLean’s girlfriend, Amanda Hinze, and her sister, Jennifer Ebert, are also in jail for knowing about the abuse and doing nothing to stop it.

>> ‘What you did was pure evil’ Father, 2 others sentenced for the death of Takoda Collins

DeWine told News Center 7′s John Bedell in December that the I-Team’s reporting on Collins was “very impactful” and that he was “anxious” to sign it into law.

The bill passed in the House in June 2021. An amended version of the bill was passed by both the Ohio Senate and House Feb. 9, sending it to the Governor’s desk.

The bill, WHIO previously reported, calls for the creation of an ombudsman to investigate cases like Collins’ and keep them from falling through the cracks. An ombudsman is an official appointed to investigate complaints against, in this case, public authorities.

>> Montgomery County reaches settlement with Takoda Collins’ estate

The amendments made in the bill included creating two ombudsman positions; a family ombudsman to investigate complaints made by adults, and a youth ombudsman to investigate complaints made by children and to advocate for the best interests of kids involved in concerns investigated by that office.

The bill requires the ombudsman’s office to provide annual reports to the Ohio Youth Advisory Board, which will then give an evaluation of the report to the Governor.

©2022 Cox Media Group