07/10/2025

President's Message: A Season of Advocacy

This has been a very busy advocacy season, with much of OAO’s focus being on legislation and keeping an eye on issues that may affect our members. 

On April 17th, I met with Ohio State Representative David Thomas. Dave Thomas is a rep in my district, and one I had yet to meet. We discussed the importance of licensure for opticians in Ohio, especially in urban and rural areas where Medicaid providers are not as available. 

On May 25th, I attended the NFIB Small Business Day, where I was able to meet with Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel. We discussed the importance of apprenticeships, especially in the field of opticianry, as we no longer have a 2-year college program in Ohio. 

At the same event, I heard House Rep. Matt Huffman and President of the Ohio Senate, Sen. Rob McColley, give a legislative update on current small business legislation being considered. This was important because, if you recall, Rep. Huffman was president of the Workforce Committee when our license came under attack, so we want to listen closely to what he says. 

On June 9–11, I attended the NFIB Washington, D.C. Fly-In. This was a packed few days, where I had more than 11 meetings in 3 days. These meetings were with both Democrats and Republicans. Much of the discussion centered around tariffs and tax cuts, as both are mentioned in HR-1, a bill which, at the time of this writing, is being discussed on Capitol Hill. 

It is interesting to note that when I mentioned going to Washington and posted a photo of one of my meetings on Facebook, some folks were more focused on who was in the photo than on what was being done to help our profession. I had to mention that I don’t care what party a legislator is with; if they’ll meet with me, I’ll be there. 

When opticians think of legislation, their minds often default to licensing. Yes, licensure is a very important aspect, but it is not the only issue that affects our profession. Tariffs, taxes, and access to managed care panels can be equally important. 

For example, a tax break that is set to expire this year could easily take enough income away from a practice that it could be forced to close. How would the closure of your practice affect you? Tariffs are another issue I discussed, as whether we like it or not, much of the products we work with come from overseas. 

Ohio opticians need advocates, and we need advocates like you. Being on the front lines, you know the issues that affect patients better than anyone in Columbus or Washington. It takes some time, but it is not difficult. I plan on going to the Statehouse at least a few more times this year. If you’d like to join me, let me know, as I’d love to introduce you to legislators so they can hear your story and know how important opticianry is to their constituents. 

Speaking of advocacy, the efforts of our optical friends in New Hampshire recently paid off. At the recent United Opticians Association (UOA) Leadership Conference, it was announced that New Hampshire is now a licensed state! This news is HUGE, as it has been almost 30 years since a state has become licensed. Moreover, the law passed states that their continuing education must be live, so they will be receiving the best CEs possible. Congratulations to the newly licensed opticians of New Hampshire! 

There are also rumblings that our optician neighbors to the east—Pennsylvania—could have a chance at becoming licensed as well. It’s a long shot, but then, it was a long shot when Ohio became licensed back in 1979. Advocacy does pay off! 

Enjoy your summer, and I look forward to seeing many of you in the fall!