Renaming Port Columbus Airport for John Glenn and expanding foster care and adoption assistance to Ohioans up to age 21 were part of a whirlwind Wednesday at the Statehouse. As they prepared to leave town for a break that could last through the November election, the House and Senate moved dozens of bills, many of which are going to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.

Renaming Port Columbus Airport for John Glenn and expanding foster care and adoption assistance to Ohioans up to age 21 were part of a whirlwind Wednesday at the Statehouse.

As they prepared to leave town for a break that could last through the November election, the House and Senate moved dozens of bills, many of which are going to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.

House Bill 50 seeks to address the more than 1,000 Ohio youth who age out of foster care each year at age 18. Ohio Fostering Connections says often these youths are at high risk of homelessness, unemployment, dependence on public assistance and human trafficking.

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Supporters note that by age 19, 14 percent of foster care youths have a child, only 12 percent are employed full time, 26 percent have experienced homelessness, and 36 percent have been incarcerated for a time.

�The numbers are staggering, and we can do better by these young people,� said Sen. John Eklund, R-Chardon. �This is a transitional program designed to help these youngsters transition into adulthood.�

With less unemployment and need for government assistance, Fostering Connections says that over 10 years, the state will see a financial benefit for expanding support to age 21, which occurs if certain education and work requirements are met. More than half of states have expanded services to age 21.

In other legislative business:

Port Columbus is in line for a new moniker as the House joined the Senate in unanimously christening the facility as John Glenn Columbus International Airport in honor of the storied astronaut and former U.S. senator, who was hailed as a "great American, great hero." The bill also renames Route 2 in Cuyahoga County as the Gov. Richard F. Celeste Shoreway in honor of the Democrat who served two terms. Lawmakers gave final approval to a bill increasing to a fifth-degree felony the charge for causing serious physical harm to a companion animal. The bill also would require a mandatory prison term of nine to 36 months for the killing of a police dog or police horse, along with a mandatory fine paid to the law enforcement agency. Lawmakers voted to reduce the level of heroin needed for a person to be labeled a major drug offender, which triggers enhanced penalties. Under current law, the trigger is reached when the amount exceeds 2,500 unit doses of heroin, or 250 grams. Those limits were passed years ago at a time when cocaine was the bigger concern, Eklund said. �Now, we are engaged in a great civil war against heroin and trafficking.� House Bill 171 lowers those limits to 1,000 doses or 100 grams of heroin to trigger a maximum 11-year prison term.

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