Issues

A conservationist is a person who advocates or acts for the protection and preservation of our natural resources including wildlife and and the environment. 

A conservative is a person who advocates for the preservation of the principles, values and resources that made America great from the beginning. 

Gary is not a hyphenated-conservative. He is a complete conservative, adhering to conservative principles in every walk of life. Either conservative principles work or they don't. 

Life is one of the fundamental enumerated rights recognized by our founders in the Declaration of Independence. If life is not sacred from conception then nothing is and all other rights must ultimately give way.

https://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/opinion/2022/05/07/gary-click-life-begins-creation/9657194002/

Education must focus more on students and less on systems. This means returning more and more to local control where parents, teachers and local school boards are empowered to make the decisions that are in the best interest of their children and their communities. 

While sensible people everywhere are concerned about violence we must not allow the impulse to be proactive guide us into counterproductive choices. We cannot raise the white flag on red flag laws that target law abiding citizens. Instead, we must address criminal behavior along with mental and social disorders which are the root of the problem.

Gary has been proud to uphold a 100% pro-second amendment voting record in the Ohio House, and has co-sponsored and voted for bills to arm school staff and enact constitutional carry in Ohio.

The stability of our energy grid is one of the most crucial issues that Ohioans must deal with. Competition and diversity is in the best interest of Buckeyes. However, there are many complicated challenges that come with energy.

House Bill 6 was a necessary investment, providing stability by preserving nuclear energy in Ohio. Wind turbines, on the other hand, tend to drain our resources, add nothing to the stability of the grid and disrupt our rural neighborhoods. 

Government has a tendency to get greedy and be bossy. Legislators are tempted to think they know best how to spend your money and run your business. In reality, you are the best investor and most efficient manager of your resources.

In the Ohio House, Gary has consistently voted to lower taxes and reduce government rules. Notably, Gary voted for HB 110 of the 134th General Assembly and HB 33 of the 135th General Assembly each slashed income and business taxes. Another key vote, SB 9 of the 134th General Assembly, required each state agency of Ohio to reduce its regulatory rules by 30% before June 2025. 

Personal experience has taught me that people thrive when they are able to provide for themselves through the dignity of work. However, a system that was designed to help people through tough times has become an impediment to personal success. 

While balancing the state budget is a worthy cause, many local municipalities have felt like they footed the bill. Unfunded mandates were passed on to the local governments without the accompanying resources necessary to accomplish the tasks. 

One of the more prominent local issues that demands the attention our state representative is the WINWaste Seneca County Landfill (Sunny Farms Landfill). The concerns go far beyond the offensive odor that led neighbors to inform me that they cannot even hang their clothes out to dry. Residents justifiably feel like their voices and concerns about public health and environmental safety have been ignored at the expense of a large corporation bringing out of state trash into their community.

As the state representative of the 88th district, I am committed to advancing the long-term interests of the people of Fostoria over the economic promises that may cost us and our children their health and security. I will work to keep Sunny Farms accountable, limit the tonnage coming in and resist all efforts at expansion. I believe that it is important to align our definition of hazardous materials to harmonize with the stricter standards of other states. 

While fiscal leadership and economic development are vital issues for any community, we must always undertake a cost/benefit analysis. Some funds are simply not worth the long-term cost. Not all development is good development. Some growth is cancerous to our community and is simply not worth it. We cannot put a price tag on the health of our most vulnerable senior citizens, our fragile youth or even ourselves.

The solution to these issues will be determined by effective communication and cooperation between concerned citizens, locally elected officials, the OEPA, and the management of the landfill. My pledge is to do all that is in my power to facilitate these efforts. 

Although many efforts to reign in the landfill and oppose its expansion have met legal roadbloacks, I was proud to issue a letter to the Ohio EPA in 2022 opposing the landfill's bid for expansion. I happily added my signature to Senator Bill Reineke's letter to Governor DeWine and the Ohio EPA alongside various local officials requesting that the landfill expansion be denied.

Lastly, I have advocated for a vote on SB 119 in the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee; a bill of Senator Reineke's which would divert extra resources toward oversight of the landfill, among other things. In the meantime, I have been conducting legislative research of my own, exploring alternative options to ensure the safety and well-being of the community without running afoul of federal law.