I like to think of the Preamble to the US Constitution as a mission statement provided to us (“the people of the United States”) by our Founders. As your state senator I will measure each action I take against each clause of the Preamble in order of relevance to the position of state senator by applying this test:

Will the action I am considering as senator serve “to form a more perfect union” by

• Promoting the general welfare?

• Securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity?

• Establishing justice?

• Ensuring domestic tranquility?

• Providing for the common defense? 

The words that resonate most to me are “general welfare” and “our posterity.”  Therefore, I will weigh the impact of each action I might take on the “general welfare of our posterity,” i.e., the impact on generations of Ohioans to come.

My prospective colleagues in the General Assembly may have a different read on each section and may prioritize them differently than I. That’s okay. I look forward to having that conversation!