Ohio GOP lawmakers propose naming state park after Trump

An Ohio state lawmaker this week introduced legislation to rename a local park after former President Trump.

State Rep. Mike Loychik (R) introduced House Bill 261 on Monday with the support of his party, noting that the legislation if passed will serve to “honor the commitment and dedication that our 45th President, Donald J. Trump, bestowed upon the great people of Trumbull County,” according to a statement.

Under the bill, Ohio’s Mosquito Lake State Park will be renamed Donald J. Trump State Park, in an effort to celebrate the former president who led in the state in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. It would also allocate $150,000 toward changing the signs in the park, the bill noted.

“I witnessed the unprecedented and astounding support that President Trump received from my constituents across the 63rd District and Mosquito Lake State Park,” Loychik said of his proposal.

He also noted that Trump received a record number of votes in the state for any presidential candidate.

“This enthusiasm for our former president was also historic throughout the state of Ohio last November as he pushed for initiatives and policies that was very well-received with my constituency and the state,” he said, according to The Associated Press.

Ohio’s Trumbull County, where the park is located, voted overwhelmingly for Trump in November, with the former president securing 55 percent of the vote in that county, AP reported.

Loychick initially received pushback from Democratic lawmakers in the state when he announced his plans for the legislation in March.

“Ohioans’ are struggling with an addiction crisis, economic disruption, and a pandemic that the other guy said would disappear just like magic,” Democratic state Rep. Rich Brown tweeted last month in response to the announcement. “Instead of addressing these pressing issues, Ohio House Republicans are spending their time flattering the Insurrectionist in Chief.”

Earlier this year, two GOP lawmakers in Ohio called for the state to honor Trump with a holiday named for him.