Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 12, 2026
Prosecutor’s Office Provides Proponent Testimony for “Andy’s Law”
The Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee is currently in the process of reviewing House Bill 338 also known as “Andy’s Law,” which has the goal of addressing shortcomings in the prison system that contributed to the Christmas Day murder of corrections officer Andy Lansing last year.
As part of the process the committee accepted proponent testimony June 3, 2026. The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office provided testimony in support of that legislation based in part upon a years-long prosecution of in-prison drug smugglers completed this February in Muskingum County.
For a copy of the testimony provided, please see the sidebar to this article, or the button below if viewing on a mobile device.
Legislative Involvement:
One of the lesser known responsibilities of the prosecutor’s office involves keeping track of upcoming considered legislation at the Ohio Statehouse.
Because the laws passed by the legislature ultimately control the deliverable outcomes the prosecutor’s office is able to achieve, ensuring that legislation improves those outcomes is an important responsibility.
Prosecutor Ron Welch takes that responsibility seriously and sits on the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association Legislative Committee.
He also ensures that staff members have an opportunity to weigh in and support appropriate legislation and have their and the office’s voice heard at the Ohio Statehouse.
Andy’s Law would do the following:
• Establish mandatory consecutive prison sentences for felons who commit crime while in prison
• Establish a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for any inmate who takes the life of a guard, visitor, or prison staff member
• Establish a centralized training program for prison-use drug detecting dogs
• Prohibit inmates with a level 3 or higher risk classification from access to, or use of computer tablets and the internet.
While there are other reforms which would assist the prison in securing inmates from violence and drugs, Andy’s Law is a first step in recognizing the problem and making strides to improve safety and accountability.
###
Follow the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office on Facebook for the most current and complete information.
