PROTECTION OF LAWFUL COMMERCE IN ARMS ACT-MOTION TO PROCEED
Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Idaho and my colleague from Colorado for agreeing to change the name of this amendment from the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act to the Steve Young Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act.
This name has particular meaning to me. I believe the renaming of this provision is a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated his life to keeping our community safe and free from crime.
Steve Young was a dear friend of mine from the State of Ohio. He was also a well-known and well-respected figure in the law enforcement community. Steve was elected by his peers to serve as the national president of the Fraternal Order of Police and held this post until his death from cancer on January 9, 2003. Steve was just 49 years of age at his death.
Steve grew up in Upper Sandusky, OH, and was a graduate of Upper Sandusky High School. He joined the Marion City Police Department in 1976 and spent his entire law enforcement career as an active-duty officer there. It was in Marion that Steve first became a member of the FOP, joining FOP lodge No. 24. He later went on to serve as president of this lodge in the year 2000. He received the prestigious lifetime honor of president emeritus.
Leadership in the law enforcement community came naturally to Steve, as his hard work and dedication earned him the respect and admiration of his peers. Steve went on to become active in the Ohio State lodge of the FOP and served first as vice president and then as president, representing Ohio's 24,000 law enforcement officers. Through the Ohio State lodge, Steve helped to create the Ohio Labor Council. This council created a model for improved labor-management negotiation in police forces, a model that has now been adopted in at least 14 other States.
Steve's leadership in the Ohio law enforcement community and really his expertise in labor issues earned him a national reputation.
In 2001, after serving for 4 years as national vice president, Steve was unanimously elected to serve as the national president of the FOP. In this capacity, Steve represented over 300,000 law enforcement officers and worked to protect their interests, the interests of our Nation's finest. This was a job I know Steve loved and one he did with great dignity and pride.
While Steve Young had an incredibly successful career with multiple accomplishments, I would also like to take a few moments to discuss my personal connection with Steve. I had the privilege of knowing not just Steve Young the police officer but also Steve Young the man. Steve was, as I said, a dear friend of mine for many years. He was someone in whom I had a great deal of trust, and was fortunate to be able to call on him as a trusted adviser. I can't tell Members of the Senate and you, Mr. President, how often I would call him for advice, whether it was when I was Lieutenant Governor of Ohio or later when I was a Senator.
I had the opportunity to work with Steve for many, many years. I relied heavily on his advice and his counsel. I consulted with him regularly on criminal justice matters, and his keen insights have helped shape nearly every piece of crime legislation with which I have been involved.
Steve made a lasting impression on law enforcement, both in Ohio and across our Nation. From pension plans to crime fighting technology, Steve's foresight and his vision have helped bring law enforcement into this century.
One of the last times I saw Steve he was in Washington for a Judiciary Committee hearing. I am fortunate that I had a chance to spend a few moments with him that day. It is that meeting that reminded me of Steve's humility. He was a humble man. He had no airs about him. He was quiet and self-effacing. He didn't put on a show or try to impress people with his position or his power within the national FOP.
But you know, at the same time, his affable nature did not hide the fact that Steve Young was also a very strong man: brave, courageous, fearless, and tough as nails. After all, he was a policeman, and exactly the kind of policeman I would have wanted by my side when I was a county prosecutor many years ago, the kind of policeman I would have wanted helping me if I were a victim of crime, the kind of policeman I would have wanted protecting my children or grandchildren or any member of my family. That was Steve Young-a model for all law enforcement.
He was a humble, dedicated man who devoted his career to working for the good of his fellow officers, for the good of Ohio, for the good of this Nation. Steve's commitment to our communities was evident in everything he did. Criminals were caught because of him and crimes were prevented. He was a protector. He was a leader. He was a good and decent, hard-working man for whom I have the greatest respect and admiration.
It is fitting that this amendment now is named after Steve Young.
I yield the floor.