Daughter of house fire victims expects fight to continue

ROME TOWNSHIP— Trisha Holsinger, of South Point, was very happy when House Bill 386 died last week, but she knows that the fight is probably not over.

“I’m very happy that the bill died in the House,” she said. “But it will probably be re-introduced next year from what I’ve been told.”

Holsinger is the daughter of Leo and Betty Sayre, who died from a fire that was allegedly started by the use of illegal fireworks during the July 4th holiday, and has been actively opposing the bill.

She spoke in front of the Senate’s Laboring Commerce Committee opposing the bill, which would have made the sale of high-powered fireworks legal in Ohio every day of the year as well as make them legal to set off in the state.

The bill passed in the Senate. If the bill is re-introduced, Holsinger plans to be just as active the second time around.

“I think that it will be easier to do a second time,” she said. “It is the holidays and the accident just happened five months ago. I’m sure that if it comes up again, it will be easier to talk about.”