Appointed late last year to serve the 10th Legislative District after the retirement of Sen. Barbara Bailey, state Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, was sworn in Monday during the opening ceremonies of the 2020 legislative session.

Muzzall, who is a small-business owner and farmer, has hit the ground running, holding a series of town hall events to hear from constituents about their concerns with state government.

“When I met with constituents around the district in December, I shared my approach for this session,” said Muzzall. “As a freshman senator, I’m not under the impression that I will have some dramatic effect down here, but that I will fight for their values, be honest with them, and listen intently to the will of the voters.

“A common theme that I’m hearing is that people feel left out of the process. They feel that they aren’t being listened to and the government doesn’t respect their wishes. That is something that I can change. We’ve got a great example with the recent vote on lower car tabs that is now tied up in the courts.

“People rightly expect results and feel that they are not getting them. In this short session, I will be working hard to seriously address the mental health and drug crisis affecting communities across my district and the state and ensuring that people feel that their state government is working for them.”