| Louis W. Blessing III | |
| Party: | Republican |
| State Senate1: | Ohio |
| District1: | 8th |
| Predecessor1: | Louis Terhar |
| Term Start1: | October 9, 2019 |
| Order2: | Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 29th district |
| Predecessor2: | Lou Blessing |
| Term Start2: | January 7, 2013 |
| Term End2: | October 8, 2019 |
| Order3: | Chairman Government Accountability and Oversight |
| Predecessor3: | Tim Brown |
| Term Start3: | September 22, 2016 |
| Term End3: | December 31, 2018 |
| Order4: | Chairman Primary and Secondary Education |
| Predecessor4: | Andrew Brenner |
| Term Start4: | February 8, 2019 |
| Term End4: | October 8, 2019 |
| Birth Date: | 11 November 1980 |
| Birth Place: | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Nickname: | Bill |
| Children: | 2 |
| Residence: | Colerain Township, Ohio |
| Alma Mater: | University of Cincinnati |
| Profession: | Electrical engineer |
Louis W. Blessing III (born November 11, 1980) is a Republican member of the Ohio Senate for the 8th district,[1] and a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 29th District. He is the son of Lou Blessing, who previously served in the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives, before he was forced to step down due to term limits.
Blessing was born in 1980 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Louis William and Linda Ann (née Lameier) Blessing Jr. He graduated from La Salle High School in Cincinnati in 1999, and then from the University of Cincinnati in 2003, earning a B.A. in Mathematics. He later went on to obtain a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 2007.
As a practicing engineer, Blessing earned his professional engineer's license in 2011.[2]
In 2017 Blessing introduced H.B. 114,[3] legislation aimed at reducing energy efficiency mandates and eliminating renewable energy mandates in Ohio. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support.[4]
In 2017 Blessing introduced H.B. 199. This legislation created the Ohio Residential Mortgage Lending Act for the purpose of regulating all non-depository lending secured by residential real estate, limited the application of the current Mortgage Loan Law to unsecured loans and loans secured by other than residential real estate, and modified an exemption to the Ohio Consumer Installment Loan Act.[5]
Along with Representative Jonathan Dever, Blessing jointly sponsored H.B. 171 in the 131st General Assembly. The legislation sought to get drug dealers off of the streets by decreasing the minimum amount of heroin to be considered a first-degree felony trafficking violation.[6]
In 2015, Representatives Blessing and Jeff Rezabek jointly sponsored H.B. 299.[7] The legislation allows children who are with a legal, permanent or temporary custodian to apply for one of the state's Autism Scholarships. A constituent in Blessing's district, who is the legal guardian of a young girl with Autism, had lost the Autism scholarship. The legislation was ultimately passed and signed by governor John Kasich.[8]
Blessing, with fellow Cincinnati Representative Denise Driehaus, introduced H.B. 47, which sought to establish "outdoor refreshment areas": areas designated by local governments that allow for open containers.[9] [10]
In the 132nd General Assembly, Blessing sponsored H.B. 444, which allowed free sampling of alcohol beverages in restaurants.[11] [12]
Blessing entered the Ohio Senate on October 9, 2019, after the retirement of his predecessor Louis Terhar.
During the 14th General Assembly, Blessing was assigned to the following Ohio Senate committees:[13]
| Republican | Votes | Pct | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Green | Votes | Pct | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Louis W. Blessing III | align="right" | 31,427 | 61.27% | Hubert E. Brown | align="right" | 19,869 | 38.73% | align="right" | ||||||||||
| 2014 | Louis W. Blessing III | align="right" | 20,746 | 67.34% | Tammy Simendinger | align="right" | 8,852 | 28.73% | Nathan D. Lane | align="right" | 1,209 | 3.92% | |||||||
| 2016 | Louis W. Blessing III | align="right" | 37,138 | 100% | align="right" | align="right" | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | Louis W. Blessing III | align="right" | 28,386 | 64.43% | Carrie R. Davis | align="right" | 15,668 | 35.57% | align="right" |
Blessing and his wife Heather have two children: Louis William Blessing IV and James Warner Blessing.