State Representative Mike Dovilla (R-Berea) today announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation which seeks to restore the First Amendment rights of manufactured home owners. House Bill 469 would amend state law to allow these citizens to display “for sale” and political signage at their homes in compliance with municipal and county ordinances.

“I have had the privilege over the past several months of visiting and listening to the concerns of residents in manufactured home communities in Olmsted Township,” said Dovilla. “Protecting the rights of these citizens lawfully to post signage either to sell their property or express their opinions in our electoral process is a fundamental matter of free speech under the U.S and Ohio Constitutions."

Currently, the Ohio Revised Code does not make any allowances regarding the free speech rights of residents of manufactured homes. In practice, this has led to the restriction of individual rights by some manufactured home parks. The 18th House District has more than 3,000 residents who own manufactured homes, one of the largest concentrations in Ohio. Statewide, some 230,000 citizens are manufactured home owners.

Bill Geniella, Vice-President of the Association of Manufactured Home Residents in Ohio (AMHRO) said, “We, AMHRO, thank Representative Dovilla and welcome this important piece of legislation on behalf of all owner-residents living in manufactured housing in the state of Ohio.”

House Bill 469 currently awaits referral to a standing House committee for hearings.