‘Kirk was a statesman.’ Kirk Schuring, Ohio’s second-longest serving lawmaker, has died

State Sen. J. Kirk Schuring, the second-longest serving lawmaker in the Ohio Legislature who authored dozens of laws on issues ranging from health care to sports betting, has died. He was 72.

He never lost an election for Ohio Senate or House.

Schuring briefly served as acting speaker of the Ohio House in the spring of 2018 after Republican Cliff Rosenberger abruptly stepped down. His current role as president pro tempore gave Schuring the No. 2 leadership position in the Senate.

“Kirk was the most loyal, caring and dedicated public servant. He was a man of principle, and his wisdom was always sought,” Rosenberger said. “Kirk was the negotiator of deals and maker of compromise. He knew how to take on the hard issues that others couldn’t, doing so to better Ohioans’ lives.”

He was in his 31st year in office, which made him the second longest-serving lawmaker in either chamber. The most senior legislator happens to be another Stark Countian, state Rep. Scott Oelslager, R-North Canton, who serves the 48th district.

The pair was tied together, because they effectively traded political seats three times in the past two decades.

Ohio voters had enacted term limits in 1994 ― placing an eight-year limit on House and Senate seats ― but Schuring and Oelslager never had to leave Columbus. In 2002, 2010 and 2018, both won their respective elections, which ping-ponged each from one General Assembly chamber to the other, succeeding one another every step of the way.

Both most recently won re-election to their current seats last year ― Schuring’s term runs through 2026.

“Kirk was a statesman,” said Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima. “There is no finer member of the General Assembly or finer Ohioan who served in the halls of the Ohio Statehouse. Kirk’s heart was in Ohio, and it showed with his commitment, drive and integrity for the job the people elected him to do decade after decade.”

The only time Schuring planned to leave state politics was in 2008, when he ran for Congress.

Schuring tried for the seat long held by retiring Republican Ralph Regula. He emerged from a three-person party primary. However, he was toppled by Democrat John Boccieri in the fall, when Barack Obama won his first presidential term.

A moderate Republican, Schuring was a skilled legislator who had been tapped for heavy lifting on issues such as workers compensation funding, payday lending reforms and sports betting.

He also was a longtime member of the Ohio Retirement Study Council. The government oversight body keeps tabs on the state’s five public pension systems. He took the chairman’s post in February, but he canceled five of eight scheduled meetings, perhaps due to ongoing health issues.

From insurance guy to state politics

A Perry High graduate, Schuring married Darlene Newkirk in 1975; the couple has two children, Derrick and Kristin.

The “J,” which sometimes preceded “Kirk” through the years was the initial of his legal first name, James, same as his father. The older Schuring died of a heart attack in 1980, at age 52, in the office of the Schuring Agency insurance firm in Plain Township.

A short time later, the younger Schuring took over as president of the family’s business.

In the ensuing decade, he laid a foundation for his future political career, getting involved with a slew of civic and community causes and building a reputation as an adept fundraiser.

Schuring volunteered for Pro Football Hall of Fame festival committees; was elected president of the Canton Jaycees, Urban League and Canton Club; chaired an event to honor former Canton Mayor Stanley Cmich (at which Cmich was presented a new Buick); chaired the Vision 1 committee to revitalize downtown; and was named a trustee of Canton Tomorrow.

On the political side, Schuring co-directed the county’s Reagan/Bush presidential campaign in 1984. Eight years later, Schuring was appointed to the Stark Board of Elections, alongside Charles Brown.

Still, Schuring’s entrance to elected office didn’t come easy.

In 1993, a then 40-year-old Schuring was among three people who lobbied for appointment to a vacant Ohio House seat. Veteran Stark legislator Dave Johnson had resigned because Gov. George Voinovich named him to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.

A Canton Repository commentary lamented the fact none of the three had stellar credentials. Sure, Schuring was good at fundraising but had “no apparent interest in public policy,” the piece stated.

Plus, there was an issue about Schuring’s $15,000 in delinquent state and federal income taxes.

However, after weeks of wrangling, Schuring secured the blessing of the local GOP. In April of that year, Ohio House Republicans selected him to fill Johnson’s seat.

In the three decades that followed, Schuring authored dozens of legislative initiatives on health care, economic development, and families which would become law.

Schuring’s long legislative legacy

One of his favorite causes involved creating Joint Economic Development Districts and Cooperative Economic Development Agreements. The JEDD and CEDA acronyms are now household names to many municipal and township officials across the state, who use the provisions to work together on deals that provide increased tax dollars to each.

Schuring also sponsored bills which became laws to stiffen penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders and enhance school safety zones, and he was involved in laws regarding health care, organ donation, acupuncture, nursing, and chiropractic care.

Schuring’s work earned him multiple awards, such as legislator of the year from groups ranging in purpose from the Ohio Association of Free Clinics to the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police.

Along the way, he was recognized by a host of education-related groups and the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, and earned a Heritage Award for establishing Ohio’s Historic Preservation tax credit law.

And two years ago, Jackson Township trustees surprised Schuring by naming a park after him.

His current committee assignments in the 135th General Assembly were: General Government (vice chair) Rules & Reference (vice chair), Energy & Public Utilities, and Finance and Insurance.

This breaking news story will be updated.

Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @tbotosREP