Senator Al Catrona, sponsor of Senate Bill 216, presented sponsor testimony to the Senate Transportation Committee seeking to name Route 7 (commonly Market Street) in Mahoning County the Clarence Sonny Smith Junior Memorial Highway.

"What this bill is looking to do is designate, Route 7, which is commonly known as Market Street in Mahoning County, as the Clarence Sonny Smith Junior Memorial Highway," Senator Al Catrona said in the committee's first hearing on the bill. Catrona told the committee that Clarence "Sonny" Smith Jr. died April 13, 2021, at age 92 and described his long record of civic involvement.

Catrona said Sonny Smith supported Youngstown State University and Boardman High School, served on the Boardman school board from 1960 to 1971, ran several local businesses (identified in testimony as Diamond Steel, Comco Industries, and Adama's Jewelry), chaired the Mahoning County Republican Party and donated a gem collection to Youngstown State University. Catrona said Smith also donated land related to Boardman Township.

Chairman Patton thanked the witness and noted community support for Smith's "good citizenship." There was no committee debate recorded beyond the sponsor's testimony, and the committee did not vote on the bill at this hearing.

The bill had its first hearing; committee members offered no questions and no formal action was taken at that time.