Emilia Strong Sykes News

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Emilia Strong-Sykes (D-Akron) today announced a, short survey  for constituents of House District 34 to share their thoughts, concerns and legislative priorities with Rep. Sykes at the start of 2022. 

AKRON – Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), who served as co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, and state Representative Emilia Sykes (D- Akron), who also served on the Ohio Redistricting Commission, released the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 vote that the state legislative maps passed on party lines by the Commission are unconstitutional.

COLUMBUS—Today, Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong-Sykes (D-Akron), on behalf of House Democrats, sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine urging him to veto Senate Bill (SB) 157, the latest Republican anti-abortion bill. Opponents say SB 157 would put patients in danger by interfering with the ability for doctors and patients to make appropriate and life-saving medical decisions if faced with a medical crisis during pregnancy.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) announced that the state Controlling Board approved several major items this week, including the allocation of a combined $49.3 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 to provide support for students and young adults with disabilities, enhance local health departments’ COVID-19 vaccination efforts, mitigate COVID-19 outbreaks, fulfill needs of older Ohioans, help Ohioans with mental illness, decrease youth homelessness, and boost ongoing planning and project development efforts in Appalachia.

COLUMBUS—House Democrats today urged Gov. DeWine to line item veto a provision within House Bill 169 that would suspend Ohio’s Step Up to Quality Program, which Democrats say would hurt accessibility of quality, affordable childcare options for Ohio children and families. Senate Republicans added the last-minute provision to no longer require childcare centers to participate in the statewide rating system in order to receive public funds.

Today, Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) voted in favor of Substitute House Bill (HB) 169 to appropriate $4.18 billion to support education, expand access to childcare and improve public health, among other investments in Ohio’s working people, families and communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is funded through several federal COVID-19 relief packages, the majority of which comes from the American Rescue Plan Act backed by Democrats and signed into law by President Biden earlier this year.

Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement today after Senate Bill (SB) 157, the latest Republican anti-abortion bill, passed the Ohio House on a party-line vote. Opponents say SB 157 would put patients in danger by interfering with the ability for doctors and patients to make appropriate and life-saving medical decisions if faced with a medical crisis during pregnancy.

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today announced her intention to step down from her caucus leadership position by the end of the year, capping a historic three-year tenure which saw unprecedented bipartisan success for Ohio Democrats and an increase in transparency of the legislative process for Ohio citizens. 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) announced that the state Controlling Board approved more than $100 million in funding for infrastructure projects and programs to protect the health, safety and security of Ohioans, including $90 million for school building capital improvement projects to help districts across the state with ongoing construction costs.

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement as Gov. DeWine signed into law the Republican-passed partisan, four-year congressional district map that unduly favors GOP candidates 13-2. Leader Sykes and House Democrats sent a letter Thursday to the governor urging his veto of the gerrymandered map.