Jason Stephens News

The National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) today named state Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) to its inaugural Maternal and Child Health Fellowship program. Sykes joins 24 other lawmakers and health policy experts from across the country who will work together to improve public policy and practices related to better maternal and child health outcomes.

The Ohio House met today in a rare session to override a number of vetoes by Republican Gov. John Kasich. Democrats largely backed a proposal to extend benefits to spouses and children of public safety personnel killed in the line of duty, but fought back as GOP lawmakers pushed to override vetoes on measures to restrict abortion access and loosen gun safety laws.

Today, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) was sworn in by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, followed by the following officers: State Reps. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), Erica Crawley (D-Columbus), Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati), and State Sens. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), and Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). The change in leadership is also accompanied by the appointment of a new director of the caucus, Tony Bishop. The new leadership team briefly outlined a plan to better engage Black Ohioans and build the necessary coalitions across the state to improve the everyday lives of all Ohioans. The new leadership team issued the statements below following their swearing-in.

State Reps. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and Steven Arndt (R-Port Clinton) today announced the Gov. John Kasich’s signing of House Bill (HB) 454, their bipartisan legislation that would require townships to offer compensation to owners of certain unused cemetery lots or rights before they are reclaimed. Under previous law, townships have the right to resell unused cemetery lots that were sold after 1986, though not those sold before that date, leaving many vacant lots unavailable to families wishing to be buried close to loved ones.

“Families of lost loved ones deserve peace of mind and the opportunity to plan for their family member’s final wishes and burial arrangements,” said Patterson. “Our new law will provide more families with that peace of mind while creating a stronger process for families and local communities to better manage their respective needs. Nothing is more important than honoring the final wishes of a person or grieving family, and by working together in the legislature, we were able to do just that.”

State Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today announced the legislature’s Dec. 13 approval of House Bill (HB) 411, her bipartisan legislation to streamline access to justice for victims of wrongful imprisonment in Ohio.

“Protecting the rights and freedom of our citizens is my top priority, and when those rights are violated we have a responsibility to take action,” said Sykes. “Thanks to this bipartisan effort, Ohioans who have been wrongfully imprisoned will soon have a better path forward to reclaim their lives and receive the justice they deserve.”

Following the 133rd General Assembly’s frustrating inability to take meaningful action to repeal House Bill 6, Select Committee on Energy Policy & Oversight Ranking Member David Leland (D-Columbus) is proposing legislation on day one of the 134th General Assembly aimed at breaking the logjam. This legislation combines House Bill 772 from the 133rd General Assembly with a groundbreaking, market-based, consumer-driven Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) program.

State Rep. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) today announced the House passage of part of the Reagan Tokes Act, Senate Bill  (SB) 201, which will provide indefinite sentencing for felony-one and two-level offenders. The bill is named for Reagan Tokes, a student at The Ohio State University who was brutally kidnapped, raped and killed after leaving work at a Columbus restaurant in 2017. 

“This legislation is the first step to make Ohio safer by ensuring that the most violent offenders who have demonstrated while in prison that they continue to pose a danger to society, are not automatically released back into our neighborhoods,” said Boggs.