Lauren McNally News
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announces that over the weekend, ServeOhio, the state’s commission on service and volunteerism, celebrated their ServeOhio Day. As part of this initiative, Inspiring Minds of Youngstown received a $1K grant to support a community project in Rep. McNally’s district.
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COLUMBUS – State Reps. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) and Matthew Kishman (R-Minerva) Monday announced the introduction of House Bill (HB) 349, the Call Center Protection Act, bipartisan legislation meant to protect call center work in Ohio. This bill encourages businesses to stay in Ohio and stay in the United States of America. This bill would require notification of relocation of call centers in Ohio and disqualification of tax benefits for companies that locate jobs overseas. The goal of this legislation is to keep career paths open for Ohioans and to protect customer data.
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COLUMBUS — State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced that the Ohio Attorney General’s Office awarded $200K in Opioid Remediation Grants to the Mahoning County Jail. These grants are used to fight opioid addiction for those who are incarcerated.
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State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), elected as Minority Whip of the 132nd General Assembly, released the following statement in honor of International Women’s Day:
“On this observance of International Women’s Day, we celebrate the achievements and advancements of women across the world while still recognizing the challenges women continue to face. I am hopeful for our future because of the strong young women and girls we have raised. I believe that a brighter future is certainly female.
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COLUMBUS — State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced the Ohio Department of Higher Education renewed Youngstown State University (YSU) designation as a Purple Star university. This is a recognition of their continuing efforts to support students with military backgrounds. YSU was first awarded this honor in May of 2022, and schools must apply for renewal after three years.
Read Full StoryState Reps. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today announced new legislation – The “GET REALS Act” – to require the governor to complete an annual 40-hour externship in a public elementary or secondary school ranked A-F.
The Governor’s Externship for Training of Realistic Expectations of Academic Leadership in Schools (GET REALS) comes as Gov. Kasich seeks a law change in his state operating budget to require teachers to shadow businesspeople as a condition of maintaining their professional education licensure.
“If Governor Kasich is serious about strengthening our schools and preparing our students to succeed, his public policies should be informed by real world, on-the-ground experience that, quite frankly, he lacks,” said Smith
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State Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today announced she will step down at the end of the month as state representative to accept a new position in the office of Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro. Johnson will be working as deputy director in the Department of Law. Johnson released the following statement regarding the transition:
“Ilene has been a mentor to me for many years and I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of her team. I am excited to join in her vision for Summit County and I will bring my skills as an attorney and an advocate for working class people to the executive’s office.
“The move is both exciting and bittersweet. I am extremely proud of the strides I made on behalf of the thirty-fifth District, as well as the statewide relationships I established. I will miss my colleagues and staff, but I know they will continue to fight for all of Ohio’s residents. My staff will continue to serve the people of Akron and Barberton and service will be uninterrupted as my replacement is seated.
“It has been an honor to serve the people of the thirty-fifth District as state representative and I thank them for their confidence and support. I hope they feel that their voice was amplified at the Statehouse and that their concerns were heard and earnestly pursued. I look forward to continuing to serve them, and all residents of Summit County, in my new position.”
Johnson was elected to her first term in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2014. During her time in the legislature, she been a vocal advocate for women’s rights issues, victims’ assistance, and greater economic parity for Ohio’s workers. Johnson has received recognition for her efforts to remove spousal exemptions for rape cases, Read Full Story
COLUMBUS — State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) Wednesday voted against concurrence with the Ohio Senate’s version of the state operating budget, House Bill (HB) 96. House Democrats remain deeply concerned about the budget’s failure to fully fund public education, healthcare, childcare, and property tax relief.
Read Full StoryIn a bipartisan 83-13 vote, the Ohio House today approved the proposed budget plans for the Ohio Department of Transportation and several other state agencies. House Bill 26, the $7.8 billion transportation bill, largely funds infrastructure projects and public safety programs over the next two fiscal years.
“This transportation budget provides billions for much-needed construction work on Ohio’s roads and bridges and will create jobs,” said Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), ranking member of the House Finance Committee. “With technology advancing at a rapid pace, there is still more work to be done to fully address Ohio’s future transportation needs. However, I am confident that this bill will move Ohio forward.”
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YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio– A transformational redevelopment is coming to the heart of downtown Youngstown, as Lake to River Economic Development has secured a $1 million JobsOhio grant to support the reimagination of the former Huntington Bank building at 22 Market Street. The overall $13 million project, led by 22 Market Street Ohio LLC, a New York City investor, will convert the historic structure into a dynamic mixed-use development featuring commercial office space, retail and residential units.
Read Full StoryState Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today announced the House passage of House Bill (HB) 1, her bipartisan legislation to modernize Ohio’s domestic violence laws. Joint-sponsored by Rep. Nathan Manning (R-N. Ridgeville), HB 1 will allow victims of dating violence to obtain civil protective orders against their attacker, a protection currently allowed in every state except Ohio and Georgia.
“For far too long, Ohio’s antiquated domestic violence laws have left thousands of Ohioans vulnerable to dating violence,” said Sykes. “My colleagues and I agree: it is past time to pull Ohio out of the dark ages and join the rest of the country in protecting victims of abuse. I am pleased we were able to come together in a bipartisan manner to help bring Ohio’s domestic violence protections into the 21st Century.”
Read Full StoryState Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) issued the following statement in response to Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s announcement that several dozen non-citizens may have voted in at least one election in the last year:
“This is a sad attempt to bolster the President’s lie about massive voter fraud. Secretary Husted’s own numbers again prove that ineligible people voting is almost nonexistent. My big concern is: why are we always hearing about this problem after an election when we can fix it beforehand? My Automatic Voter Registration bill, Ohio House Bill 14, would eliminate the problem of having any ineligible voters on the rolls— but Secretary Husted refuses to support my bill."
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COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) and Meridian HealthCare Monday announced that the Ohio Controlling Board approved $1M in funding for Meridian HealthCare renovations to extend the program space to 26,094 square feet. Additionally, they will be building an in-house pharmacy for easier access to patient care.
Read Full StoryState Reps. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) and Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) today introduced legislation to eliminate spousal exemptions for sex offenses, including rape and sexual battery. Ohio is one of just 13 states which legally treat marital rape differently from other forms of rape.
“We must modernize Ohio’s laws and eradicate unacceptable policy that allows someone to commit violence against their spouse,” said Boggs. “Women and men experiencing sexual violence at the hands of their spouses should not be denied the right to seek justice just because they happen to be married to the offender.”
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COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) today announced that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) awarded the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office $32,450.33 in Marine Patrol Assistance Grants. These grants were awarded to police and sheriff departments on Lake Erie and the Ohio River to enhance on-the-water safety efforts and help local partners better serve Ohioans on the water. This grant will support local agencies who keep waterways safe and welcoming.
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