Paula Hicks-Hudson News

Democratic members of the Government Oversight Committee today reacted to public testimony on the House Republican congressional map proposal released Wednesday. The GOP proposal doubles down on historic Republican gerrymandering, favoring GOP candidates 13-2 across Ohio. 

State Reps. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), and Mike Sheehy (D-Oregon) yesterday sent a letter to Stericycle President and CEO Cindy J. Miller encouraging Stericycle to keep negotiating with employees of the Stericycle Toledo Facility who have been on strike since early October.

Government Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) issued a statement Thursday following the committee passage of House Bill (HB) 227, GOP-backed legislation that would gut public safety laws that currently require permits for people who carry hidden, loaded handguns in public.

Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) today applauded the House passage of Aisha’s Law, Democratic priority legislation sponsored by Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) that would better protect the safety and security for those in high-risk situations for domestic violence. Aisha’s Law would improve how law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence cases and provide added protections for those in high-risk situations. 

This week, Minority Whip Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) was named the Ranking Member of the House Government Oversight Committee, the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee that oversees a number of hot-button issues, including Ohio’s Anti-Voter Bill, House Bill 294. 

House Democratic lawmakers from around the state, including Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus), Minority Whip Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton), and Rep. Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park), today called on Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission to release draft congressional districts so the Commission can begin working to reach an agreement on a bipartisan 10-year map. 

State Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) issued a statement Wednesday as the House concurred to Senate changes on House Bill 92, which includes added emergency language to comply with voter-initiated requirements for public submission of congressional maps via an online portal. Rep. Hicks-Hudson introduced sweeping legislation in May, 2021 that would have gone further to support public submission and require more transparency in the redistricting process. The legislature has until Sept. 30 to adopt congressional maps.

Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) announced today that the state Controlling Board approved several items of note this week, including the allocation of  $175.3 million in federal funds to improve the processing of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims to support Ohioans who lost their jobs during the pandemic through no fault of their own.

State Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) today called on House Republican leaders, including Speaker Robert Cupp (R-Lima), to schedule hearings on House Bill 313, which has sat idle in the House Government Oversight Committee since its introduction in May, 2021. The Hicks-Hudson-sponsored bill would strengthen transparency requirements in the redistricting process and help Ohio fulfill its duties under the reforms voters overwhelmingly passed in 2015 and 2018.

COLUMBUS– State Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) issued a statement after the Redistricting Commission failed to meet its constitutional duty to release, hold three hearings on, and adopt a state legislative district map by Sept. 1. Even though other maps have been presented to the Commission, the Commission itself has neither produced nor worked on one, and co-chair Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) has not given a date that the Commission will propose a map for review.