Tim Barhorst News

State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Jamie Callender (R-Concord) today introduced House Bill 1 – key, bipartisan legislation to modernize K-12 school funding across Ohio. The bill is virtually identical to last General Assembly’s House Bill 305, which was a school funding reform proposal that passed the House with overwhelming support late last year.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement as House Republican leaders pushed a House floor vote on House rules that would stifle the voices of Ohioans in committee hearings and on the House floor. Democrats say the changes silence legitimate concerns of millions of Ohioans.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement on House Democratic budget priorities for the 134th General Assembly, which include coronavirus relief, healthcare modernization and education funding. The governor released his initial plan Monday.

State Reps. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park) have requested that Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health’s Director Stephanie McCloud include early childhood educators and child care workers in prioritization for COVID-19 vaccine distribution alongside K-12 educators. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many of Ohio’s child care programs have struggled to remain open - operating at substantially lower capacity and at a financial loss - so that essential workers have the vital child care services needed to continue working.

COLUMBUS — State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Beth Liston (D-Dublin) today highlighted their intent to introduce a resolution condemning the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6. In a cosponsor request to House members last week, the Democratic lawmakers called the resolution “an opportunity to offer a clear and bipartisan rebuke of this assault on American democracy and the rule of law.” The deadline to cosponsor has now been extended twice in order to give Republican lawmakers every opportunity to sign on in support.

Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) and state Sens. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) and Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) today urged fellow lawmakers to sign onto their legislation that would increase Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2027. In their co-sponsor request memos, the Democratic lawmakers said that raising wages for working Ohioans will bring more economic security and stability to millions of Ohioans living paycheck to paycheck and boost the long-term health of the state’s economy.