Democratic News

Today, Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), Ranking Member of the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement in opposition to House Bill (HB) 126, legislation that opponents say would place undue burdens on school districts and local governments by adding redundancies, increasing costs, and creating new state mandates in the property tax valuation process.

State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) today announced that House Bill (HB) 8, his bipartisan bill with State Rep. Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) to require the recording of interrogations for most major felonies, passed the Ohio House. 

State Reps. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park) today announced the introduction of House Bill (HB) 257, or the “Extreme Risk Protection Orders Act.”  Introduced as HB 316 in the 133rd General Assembly, the bill would allow family members, household members or law enforcement officers to petition the court for an order temporarily preventing individuals considered to be an imminent danger to themselves or others from possessing firearms.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued the below statement as the Food and Drug Administration (FD) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) today recommended a pause in the use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine following extremely rare reactions of six vaccine recipients among the nearly 7 million Americans who have already received the vaccine.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) signed on as a co-sponsor to a resolution that the Ohio Black Maternal Health Caucus (OBMHC) is introducing to recognize Black Maternal Health Week in Ohio. Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17) is an annual event that promotes awareness and seeks to advance and improve Black maternal health outcomes across the country.

COLUMBUS— The Ohio Black Maternal Health Caucus (OBMHC) is introducing a resolution this week to recognize Black Maternal Health Week in Ohio. Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17) is an annual event that promotes awareness and seeks to advance and improve Black maternal health outcomes across the country.

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes is one of a select group of University of Florida alumni named to this year’s prestigious “40 Gators Under 40.” The annual awards program was established in 2006 to recognize alumni under the age of 40 whose achievements positively reflect The Gator Nation. Criteria for the competitive award include making a significant impact on the candidate’s industry and having civic or professional accomplishments at the state, national or international level.

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) recognizes April 7th as World Health Day. Since taking effect in 1950, this day has been celebrated across the globe to create awareness for various health issues. Spanning from mental health, climate change, maternal and child care, and more, World Health Day provides an opportunity for countries to come together to focus on global health priorities. This year, the World Health Organization is pushing to eliminate health inequities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

State Rep. Jessica E. Miranda (D-Forest Park) and State Senator Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) announced the creation of the bicameral Ohio Gun Violence Prevention Caucus. An invite has been sent out to all Ohio House and Senate members to participate in the legislative caucus focused on advancing commonsense gun safety measures in Ohio.

State Rep. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) penned an OpEd in the Akron Beacon Journal this week in which he called for the repeal of Ohio’s new no duty to retreat law, which passed in December 2020 and is set to take effect Tuesday, April 6. Rep. Weinstein is a co-sponsor of legislation, House Bill (HB) 38, which would repeal the controversial law.