Democratic News

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today recognized National Voter Registration Day as an opportunity to encourage participation in this November’s election despite challenges caused by the pandemic and a failure by Republican state leaders to make this unprecedented election more accessible.

COLUMBUS — Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) issued a statement today following the informal hearing of Senate Bill (SB) 357, which appropriates the remaining $650 million local government Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds.

COLUMBUS— State Reps. Randi Clites (D-Ravenna) and Jeff Crossman (D- Parma) today called on Statehouse leaders to protect Ohioans’ healthcare by advancing the bipartisan Pre-Existing Condition Protection Act, House Bill 390. The call comes after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which has created more uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA), including its provision to protect healthcare access for those with pre-existing conditions. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case challenging the ACA’s constitutionality on November 10^th of this year.

COLUMBUS –Ohio Democratic Women’s Legislative Caucus Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 from complications of cancer.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 from complications of cancer.

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), Mike Sheehy (D-Oregon), and Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) expressed disappointment today after Governor Mike DeWine decided to issue a waiver of his public health orders for political rallies, including an upcoming presidential rally in Toledo on Monday.

COLUMBUS –Ahead of the first-ever National Black Voter Day on Sept. 18, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) issued a statement calling for action to eliminate systemic barriers to voting in Ohio. The call comes as the Ohio Senate considers House Bill (HB) 680, the GOP election bill that would create new voting restrictions like shortening the time for voters to request absentee ballots, eliminating the ability for the secretary of state to prepay return postage for ballot materials, and barring the Health Director and other officials from affecting the conduct of elections—even in the interest of public health.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following Governor Mike DeWine’s creation of a new dashboard for parents and caregivers that provides information about cases, hospitalizations and deaths among Ohio’s children. DeWine today referred to the statistic that Black children make up 45% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations but only 18% of the population as “troubling.”

COLUMBUS— State Representative Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) responded today to developments in a lawsuit against Secretary of State Frank LaRose about his limiting all Ohio counties to one ballot drop box per county. Yesterday, a Franklin County judge declared LaRose’s actions “arbitrary” and “unreasonable,” but Sec. LaRose continued to instruct counties they could have no more than one drop box. The court has now ordered LaRose to answer for himself by today at 3 p.m. 

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) participated in a virtual press conference with other House Democratic lawmakers to discuss legislative solutions that are needed as the state faces multiple unprecedented crises. The Ohio House was scheduled to meet for an if-needed House session today, but Speaker Robert Cupp canceled this session on Friday, Sept. 11.