Democratic News

Democratic members of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee today released a joint statement after Republicans running the committee banned questions from the elected officials in a failed effort to promote partisan legislation – House Bill 6 – designed to bailout one energy company in the state at expense to taxpayers.

  State Reps. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) recently introduced House Bill (HB) 243 titled “Madeline’s Law”, new legislation with bipartisan support that requires Ohio insurance companies to cover a portion of the cost of hearing aids for children.

“For young children with hearing loss, early intervention is crucial for speech and language development,” said Rep. Russo. “This legislation supports early intervention by ensuring families have the insurance coverage necessary to afford hearing aids for their children.”

State Reps. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) and Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) this week introduced the Child Access Prevention law in the Ohio House, commonsense gun safety legislation to ensure firearms are stored safely and securely out of the reach of minors.  

House Democratic lawmakers today voted in favor of the state budget, House Bill 166, which includes a number of key Democratic priorities, including a significant tax cut for working people and families. 

House Democratic Leader and Legislative Taskforce on Redistricting Co-Chair Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today detailed next steps that the Task Force, co-chaired by Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina), must take to “consider the recent Court decision and, more importantly, to take necessary steps to ensure Ohio is taking the lead on our own fair districts, regardless of the Court’s decision on matters pending before it and outcomes in other states or courts,” she wrote in a letter* to Obhof.

House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) today urged Ohio GOP officials to accept the will of Ohio voters and reject congressional redistricting court appeals motivated by maintaining partisan, political control over the next election cycle.

“Whether or not our current congressional map is unfair and unconstitutional is not in dispute. Virtually no one believes it to be a fair map. The egregiously gerrymandered districts are what drove the voters to approve a reform measure that would eliminate the current mapmaking process and ensure fairer district lines. The Court has just given us the opportunity to start a little sooner than we expected,” the leaders wrote in a letter to GOP officials.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued the following statement in response to Ohio’s existing congressional district map being struck down as unconstitutional by the federal courts:

“Today’s ruling is a victory for voters that upholds our fundamental American values of free and fair elections. This decision means voters will have their voices heard and have elected officials who work for their districts – not just special interests or political parties.

House Democratic lawmakers today announced their Ohio Clean Energy Jobs Plan to protect and grow good jobs across the state, improve the health of Ohioans and avoid rate hikes on consumer utility bills.

“For generations, Ohio led the nation in manufacturing, building the strongest middle class the world had ever seen,” said Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron). “The Ohio Clean Energy Jobs plan restores that promise of better jobs and brighter futures, and gives the next generation of Ohio workers the opportunity to lead again—in advanced, clean energy jobs that will power our state into the future.”

The Clean Energy Jobs plan strengthens Ohio’s renewable and energy efficiency benchmarks and re-envisions the state’s Advanced Energy Standards (AES) to save consumers money and grow emerging sectors of Ohio’s clean energy economy. According to the latest report, Ohioans could realize some $3.5 billion in additional economic value under updated efficiency standards.

State Rep. and Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus (OHDWC) Chair Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today joined the Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus (OHDWC) in hosting the eight annual Women’s Lobby Day, a legislative advocacy day at the Statehouse pushing for women’s social and economic equality featuring a panel of women lawmakers.

House Democrats today expressed optimism that the latest state budget draft is moving in the right direction, after updates included key Democratic tax priorities that they say make the bill a “more realistic blueprint” for the state’s fiscal future.