Democratic News

State Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today publicly released her October letter* to House Speaker Ryan Smith (D-Bidwell) asking for his support to move her legislation, House Bill 630, which would give career-ready Ohio high school seniors the opportunity to graduate in 2019 and 2020. Without legislative action, 51,893 Ohio high school seniors will not graduate this year, according to Ohio Department of Education data.

“As the State School Board and many in the legislature, under your leadership, move to bring Ohio standards in line with modern day needs and workforce demands, I ask for your support for House Bill 630 to meet Ohio seniors where they are in 2019 and 2020 by ensuring these career-ready students are not being held back by an outdated system,” Galonski wrote in her Oct. 24 letter to Speaker Smith.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today released a letter* sent to Governor-elect Mike DeWine that applauds the incoming governor’s commitment to unifying the state and working with Democrats and Republicans to bring about meaningful change to benefits all Ohioans.

“I am compelled by your uniting words to find common ground on common sense policies that grow our economy, better our educational outcomes, and protect healthcare,” Strahorn wrote in the letter.

The House leader sees the final weeks of legislative session as an opportunity to give the incoming administration a head start on important issues like strengthening Ohio manufacturing, taking on the opioid crisis, and giving Ohio students the opportunity they need to succeed in the workforce.

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) today recognized the month of November as National Family Caregivers Month. The Family Caregiver Alliance defines a family caregiver as “any relative, partner, friend or neighbor who has a significant personal relationship with, and provides a broad range of assistance for, an older person or an adult with a chronic or disabling condition.” This year’s theme is “Supercharge Your Caregiving” to highlight how family members can utilize support tools to improve the quality of life for their loved one and make their job easier as a caregiver.

“It can be challenging caring for a relative while completing daily tasks. Luckily, with the advent of new technology to check vital signs, access online patient records, and connect with support groups, these challenges can be decreased.” said Sykes. “In the General Assembly, it is important we recognize the work of family givers and provide support to services such as respite care.”

State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) last Thursday called on state leaders to follow the longstanding Ohio law that recognizes Election Day from noon to 5:30 p.m. as a legal state holiday in the Buckeye State. The legal holiday designation for Election Day was reaffirmed in 1953, but has been state law for 128 years, dating back to Gov. James Edwin Campbell’s signature of Senate Bill 174 in the 69^th Ohio General Assembly.

“The fact is that part of Election Day has been a legal holiday in Ohio for 128 years.  We simply have not been following the law,” wrote Ramos in a letter to Gov. John Kasich and Republican legislative leaders.* “I am requesting that you use the power of your office to follow Chapter 5.20 of the General Provisions of the Ohio Revised Code to close state offices not related to elections on Election Day at noon.”

State Reps. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), Thomas West (D-Canton) and David Leland (D-Columbus) will deliver remarks in a mural dedication ceremony honoring the nation’s first professional African American baseball player, Moses Fleetwood Walker, on Sunday, October 7 at 1:30 p.m. in Steubenville. Legislation sponsored by the lawmakers naming October 7, Walker’s birthday, as “Moses Fleetwood Walker Day” in the state of Ohio was signed into law last year.

“Walker’s life story is a perfect example of how we must continue working together to create a world in which everyone has the opportunity to reach their God-given potential,” said Cera. “I’m glad that Jefferson County is memorializing such a gifted athlete and brave American.”

Walker began his professional baseball career with the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1883, but his career was cut short in 1889 when both the American Association and the National League unofficially banned African American players. It was not until 1947 when the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson finally broke the color barrier.

“Honoring Moses Walker is more than just remembering a baseball player,” said Leland. “It is a reminder of who we are as a Nation, whose Constitution vows to protect everyone’s inalienable rights to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’. It is also a cautionary tale, because sometimes, after we get something right, we lose our way. So as we honor Moses Fleetwood Walker, we remember that the battle for equality and justice is never finished.”

The mural was painted by artist Ruston Baker. An exhibit on Walker, housed in the Jefferson County Historical Association Museum, will be open to the public that day.

“Moses Walker is yet another hidden figure that is owed the respect for breaking color barriers during the era of Jim Crow and violent raci

State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today responded to inaccurate report card grades given to East Cleveland schools by state education officials. The false information was uncovered by a WEWS investigative news report late Tuesday.

“The school district report cards are not just confusing and inaccurate, they are often times just plain wrong,” said Smith. “That is why there is bipartisan support to end the state takeover of local schools that relies on such a faulty measure.”

State Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) today expressed her support and applauded council members’ leadership in the passage of the human rights ordinance by Cuyahoga County Council. The ordinance passed by an 8-3 majority Tuesday evening, making Cuyahoga County the first county in Ohio to ban discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. It will also create a human rights commission that will investigate and rule on complaints.

“This is both a civil rights and an economic issue,” said Rep. Antonio. “I am hopeful that the passage of this important county ordinance will be instrumental in helping statewide efforts to ban discrimination against people in the LGBT community. Nondiscrimination policies have the potential to serve as an economic catalyst to drive innovation, spur investment and attract the best and brightest to Ohio. Above all, it is the right thing to do.”

State Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) today announced over 1,700 schools throughout the state will share in some $12 million in school safety grants made possible through the Jefferson lawmaker’s bipartisan legislation, House Bill 318. The state grants require local schools and county board to work with local law enforcement to determine the best use of the funds.

“The ability to foster safe, healthy, and supportive environments in schools is crucial to the wellbeing and education of our children,” said Patterson, “When we invest training, safety equipment, and critical educational and mental health resources, we invest in their future.”

As the nation continues to recover from the global economic recession of 2009, the Buckeye State has largely been left behind in the recovery, a fact that two lawmakers said in part prompted their new proposed state law change to require an annual performance audit of the state’s economic development entity, JobsOhio.

Though JobsOhio is a nonprofit organization that uses public money for economic development and job creation, it is exempt from public performance audits, unlike similar organizations that use taxpayer funds.

State Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Thomas West (D-Canton) hope to change that with legislation announced today that would hold JobsOhio to the same standards and level of transparency that taxpayers have come to expect from organizations that receive public money.

State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today responded to the release of Ohio’s School Report Cards, which gave East Cleveland City Schools its third consecutive “F,” setting the stage for a state takeover under the legislature’s hastily-passed, party-line amendment to House Bill 70 in 2016.

“Today's release of the state report card is further evidence that the biggest hindrance to student performance in Ohio's public schools is not the district leadership of East Cleveland but the politicians of Columbus who take campaign contributions from the charter school industry with one hand as they give public school dollars to charter school operators with the other hand,” said Smith, a member of the House Education Committee.

East Cleveland Schools have lost over $5 million to failing, for-profit charter schools like ECOT while the state has cut the schools by millions of dollars in previous state budgets.

The district is also considered to be the poorest community in the state and the fourth poorest in the nation, with 100 percent of students being considered economically disadvantaged according to ODE data. 

“In spite of these substantial challenges East Cleveland City Schools have made tremendous progress, due in part to the extremely talented core of teachers, most of whom have a master’s degree and average 15 years of classroom experience,” said Smith.