Democratic News

State Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) and John Boccieri (D-Poland) stood up for Ohio’s skilled workers today by voting against the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 152, saying legislation to ban local hiring standards and restrict project labor agreements (PLAs) for public works projects will jeopardize Ohio jobs and destabilize local economies. 

Urban areas typically have higher unemployment rates than the national average, making the decision to hire local workers even more impactful for improving the job market in urban areas.

“The language regarding project labor agreements is yet another Republican assault on working people in our state,” Rep. Lepore-Hagan said. “By restricting PLAs, Republicans are undermining wage and benefit levels for women and men employed in the construction industry. For those of us in border cities, that also means losing jobs to surrounding states. We should be focused on growing jobs in Ohio, not sending them out of state. Right in our district, companies like Penn Gaming used private sector PLAs for large-scale projects because they recognize the financial and practical value of having an agreement with their highly skilled workers before a project begins. Professionals know what safety means at the workplace, and they get the job done right the first time, usually under budget.”

Senate Bill 152 initially only addressed Ohio communities’ authority to set local hiring standards on public construction projects before Rep. Ron Hood (R-Asheville) amended the bill to restrict project labor agreements on public construction projects. The legislation now restricts PLAs when any state dollars are used for projects locally. The bill also prohibits communities from requiring local workforce participation rates for projects funded by local governments.

“This legislation is going to outsource Ohio jobs,” Boccieri said. “It's a race to the bott

State Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today expressed disappointment that the state legislature rejected an amendment aimed at helping working and middle-class families make ends meet by eliminating the sales tax on everyday essential items, such as feminine hygiene products, disposable baby diapers and non-prescription medications and drugs.

The Bellaire lawmaker offered a floor amendment to House Bill 466, legislation to exempt online advertisements from the state sales and use tax. 

“Just as businesses are seeking to roll back the sales tax shift that has been enacted over the past several years, Ohio’s working families are looking to the General Assembly for help,” said Cera. “Tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthiest one-percent have been paid for by shifting taxes onto middle-class and working families. This amendment would have helped restore fairness to Ohio’s tax code.” 

State Rep. John Boccieri (D-Poland) today highlighted some of the community projects that won funding in the 2016 capital budget over the Youngstown Air Reserve Station (YARS)’s request to create a Regional Joint Readiness Center (RJRC) to provide a central point for deploying reservists. The request centered on the cargo apron and hangar that reservists from the 910^th Airlift Wing would immediately utilize.

According the Vindicator, the Federal Aviation Administration financed an $11.5 million 13-acre paved cargo apron area on the west side of the airport in 1999. A private developer built a building for airport cargo shipping next to it, but both facilities have remained practically unused since. On a recent visit to the area, U.S. military officials expressed interest in the idea of using the cargo apron and building as a deployment hub for troops and other military assets from all branches of the military from Northeast Ohio as well as nearby portions of neighboring states.

“I’m really surprised that the initial introduction of the capital bill placed ‘pork’ ahead of Ohio’s patriots,” Rep. Boccieri said. “The irony is almost pathetic – legislators want to construct a fifty-foot statue of the Wright brother’s first airplane ahead of prioritizing a project that will have an immediate impact on deploying soldiers who fly out of the Air Reserve Station.”

Instead of appropriating even one dollar to Western Reserve Port Authority, the legislature is on track to give $80,000 to the Bowling Green Curling Club and $500,000 toward a soccer stadium in Columbus. In addition, the state is granting the full funding amount requested by the Madcap Production for a new puppet theater, and $1 million to the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum for a single exhibi

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) today announced her recent appointment to the Ohio Commission on Minority Health (OCMH). As a board member, Sykes will work to support the commission’s efforts to address health disparities among minority populations, including the infant mortality rate for African Americans. According to the Ohio Department of Health, African American babies die at roughly twice the rate of white babies in Ohio.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today introduced House Bill 337 to create “Ohio Voter Registration Day” on the fourth Tuesday of every September. The bill will make Ohio an active participant in the National Voter Registration Day, which is being celebrated today with registration events around the country. 

Ballot Board members State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) and former Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) released the following statement today in response to the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision to overturn unlawful ballot language for Issue 3.

Rep. Clyde’s statement:

“I am pleased the Ohio Supreme Court has ordered the Ballot Board to meet again and follow the law this time. I voted against the original language because of its clearly misleading content and omissions. We have a duty to provide fair, unbiased language to the voters. In addition, county election officials are squeezed by an impossible timeline that requires them to print and mail ballots within 24 hours. This is a terrible way to run elections.”

Sen. Turner’s statement:

“The Ohio Supreme Court has rightly sent us back to the drawing board. Now it’s a race against the clock to get new language to the county boards of elections so that they can print their ballots in time to send them to military and overseas voters. It is my hope that we will approve language that clearly and accurately explains the issue to the voters and creates minimal disruptions to election officials who are working hard to serve Ohio’s voters. This last-minute change could have been avoided if the Board had done its duty correctly the first time.”

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement in advance of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit* to Ohio State University (OSU) to advocate for changes in the way sexual assault is prevented and handled on college campuses: 

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) announced today that he and Rep. Rick Perales (R-Beavercreek) have introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month in Ohio. The designated month will fall from September 15 to October 15, 2015. 

“Throughout the decades, Americans of Hispanic descent have proudly defended our country in wars and enriched the lives of all Ohioans through contributions to such fields as business, technology, science, education, religion, entertainment, politics, and the arts,” said Ramos, who is of Puerto-Rican descent. “In light of these various contributions to our society, I am proud to formally recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month here in Ohio.” 

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement today in response to recently discovered comments made this summer by GOP county commissioners about online voter registration. 

Medina GOP County Commissioners have cited an unexplained threat of “fraud” to justify their lack of support for online voter registration. However, Commissioner Adam Friedrick went so far as to reveal his true thoughts about voting: “I think voting is a privilege that people should make more of an effort to exercise,” he said. “That’s why I think we should make it hard for people to vote, not easy.”

Rep. Clyde’s statement: 

“Although this statement by a GOP elected official is truly shocking, it perfectly describes the game plan of the GOP to restrict Ohioans’ right to vote. We have seen voting rights attacked by bill after bill and hundreds of thousands of voters purged from Ohio’s rolls. Let’s be very clear: voting is a RIGHT and it is our sworn duty as elected officials’ to uphold it and protect it.  

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) issued the following statement in response to calls from several State Board of Education members at today’s meeting for an independent investigation into the illegal data scrubbing done by David Hansen, Gov. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband. 

Every Ohioan depends on clean, safe water. Water is easy to take for granted. Turn on the faucet, and it is available.

Ohio is a water-rich state, bounded by Lake Erie on the north and the Ohio River on the south, with many streams and rivers within its borders.

In recent years, there have been concerns about the role Ohio’s agriculture community plays in protecting our environment, specifically as it relates to water quality. The good news is – through the passage of comprehensive legislation and detailed environmental regulations, Ohio has in place a robust infrastructure that can and does efficiently and effectively preserve our land, air and water.

The Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus (OHDWC) today is hosting nationally renowned American feminist, activist and journalist Gloria Steinem for a series of events at the Ohio Statehouse. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Gloria Steinem was a key figure during the women’s rights movement of the late 1960’s and has received numerous bestselling book awards for her novels on women’s issues on personal, national and global levels. 

“Gloria Steinem is an inspiring hero and role-model for women in Ohio and across the nation,” said Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), chair of the OHDWC. “From the gender wage gap, to restrictions on women’s access to healthcare, to outdated and incomplete laws against rape, many of the challenges women in Ohio face today are the same issues Gloria has been fighting against and raising awareness of for decades. The challenges we face in Ohio are certainly real, but they are not insurmountable if we come together, speak with one voice and make a stand.” 

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron), the lead Democratic member on the Health and Human Services House budget panel, today joined House Democratic lawmakers to file a formal protest with the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), opposing proposed restrictions and additional barriers to healthcare for working poor Ohioans. 

State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) and State Sen. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) today introduced companion legislation in their respective chambers to urge the U.S. Senate to consider the nomination of Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court. The president nominated Garland on March 16, but the U.S. Senate has so far refused to hold hearings to consider his nomination.

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President and State Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) today applauded the selection of Harriet Tubman as the new face of the U.S. $20 bill.

In honor of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, State Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today announced the introduction of “Kari’s Law”, legislation that aims to make it easier for Ohioans to dial 9-1-1 in cases of emergency. The bill would require multi-line telephone systems—such as the ones used by hotels and offices—to allow direct access to 9-1-1, eliminating the need for a dial out number.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement in response to the public records released by the Ohio Department of Education relating to the illegal charter school data scrubbing done by David Hansen, Gov. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband.

COLUMBUS— State Reps. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) and Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus) today issued a report and recommendations to fellow members of the Energy Mandate Study Committee (EMSC), urging the panel to include in its final report to the legislature the resumption of energy efficiency requirements balanced with investments in existing natural resources. In a letter to the ESMC chairmen, the legislators maintained that restoring Ohio’s energy benchmarks will diversify the state’s energy portfolio, cut energy costs for consumers, address public health concerns, and spur job growth in new and existing industries.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. John Kasich’s reported response to the Ohio Department of Education’s delay in releasing public records associated with Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband scrubbing failing grades from online charter schools.

“It seems like a fair indication that charter school corruption has deep roots in our state, considering the governor is closely involved in the response to a six-week old public records request. ODE should have independently filled the request weeks ago with a volume of information that errs on the side of complete transparency and accountability.

“Given the amount of time that has passed since the request, and the fact that the Ohio Department of Education and the governor have a lot to lose if records reveal willful and systemic charter school corruption at the highest levels of government – an independent eye should have investigated the scandal with Mr. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband when it first happened. It is unfortunate that, at this point, there is no way to trust or verify pending results that have likely been carefully picked over by multiple parties.”

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today issued the following statement about the Secretary of State finally complying with the law requiring a public comment period for proposed directives: