Democratic News

State Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today criticized the introduction of legislation that restricts women’s access to critical healthcare services.  House Bill 294, sponsored by Rep. Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland) and Rep. Margaret Conditt (R-Liberty Township), would prohibit state and federal funds from funding any entity that performs elective abortions. Lauded by its sponsors as a way to address “infant mortality,” the bill dictates that state funds cannot be used to perform an abortion, which is already state law.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) joined local officials and conservation groups today to discuss ways to maintain momentum in the fight to protect the region’s drinking water. The collaborative event, which included a boat tour of Lake Erie to view conditions on the lake, comes one year after more than 400,000 people were left without safe drinking water for nearly three days because of a harmful algal bloom in Western Lake Erie.

State Representative and President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) released the following statement on the indictment of University of Cincinnati Officer Ray Tensing:

State Rep. Sean J. O’Brien (D–Bazetta) will travel to the recently re-opened Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday for a first round of business and trade discussions with members of the Cuban government.  Conducted in concert with the office of Congressman Tim Ryan (D–OH 13^th District) and designed to capitalize on the recent “thaw” in relations between the U.S. and its island neighbor to the south, the purpose of the high-level discussions is to foster economically beneficial business opportunities between Cuba and Ohio, and in particular Trumbull County.

State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today joined the growing chorus urging the state auditor to launch an official investigation into reports that officials at the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) illegally manipulated a key evaluation of charter school oversight agencies by omitting failing grades from many online charters. 

Top democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate today called on the State Board of Education to dismiss Superintendent Dick Ross, citing the recent scandal involving the cover up of failing charter school grades in state evaluations, the plan to takeover the Youngstown public schools crafted behind closed doors, and general lack of accountability to the State Board of Education and the public. 

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today called on State Auditor Dave Yost to launch an official investigation into reports that Education Department officials illegally manipulated a key evaluation of charter school oversight agencies by omitting failing grades from many online charters. The deliberate omission by officials boosted the ratings of two oversight agencies, potentially qualifying them for new state perks. 

State Representatives David Leland (D-Columbus) and Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus) today announced plans to introduce legislation to prevent the destruction of natural buffer zones growing around Hoover Reservoir. The legislation will repeal a provision included in the state budget that allows residents to significantly alter those zones.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today called for the resignation of State Superintendent Richard Ross and an investigation into the Ohio Department of Education after it was reported that top department officials neglected to include failing online schools in a key evaluation of charter school oversight agencies. The deliberate omission by officials boosted the ratings of two oversight agencies, potentially qualifying them for new state perks. 

“I am outraged by what appears to be a deliberate violation of the law in order to cover up the widespread failure of online and dropout recovery charter schools. I believe the state superintendent should step down immediately as the result of alleged violations and data-scrubbing of online charter schools grades that took place under his leadership.” 

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) has urged Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger to convene a special session in order to hold a vote to override the governor’s veto of a budget provision related state developmental centers. Lepore-Hagan’s bipartisan provision in the recently passed state budget would have stayed the closure of the Youngstown and Montgomery Developmental Centers until further review by a 13-member commission.