Democratic News

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown), Ranking Member on the House Commerce and Labor Committee, issued a statement today after an informal hearing on House Bill (HB) 435, anti-vaccine legislation that would broadly expand exemptions for students and public or private employees required to get the COVID-19 vaccine. HB 435 would also grant corporations partial legal immunity from COVID-19 related lawsuits. 

Following the recommendation of a screening panel chaired by Rep. Daniel P. Troy (D-Willowick), House Democrats today voted to appoint Latyna Humphrey to represent Ohio’s 26th House District, a seat currently vacant after former Rep. Erica Crawley stepped down to begin her role as Franklin County Commissioner. 

State Rep. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) and Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) called for action on  House Bill (HB) 199, their legislation to prevent victims of rape or assault from being denied full compensation of their damages awarded by a jury, after a federal judge Wednesday dismissed all outstanding Strauss abuse cases against Ohio State University, citing the expired statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims. 

Reps. Jeffrey A. Crossman (D-Parma) and Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) filed legislation today to address alleged hacking of the state’s unemployment system that has compromised personal information and resulted in thousands of dollars stolen from deserving recipients. The legislation would urge Gov. DeWine to activate the Ohio Cyber Reserve to investigate the multiple reports of hacking in the state’s unemployment compensation network. Thus far, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) has refused to acknowledge a hack and has instead referred to those incidents as “account takeovers.”

Ohio Redistricting Commission member and House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement as several groups, including the ACLU of Ohio, League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Ohio Chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and others filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state legislative district maps recently passed by the Commission’s five Republican members. Leader Sykes voted against the plan Sept. 15. 

State Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) issued a statement Wednesday as the House concurred to Senate changes on House Bill 92, which includes added emergency language to comply with voter-initiated requirements for public submission of congressional maps via an online portal. Rep. Hicks-Hudson introduced sweeping legislation in May, 2021 that would have gone further to support public submission and require more transparency in the redistricting process. The legislature has until Sept. 30 to adopt congressional maps.

State Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) today called on House Republican leaders, including Speaker Robert Cupp (R-Lima), to schedule hearings on House Bill 313, which has sat idle in the House Government Oversight Committee since its introduction in May, 2021. The Hicks-Hudson-sponsored bill would strengthen transparency requirements in the redistricting process and help Ohio fulfill its duties under the reforms voters overwhelmingly passed in 2015 and 2018.

State Reps. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) introduced a concurrent resolution this week to urge Congress to recognize the Kol Israel Foundation Holocaust Memorial as a National Memorial. The memorial is located in Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights, OH and is believed to be the first memorial constructed in the United States dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. 

Ohio Redistricting Commission member and House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement as Republican Commission members voted to pass a short-term, partisan state legislative district map after failing to address a number of concerns raised by Democrats and the public about the constitutionality of the Republican plan. The map will last four years.

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) today issued the following statement after the Ohio Redistricting Commission approved on party lines state legislative maps proposed late last evening by Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima):