Democratic News

House Democratic lawmakers Reps. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights), Jeffrey A. Crossman (D-Parma), Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland), Phil Robinson (D-Solon), Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood), Kent Smith (D-Euclid), Monique Smith (D-Fairview Park), Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland), and Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement as the Biden administration announced today that Cleveland State’s Wolstein Center has been chosen as a mass vaccination site, with the ability to administer 6,000 vaccine doses each day over eight weeks beginning March 17. 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement today as state officials announced a number of regional mass vaccination sites across Ohio, which will be able to administer up to 1,000 vaccines a day beginning later this month. Sites include Akron, Chillicothe, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Lima, Marietta, Maumee, Wilmington, Youngstown and Zanesville. Another four mobile sites will open in Ada, Athens, Mansfield and Steubenville. 

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement after the Majority Floor Leader exploded in a furious tirade, screaming, pointing at and lunging toward Leader Sykes and Democratic committee members as she asked the Government Oversight Committee Chair to maintain decorum during Thursday’s hearing on Ohio’s Anti-Voter Bill, House Bill 294. The Majority Floor Leader was verbally harassing Democratic members of the committee when the Leader tried to intervene with her point of order. Leader Sykes and Democrats later moved to adjourn the meeting citing safety concerns. Republicans rejected the motion. 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) and House Finance Committee Ranking Member Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus) issued statements following the passage of House Bill (HB) 74, the state’s two-year transportation budget. Democrats fought against the governor’s proposed cuts to public transit funding in the bill, securing $193.7 million over the next two years, double the governor’s proposed investment. 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) issued the following statement after Gov. DeWine’s Thursday evening address to Ohioans:

Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement on the expulsion from the Ohio House of former Republican Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) for his alleged role in a $60 million public bribery and corruption scheme to pass and prevent a referendum on a billion-dollar corporate bailout in 2019.

COLUMBUS— In a virtual press conference today, State. Rep. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) announced he will be reintroducing the Ohio Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation that would protect LGBTQ+ Ohioans from discrimination in employment, housing and accommodations. Rep. Skindell has sponsored or co-sponsored versions of the Ohio Fairness Act every legislative session since 2003.

COLUMBUS—Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) members today held a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse to commemorate Juneteenth and provide updates on legislation that builds up Black families in Ohio. 

COLUMBUS – Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus), the ranking Democrat on the House Finance Committee, issued a statement today on the committee passage of House Bill (HB) 74, the state’s two-year transportation budget. Democrats opposed the governor’s proposed cuts to public transit funding and fought to secure $193.7 million over the next two years, doubling the total investment over the governor’s initial proposal.

Ohio House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) today issued a statement following a meeting of the House Rules and Reference Committee, which held a second hearing on a resolution to expel former Republican Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford). Householder testified in person before committee members Tuesday. 

Today, House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) celebrated Ohio’s Statehood Day today in honor of its 218th birthday. On March 1, 1803, Ohio’s General Assembly met for the first time in Chillicothe to take up the state’s business.

House Democratic lawmakers today reacted to hearings on two controversial bills that would force teachers to deny the reality of racism and other topics when creating age-appropriate curricula for Ohio students. The bills, House Bill (HB) 322 and HB 327, received their first hearing in the State and Local Government Committee Tuesday.

State Reps. Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) today responded to the 9th Circuit ruling in favor of labor unions representing rail workers and personnel, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and the International Association of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), in TRANSP. DIV. OF INT’L ASS’N-SMART V. FRA, litigation initiated in response to an order by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) purporting to adopt a nationwide maximum one-person crew rule and to preempt any state laws concerning that subject matter, a known unsafe practice.

House Finance Committee Ranking Member Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus) issued the following statement on the start of the state budget conference committee Tuesday:

House Finance Committee Ranking Member Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus) issued the following statement on the start of the state budget conference committee Tuesday:

COLUMBUS— Today, Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) applauded the House passage of House Bill (HB) 93, legislation to modify the state’s address confidentiality program (Safe at Home), a long-held Democratic priority that allows victims of domestic violence, stalking, rape, human trafficking, or sexual battery who fear for their safety to keep their address confidential and out of the public record. 

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) today issued the following statements from State Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton), Phil Robinson (D-Solon), and Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) condemning House Bills (HB) 322 and 327, legislation to restrict schools from teaching or advocating certain so-called divisive concepts:

State Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) today gave sponsor testimony before the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee on House Bill (HB) 3, also known as Aisha’s Law, to address high-risk and lethal domestic violence. HB 3 was initially unveiled as bipartisan priority legislation in the 133rd General Assembly, and was passed by the Ohio House on May 20, 2020. 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) recognizes the month of June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. It all started with the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 where New York City police raided a gay club called the Stonewall Inn. This led to days of protests and served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement. One year later, the first Pride march was held in June to celebrate the legacy of Stonewall and to set the precedent of Pride month for years to come. 

House Finance Committee Ranking Member Rep. Erica C. Crawley (D-Columbus) issued a statement today as House lawmakers voted to reject Senate changes to House Bill 110, the state’s two-year budget.