Democratic News

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Gill v. Whitford, a Wisconsin case challenging the state’s legislative districts, and Benisek v. Lamone, a Maryland case challenging congressional districts. The court decided each case on procedural grounds without reaching the merits of plaintiffs’ partisan gerrymandering claims.

Nearly three years after the passing of House Bill 70 in the 131^st General Assembly, which granted the state-appointed Academic Distress Commission (ADC) the ability to takeover failing school districts, the legitimacy of the distress commission, has come into question with a new state review of the Youngstown City School District.

According to the spring review by the Ohio Department of Education, the district’s ADC is failing key state education standards, from fiscal management to student support and curriculum delivery. The state’s review also says the Youngstown ADC doesn’t have a comprehensive professional development plan, lacks a district-wide communication plan, and is missing “instructional supports” for students with disabilities. The report calls for more shared accountability among building administrators too.

“Mounting evidence is bringing together lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to freeze state takeovers of our local schools,” said Smith. “We’re close to including language to that effect in a soon-to-pass bill and, less interparty political pressure or closed door deals, most Republican lawmakers seem ready to join us in taking a hard look at what’s really going on in education.”

State Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) have a pending amendment to Senate Bill 216 to put a three-year moratorium on the state takeover of local schools, to give the legislature an opportunity to develop alternatives for failing school districts.

“We need a pause to figure out how the Academic Distress Commissions are affecting the quality of education of our children and to take into

State Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) Wednesday sent a letter to Department of Public Safety Director Colonel John Born following incidents of profiling among Capitol Square’s State Highway Patrol security personnel. Sykes and other black women lawmakers have routinely been subjected to additional security measures when entering the Ohio Statehouse and other government office buildings. Heightened security protocols were instituted in 2015.

“My hope is that this action will initiate changes that will keep myself and others from experiencing unequal treatment and extra scrutiny based on our gender or skin color, while also ensuring safety in the buildings that you are responsible for securing,” said Sykes. “No matter our race or gender, we belong here.”

Sykes previously filed a formal complaint to the Ohio House Sergeant-At-Arms in February 2016 after an incident of profiling by Statehouse security. The Akron lawmaker was told then that the officer broke protocol and that the situation would be resolved. Sykes never received further communication on the incident as access problems continued.

Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Department of Public Safety have yet to identify any new protocols to reduce bias and increase access, though some lawmakers have called for anti-bias training for Ohio State Highway Patrol.

*Editor’s note: Attached are Copies of Sykes’ letter to Director Born and email to the house Sergeant-At-Arms.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) issued the following statement in response to the news that Secretary of State Husted is directing counties not to purge voters before the August and November 2018 elections:

"I commend Secretary Husted for directing counties not to purge Ohio voters ahead of the midterm elections. As I said after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, it is up to the state to decide how we maintain our rolls and we can decide not to purge infrequent voters. The process of purging people for choosing not to vote is properly on hold until after the November election, and it should be postponed indefinitely."

Ohio state Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued the following statement in response the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Ohio’s controversial practice of blocking citizens from voting by cancelling their voter registration:

“Ohio’s approval to block citizens from voting by cancelling their registration means hundreds of thousands of Ohioans could lose their right to vote without ever knowing it. Removing voters from Ohio’s voter registration rolls is a serious injustice that will make it even harder for Ohio’s poor and minority citizens to make their voice heard. We should be finding ways to make voting easier, not harder. I encourage Ohio’s next secretary of state to take a hard look at this deeply misguided practice, in order to put the exercise of our nation’s most fundamental freedom first.”

Voting rights advocate Ohio state Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) today issued the following statement in response the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Ohio’s controversial practice of blocking citizens from voting by cancelling their voter registration:

“Today’s decision is in direct conflict with who we are as Americans and what we stand for around the world: free and fair democratic elections. It is disappointing that Ohio would go to such great lengths to make voting harder instead of easier. Citizens should be able to exercise their most fundamental freedom as they see fit without fear of being denied their sacred right as an American. As Ohio continues to be ground zero for extreme, partisan voter discrimination laws, we must fight for a better way – one where our most fundamental freedom is put into our state constitution and taken out of the hands of partisan politicians.”

Reece, a board member of the National Action Network and former vice chair of the 2016 DNC convention, has garnered statewide and national attention for her activism on justice reform and voting rights. The Cincinnati lawmaker has called for a Voter Bill of Rights to be guaranteed in state constitutions throughout the nation, and she serves as a founding member of the Ohio Governor’s task force on police-community relations.

State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) today released a statement recognizing the importance of the National Football Hall of Fame and the hard work Cantonians put into making induction day special for all who attend. The lawmaker’s statement comes as former wide receiver Terrell Owens publicly announced he won’t come to Canton this year to be honored as an inductee.

“Since 1963, the induction ceremony has been conducted with a level of excellence unsurpassed by any other in the world.  We have the people of Canton to thank for that because the game of football and the Hall of Fame resides deep within the heart of every Cantonian. Our community and district go all out for football, and we are honored by the heroes who choose to attend the induction ceremony.”

The induction ceremony is a tradition used to honor and enshrine heroes of the gridiron. Every year, thousands of Canton citizens come together as volunteers to make the event that honors world-class athletes possible. Thousand, including many from all across the world, will gather in Canton this year for enshrinement day.

I was deeply disappointed when I saw Ohio's latest job numbers early this morning. Too many Ohioans are out of work; too many Ohioans are still in need; and too many Ohioans are missing out on opportunities that seem to be increasingly reserved for the wealthiest among us.

Ohio needs to build our economy from the middle out, not the top down. We need a strong middle class for our state to emerge from the national recession as a model for the nation, but Governor John Kasich and Statehouse Republicans just don’t get it.

Governor Kasich and the Republican Legislature continue to push an antiquated way of thinking about our economy that is steeped in rhetoric rather than reality. The idea that targeting income tax breaks for the wealthiest Ohioans will somehow create middle class jobs is a ruse. Wealth doesn’t trickle down-- Bob Taft and George W. Bush taught Ohioans that. Yet, Governor Kasich evokes the same tired rhetoric that they used, but with a different spin. Now, the failed policies of the past are trotted back out in recent state budgets and called the “Ohio Miracle.”

It is not a ”miracle” to lead the nation in job losses, or to continue hiding the state’s economic development efforts behind the wall of obfuscation  that is JobsOhio. It is not a miracle to propose even more tax breaks for the wealthiest Ohioans, while making the middle class pay for it. No, it is not a miracle. It is not innovation. It is not momentum.

It is simply more of the same.

The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus announced their opposition today to House Bill 203, Ohio’s version of the recently criticized “Stand Your Ground” law. The group plans to initiate a petition drive and to work with government and community leaders throughout Ohio to draw attention to the controversial bill, with hopes of preventing any legislative action on the measure.

“Ohio already has reasonable self-defense laws,” said Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President Alicia Reece. “The shooting of Trayvon Martin was a tragedy that should have never occurred. Our constituents are outraged over this Stand Your Ground Law.  We will stand up with Ohioans across the state and oppose this dangerous legislation."

Today, Ohio House Democratic Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) was joined by State Rep. Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) to urge Gov. Kasich to take meaningful action on Medicaid expansion. The call to action came just before Gov. Kasich was scheduled to appear at a public relations rally in the Ohio Statehouse.

“Public-relations rallies alone will not move Medicaid expansion forward,” said Democratic Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard.  “We are urging Gov. Kasich to join us in focusing on constructive solutions that will advance this broadly supported effort to expand Medicaid coverage in Ohio.”

Ohio House Democratic Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) released the following statement upon news that House Republicans have unveiled a new budget tax proposal.  The tax shift overhaul was announced today, only days away from a scheduled floor vote on state’s two year operating budget.

“Increases in our sales tax and property taxes will only hurt the elderly and working families in our state. I am disappointed that legislative Republicans are proposing some $1.5 billion in tax increases to pay for a tax cut that favors the wealthy.

Today, Ohio House Democratic Leader and State Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) denounced House Bill 190, a bill to dramatically increase the prevailing wage threshold to $3.5 million for state funded construction projects. Ohio will soon be in the third phase of raising the prevailing wage threshold to $250K, as prescribed by HB 153 of the 129^th General Assembly.

“This bill would encourage disreputable out of state contractors to flock to Ohio, bringing their undertrained, underpaid workers with them and depressing the wages of hard working Ohio men and women-- union and non-union alike,” said Leader Heard. “For Republicans in the Statehouse to talk about the importance of creating Ohio jobs, then propose a bill that directly undercuts quality jobs for Ohioans is both derisive and hypocritical.”

State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) today announced his plan to capitalize on the boom in horizontal shale drilling by using an updated severance tax model to invest in communities through resources for public education, infrastructure and community services.

House Bill 212, introduced this week, would enact a 7.5% severance tax on oil, natural gas and condensate extracted from horizontal drilling. The bulk of the revenue raised from the tax would be reinvested in Ohio’s communities, with an emphasis placed on counties most impacted by drilling activity.

“Ohio’s severance tax is a pittance compared to other states with major shale drilling activity,” said Rep. Hagan. “We need to update the severance tax rate on horizontal drilling to ensure that our precious natural resources are not extracted without appropriate compensation.” 

Ohio House Democratic Leader Tracy Maxwell Heard released the following statement in response to a Pew Charitable Trusts report that highlights Ohio’s pitiful job growth over the last year. Ther report can be found here: http://www.pewstates.org/research/data-visualizations/how-many-jobs-did-your-state-create-85899483589

“The fact that we have had one of the lowest job growth rates in the nation over the past year is disturbing. Clearly, such a troubling trend underscores the failure of Governor Kasich’s ‘trickle-down’ approach to job creation in our state.

“Prioritizing our schools, communities and middle-class families will create a strong environment for job growth. Yet, Gov. Kasich has turned his back on those priorities. Instead, he has made deep cuts to our schools and communities while at the same time he’s given tax breaks that favor the wealthy and taxpayer funded handouts to large corporations. This report is a clear indication that Gov. Kasich’s top-down economic policies aren’t working.

“It’s a recovery for the rich and a recession for the rest of us. A nearly jobless recovery is not what Ohio needs from its Governor and Statehouse.”

COLUMBUS- Representative John Patrick Carney (D-Columbus) released the following statement after learning of the introduction of House Bill 200, which would restrict a woman’s healthcare choices, force doctors to share factually incorrect information, and redefine “medical emergency” possibly putting women’s lives at risk. 

Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today called for further action against ongoing efforts by the president’s “Election Integrity Commission” to obtain American voters’ data. She called on Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to stop sharing Ohio voters’ personal information through any channel with Kansas Secretary of State and Commission leader Kris Kobach.

“Ohio must stop putting our voters’ personal information at risk,” said Rep Clyde. “Our Secretary of State must stop sharing Ohio voter data, including the last four digits of Social Security numbers (SSN4), with Secretary Kris Kobach’s Interstate Crosscheck program, a pre-cursor to the president’s so-called Election Integrity Commission. And Secretary Husted must assure Ohioans that voter data he has already shared with Kobach will not be used for the president’s sham voter fraud commission.”

Over objections from state Controlling Board member Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire), the Republican-controlled panel tasked with oversight of state spending approved a Kasich Administration request today to pay off a Grand Lake St. Marys landowners’ lawsuit against the state using severance tax revenue from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources oil & gas fund. Republicans slipped the maneuver into the state budget at the eleventh hour with no debate or notice.

“Lawmakers should be held accountable for resorting to one-time cash-grabs and shell games to prop up unstable budgets and poor job growth,” Cera said. “This sheds new light on the dangerous and dishonest financial tricks lawmakers will play to bolster political talking points. This funding should be used to put people back to work in Eastern Ohio at good-paying jobs that can sustain a family and let us plan for our future.”

The cash-grab to pay off the almost decade-old lawsuit makes use of some $15 million in severance tax funds that are normally required to be used for related oil and gas drilling needs in impacted communities. Republicans state lawmakers already transferred $10 million from the fund to prop up the state budget shortfall early in June.

“This multi-million-dollar cash grab by the state shows where Columbus politicians’ priorities are – not with hardworking taxpayers and property owners in Eastern Ohio,” Cera added. “After almost ten years to plan for a lawsuit settlement in the western part of Ohio, state officials failed to responsibly plan for the future and instead are robbing our area of what’s rightfully ours.”

The settlement comes on the heels of the state budget vote. Cera tried to amend the budget to dedicate at least $10 million in severance tax money for infrastructure repairs and related services in Eastern Ohio communities. His efforts were defeated along party lines.

In a political effort to hamstring Ohio House Democratic lawmakers in a pro-gun, anti-gun debate today on the House floor, Republicans brought forward House Bill (HB) 233 for a vote, legislation that allows concealed carry permit holders to knowingly bring guns or deadly weapons into daycares, schools, airports, bars and other restricted spaces, so long as the permit holder leaves when asked to do so. Individuals who refuse to leave or return to the same business while carrying a prohibited weapon within 30 days will be subject to a fourth degree misdemeanor.

“This isn’t just a solution looking for a problem, but it is creating a whole new set of public safety problems by overturning Ohio laws designed to keep us safe and secure,” said House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “This will trample private property rights of business owners and create confusion in secure locations like airports, police stations, schools and daycares. As a gun owner and strong second amendment supporter, I think Ohioans deserve to feel safe and secure, free from the fear of intimidation or tragedies this bill could create,” added Strahorn.

Today, the Republican-controlled Ohio House of Representatives overrode eleven items Governor John Kasich vetoed in the recently passed state budget, House Bill (HB) 49. Under the House’s overrides, Medicaid expansion will have to be reauthorized through the state Controlling Board and new taxes on working people could be put in place as a condition of healthcare coverage – if the Senate takes up the House overrides.

“After six years and almost two-billion dollars in Republican cuts to local communities, it’s our responsibility to take an all-of-the-above strategy to rebuild and restore our economic engines – our local communities,” said House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “While Ohio’s economy teeters on the verge of recession, we need to put our communities and local taxpayers in the best position possible to plan for their future and invest in job creation and community development.”

On July 4^th 1776, our founders signed a declaration founded in ideals of freedom, fairness and equality. These ideals formed the fabric of our society, together weaving the greatest American ideal: the “American Dream”.

In 2017, the promise of the “American Dream” feels out of reach for many people who are working harder than ever just to get by. As corporations and politicians have shipped good-paying middle-class jobs overseas, owning a home, a reliable car and starting a family has become a pipe dream, especially to our young Americans.

Ohio House Democratic lawmakers today sent a letter to Governor Kasich urging him to line-item veto the Medicaid expansion freeze in the state operating budget, House Bill (HB) 49, that will end healthcare coverage for over half-a-million people.

“The people of Ohio deserve representatives in Columbus who will stand up and fight for them,” said state Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron). “Passing the Medicaid expansion freeze and kicking people off of Medicaid is unacceptable, harmful, and cruel and unusual punishment.”

If approved by the federal government, the GOP freeze to Ohio’s Medicaid expansion will phase out medical coverage for over half-a-million Ohioans, leaving families with minimal healthcare options. 

“We need to provide healthcare for Ohio’s families, all of Ohio’s families.” Sykes said. “Without access to healthcare, lives will be lost and costs will rise. Ohio cannot afford to pay for the increased costs that will come by taking away people’s healthcare.”

*Editor’s note: A copy of the letter sent to Gov. Kasich is pasted below. 

The Ohio House voted today on the Republican-led charge to restrict worker’s access to healthcare and benefits through the state’s $581 million Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) budget bill, House Bill 27.

GOP lawmakers undertook a significant rewrite of what is typically a noncontroversial budget bill to include benefit restrictions on firefighters with cancer. The $581 million measure also cuts in half the amount of time all workers currently have to file a claim, something Democrats say could economically destabilizes thousands of Ohio families.

“The brave men and women who run into burning buildings while everyone else runs away deserve better than new barriers to care when they are seriously injured or get sick on the job,” said House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “Retreating from firefighters who contract cancer from their dangerous line of work and closing the door early on workers seeking treatment for workplace injuries seriously undermines the economic stability of working families across the state.”  

COLUMBUS— Amid a more than $1 billion financial shortfall, Ohio’s legislative Republicans pushed state budget negotiations closer to the brink Tuesday and today with eleventh hour horse-trading over a Medicaid lockout and complex money maneuvers, leaving Gov. John Kasich less than 48 hours to review the state budget, House Bill 49, before the start of the new fiscal year.

“This budget not only threatens the economic well-being of working families, but attacks the health of hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Ohioans,” said Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati). “At a time when Ohio leads the nation in opioid deaths, too many babies are dying before their first birthday in our state, and many families have love ones fighting some type of cancer or other serious health condition, blocking access to Medicaid for those who need it most literally puts the lives of Ohioans on the line.”

Amid a more than $1 billion financial shortfall, Ohio’s legislative Republicans pushed state budget negotiations closer to the brink Tuesday and today with eleventh hour horse-trading over a Medicaid lockout and complex money maneuvers, leaving Gov. John Kasich less than 48 hours to review the state budget, House Bill 49, before the start of the new fiscal year.

“While the rest of America is recovering from the global recession, six years of Republican mismanagement have held us back from solving real problems like attracting better-paying jobs, reducing healthcare costs, and strengthening our children’s schools,” said House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “Our economy continues to underperform and people at home are feeling it. The state is on a downward spiral to recession.”