Democratic News

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today issued the following statement on the Pharmacy Board’s proposed rule to classify synthetic kratom as a Schedule 1 drug: 

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement as the Ohio House passed House Bill (HB) 481, which would distribute $350 million in federal CARES Act funds to aid coronavirus response in Ohio communities.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today issued the following statement on House Bill (HB) 249, legislation that would ban drag shows outside of nightclubs and targets members of the LGBTQ+ community.

COLUMBUS—Today, House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) released the following statement about the unexpected resignation of Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton:

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today issued the following statement on House Bill (HB) 347, legislation requiring a 24-hours waiting period for patients accessing reproductive care.

COLUMBUS— Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President State Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) today issued a statement in response to state Senator Steven Huffman’s (R-Tipp City) being fired from his job as an emergency room physician at Upper Valley Medical Center.

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) Monday announced that the Controlling Board approved $2.69M in funding for the renovation of the former elementary building of the Ohio School for the Deaf and the Ohio School for the Blind. This renovation will create a new administration space for the school and more pre-school classrooms to serve students. The Controlling Board also approved $96K to replace the HVAC system in the Deaf conference center at the school, which serves as a gathering space for the community.  

COLUMBUS— Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President State Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) today issued a statement in response to state Senator Steven Huffman’s (R-Tipp City) question Tuesday about whether “colored” people get COVID-19 from not washing their hands as much.

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Ashley Bryant Bailey (D-Cincinnati) and Anita Somani (D-Dublin) Tuesday introduced their new bill, the Ohio Menopause and Hormone Therapy Act, also known as the Hormone Optimization Treatment Through Insurance Expansion (H.O.T.T.I.E.) Act. This bill would align Ohio's insurance standards with updated federal guidance and current clinical evidence regarding menopausal hormone therapy. It expands access to care and ensures patients can work with their doctors to make informed, individualized decisions about their health, without worrying about unaffordable out-of-pocket costs.

State Rep. Beth Liston (D-Dublin) issued a statement today following the passage of House Bill 624,Republican legislation that would require the release of certain COVID-19 related data, which Liston says will make it more difficult for health departments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COLUMBUS –State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today released the following statement in response to Governor DeWine’s State of the State address.

COLUMBUS— Ohio House Democrats, led by Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron), are acting swiftly to respond to the thousands of concerned voices being raised in cities and towns throughout Ohio by announcing today their preliminary legislative plans to combat police brutality. The proposed bills would prohibit profiling, tear gas, and the use of quotas by all law enforcement agencies, as well as call for the independent investigation of officer-involved shootings and the creation of databases to better track problematic behavior and employment history of law enforcement officers.

COLUMBUS — State Reps. Erika White (D-Springfield Township) and Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today announced they will be introducing legislation which would require the Governor’s approval before National Guard troops from other states can be stationed in Ohio, reinforcing state authority in deployment decisions.

COLUMBUS—Today, Rep. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) and fellow House Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine urging him to ban the use of tear gas by all county, municipal and township police departments indefinitely. 

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today condemned a hearing held on January 14 by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on the abortion medication Mifepristone, which was cited as a “safety review.” Any medical professional with appropriate knowledge knows that the FDA has extensively researched the safety and efficacy of this medication.

COLUMBUS—Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today blasted House Republican lawmakers who passed an elections bill that does little to prepare the state’s Boards of Elections to safely conduct a presidential election amid the worst global pandemic in more than a century.

COLUMBUS – Yesterday, Ohio Democratic state legislators called on members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation to support and approve an increase in funding for local school systems in the next Covid-19 supplemental appropriations bill.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today condemned a directive from the Department of Justice (DoJ), terminating the ability of Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) facilities to provide abortion services–even in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening emergencies. Not only does this policy place political decision making over an individual’s freedom to access healthcare resources, but it restricts potentially vital care for those who have served our country.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) today recognized the newly-announced $200M grant from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This program was established due to the federal government slashing Medicaid spending by $911B nationwide and by $33B in Ohio. 

COLUMBUS—State Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton) and Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) today announced that they have sent a joint letter to Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) Director Maureen Corcoran requesting that she establish a pathway for Ohio’s pharmacists to be reimbursed for the administration of COVID-19 tests.