Action follows call by OLBC in letter to the governor to extend early voting hours
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) released a statement today aboutthe decision made by Gov. Mike DeWine to postpone the primary election originally scheduled for tomorrow, March 17 to June 2:
Calls on the General Assembly to convene immediately to address temporary paid leave, extended early voting hours, allocated resources to support local BOEs, no utility shut-offs, food stability and academic relief
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) released a statement today concerning the letter they sent Saturday to Governor Mike DeWine, Speaker of the House Larry Householder and Senate President Larry Obhof:
State Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) today filed House Bill (HB) 557 to allow public bodies to meet and conduct business remotely during a state of emergency.
Call follows closure of K-12 schools, banning of large, public events
House Democratic leadership today sent Gov. Mike DeWine a letter urging him to create a temporary, emergency paid sick leave program to benefit Ohio’s working people and families affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, following the lead of Illinois, which announced a similar program Wednesday.
COLUMBUS- State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) today asked Gov. Mike DeWine and leaders of the General Assembly to utilize Ohio’s $2.7 billion “Rainy Day” fund to support small business that will be negatively impacted by the COVID-19 coronavirus emergency. Lepore-Hagan is proposing that the rainy day fund be used to issue short-term, no-interest loans to business owners unable to pay rent, utility bills, taxes, health insurance and workers’ compensation premiums, employee wages and other expenses as a result of the emergency. She issued the following statement:
COLUMBUS – State Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), and State Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), sent a letter today to Ohio Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) Director Kimberly Hall, asking for ODJFS to institute Automatic Redetermination for Benefits in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Bill will improve democracy, increase election security and participation
COLUMBUS—Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) announced today her plan to introduce legislation creating a universal vote-by-mail (UVBM) system in Ohio.
State Reps. Jeff Crossman (D-Parma) and Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) will hold a press conference tomorrow, Wednesday, March 11, at 12:30 p.m. in the Harding Press Briefing Room at the Ohio Statehouse to introduce the Community (Charter) School Operator Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to increase accountability and ensure consistent education standards among all Ohio schools.
Urge governor to create temporary sick leave program to limit strain on Ohio families
House Democratic lawmakers today sent a letter to Gov. Mike DeWine urging him to use his office’s powers to consider creating a temporary paid sick leave program to lessen the impact a coronavirus outbreak would have on the state.
COLUMBUS—The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) president Rep. Stephanie Howse (D- Cleveland) reacted today to the results of the Black Ohio Survey, a joint project of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Foundation and Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, that reveal issues, priorities and views of black Ohioans. This survey is the first-of-its-kind, Foundation members say, to look at a large sample of a minority community on a statewide level.
