Democratic News

COLUMBUS—State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today applauded Gov. Mike DeWine as he signed into law amended House Bill (HB) 197, the emergency COVID-19 relief omnibus package, which will provide needed supports to working people, families and businesses in Ohio amid the coronavirus outbreak. It passed both legislative chambers unanimously Wednesday.

COLUMBUS— State lawmakers returned to the Statehouse today to address the COVID-19 crisis and provide immediate relief to everyday Ohioans. State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) released a statement today following the unanimous passage of an omnibus bill, amended House Bill (HB) 197, that would prohibit utility shut-offs, waive state testing requirements, freeze EdChoice eligibility, extend voting in the primary election, postpone the state income tax filing deadline among several other measures.

COLUMBUS- Several Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. John Patterson (D- Jefferson), Phil Robinson (D-Solon), Joe Miller (D-Amherst) and Mary Lightbody (D-Westerville), today introduced a legislative package to mitigate the negative impacts schools are facing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. The package would provide resources and allow already overburdened school districts to take the necessary steps to recover from the repercussions of this ongoing public health crisis.

State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today joined Democratic colleagues to outline several key priorities as lawmakers return to the Statehouse this week to take up emergency measures to address the public health and economic crises facing the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

State Reps. H. Gilson Blair (D-Weathersfield) and Michael O’Brien (D-Warren) today announced a recent conference call with Trump administration officials in response to their repeated attempts to urge the Trump administration to assist them in bringing General Motors back to Lordstown, Ohio.

State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today issued a statement as efforts remain ongoing to reschedule the Ohio primary, that was originally scheduled for March 17 but was postponed as the state continues to battle the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair and Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today sent a letter on behalf of the Ohio Democratic Women’s Caucus to UAW President Gary Jones expressing support for the UAW members as they continue to strike. The UAW has been striking since Monday, September 16, after contract negotiations with General Motors failed to reach a compromise.

State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today urged Cuyahoga County residents to adhere to best practices outlined by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) amid the continued spread of COVID-19 disease, commonly known as the coronavirus, with 69 confirmed cases in Cuyahoga County. 

State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) today revealed that a faulty list compiled by the Secretary of State’s office has caused thousands of voters to be purged from the voter rolls. The problem was discovered through public records requests.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today announced the cancelation of the Robinson Roundtable previously scheduled for this Saturday, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. at the Solon Public Library, and will be rescheduling the upcoming District 6 Tour Town Hall on Monday, April 6at 6:30 PM at the Mayfield Village Community Room.

State Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) today introduced House Bill (HB) 335 that would protect victims of domestic abuse and first responders by requiring anyone subject to a temporary civil or criminal protection order to surrender their firearms to a law enforcement agency or sell them to a federally licensed gun dealer.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today announced the upcoming public, in-district events of his “Robinson Roundtable” office hours on Saturday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Solon Public Library, as well as the next stop on the District 6 Town Hall Tour on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Moreland Hills Community Room in Moreland Hills, Ohio.

State Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid), John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake), Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Mike Sheehy (D-Oregon) toured the critical Brandon Road Lock and Dam complex in Joliet, Illinois, on Friday with 25 other members of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus. Brandon Road Lock and Dam is a critical choke point to keep Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

State Reps. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) and Phil Robinson (D-Solon) filed a bill today to reinstate the Joint Education Oversight Committee (JEOC), a state legislative committee comprised of members from both parties in the State House and State Senate which provided non-partisan, fact based and in-depth analysis of K-12 education in Ohio at a great value to taxpayers.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon) today announced his next “Robinson Roundtable,” an in-district, open office hours on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Brecksville Public Library, as well as the next stop on the District 6 Town Hall Tour, Monday, Feb. 3, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Seven Hills Community Recreation Center in Seven Hills, Ohio. In-district office hours and town halls are free, do not require appointments, and open to the public.

Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today responded to the Ohio Department of Education’s release of school report cards.

COLUMBUS—House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D- Akron) and Rep. Phil Robinson (D-Solon), who serves as the Ranking Member on the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee, issued statements today concerning the need for immediate action as a first step to fixing the state’s broken EdChoice voucher program in advance of the February 1 application period and the requested improvements House Democrats would like to see made to safeguard fair access and fair funding for our schools.

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) today responded to the Ohio Department of Education announcement that Youngstown City Schools received an F overall grade on their state report card, which, under the provisions of HB 70, the so-called “Youngstown Plan” will trigger the removal of the school board members who were elected by the residents of the city.

State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) today revealed new errors her office has discovered in the voter purging that’s taken place so far and commented on most Ohio counties missing the Secretary of State’s voter purge deadline.

State Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton) and Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton) today held a press conference with state Rep. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington), OPERS Corporate Governance Officer Patti Brammer and Coming Together Stark County President Connie Rubin to discuss a House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) encouraging Ohio companies to include more women in leadership roles and on public boards in an effort to establish equitable gender representation in the workplace. The resolution, introduced by Reps. West and Carruthers this week, is modeled after HCR 23 of the 132^nd General Assembly.

“We know from research that having more diverse boards makes a business stronger,” said Rep. West. “Passing this resolution shows the state is taking the first step in recognizing that increasing gender diversity and equity in corporate leadership would make Ohio a better place to live, work and retire with security. I am proud to be a joint sponsor of this important resolution.”

State Representative Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement in response to the news that the Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute settled its legal challenge against Secretary of State Frank LaRose such that Ohioans’ ballots will be counted even if they are caught up in the voter purge. See the settlement agreement here and her statement below.