Democratic News

House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) and state Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) today announced the unanimous House passage of  legislation that urges Congress to award Annie and John Glenn with a Congressional Gold Medal for their lifetime of public service.

State Reps. John Boccieri (D-Poland) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) today expressed support for Mahoning County Board of Elections Director Joyce Kale-Pesta’s decision to move polling locations out of a number of local schools for safety reasons. The Mahoning Valley’s lawmakers also indicated they would support a statewide effort to move polling locations from school grounds to other public spaces in an effort to promote the safety of Ohio students.

“Each year, hundreds of schools across Ohio open their doors on Election Day and give broad access to people not working at the school facilities – which unfortunately has the potential to put students at risk,” said Rep. Lepore-Hagan.

Pennsylvania state lawmakers are currently debating legislation to begin moving polling locations away from school grounds in order to protect students. The legislation comes on the heels of a 2017 incident that saw a state trooper shot just a few miles away from a Northampton County, Pennsylvania elementary school. While students at the school were on lockdown as authorities searched for the shooter, a portion of the school remained open and accessible to voters.

“It is really sad that the in the wake of so many school shootings, students will not witness Democracy in action. But it makes sense to keep this threat away from our children,” Rep. Boccieri said.

Similar safety incidents and concerns have spurred officials in  Read Full Story

State Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) today announced legislation to support struggling communities hit hardest by Governor Kasich’s budget cuts and tax shifting policies over the past several years. Since taking office, Gov. Kasich cut the local government fund by forty-five percent. Over 70 cities have lost at least $1 million each year due to Kasich’s budgeting and tax decisions. These cuts have forced to communities to raise taxes, cut essential services, and delay needed repairs, just to keep their heads above water.

If passed, this legislation will allocate money from the Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to 26 communities on the Auditor of State Fiscal Distress List that received lower Local Government Fund (LGF) allocations than what they received in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008.

House Democratic lawmakers Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown), Jeffrey A. Crossman (D-Parma) and Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) held a Statehouse press conference today to announce a resolution to remove Rep. Larry Householder (R-Glenford) from office and to discuss other Democratic legislation that would root out corruption and begin to restore integrity to the Ohio House. After Democrats announced the press conference Tuesday, House Republicans rushed to introduce an expulsion resolution of their own.

State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) today applauded the Ohio Department of Insurance’s order to prohibit Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM) from imposing gag rules to prevent pharmacists from informing consumers when they are overpaying for prescription drugs.

“I applaud the Department of Insurance’s decision to put hard-earned money back in the hands of consumers by prohibiting PBM gag orders on local pharmacists that effectively jack up the price of prescription drugs,” said Rep. West. “While we welcome this long overdue order, we must take the next step and pass HB 479 to ensure that Ohio consumers are protected under the law and not simply at the whim of whomever controls the governor’s office.”

West recently introduced House Bill (HB) 479, a bipartisan plan that would strengthen consumer protections and work to reduce the cost of prescription drugs in the Buckeye State.

Lawmakers referred HB 479 to the House Government and Oversight Committee, where it has received one hearing.

House Democrats, led by Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), the Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, voted in opposition Wednesday to House Bill (HB) 157, legislation that would prohibit the collection of income taxes from workers who aren’t physically in an office inside the city or village limits. 

State Representatives Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) and Kent Smith (D- Euclid) today announced legislation to strengthen Ohio’s outdated overtime pay rules. Policy Matters Ohio’s Hannah Halbert, who urged action on the nation’s outdated overtime pay rules, joined them. The event also highlighted how the Trump administration—as well as special interests and Republican officials, including Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine—are obstructing a rule that would ensure that workers are paid fairly for the hours they work.

State Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) yesterday joined legislators across the Midwest for the first meeting of the Forum on Social Justice’s Steering Committee. The purpose of the new nonpartisan forum is to provide legislators with opportunities to discuss and address a wide range of racial and social justice issues, including economic equity, systemic racism, discrimination, racial disparities in public health, education, corrections, police reform, voting rights, and more.

Democratic lawmakers walked out of the House Government Oversight Committee Thursday after the Republican chairman threatened to cut off testimony on House Bill 294, anti-voter legislation that would roll back ballot access and intentionally make the process more confusing for voters. 

State Reps. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today announced legislation to fund sewer and water capital improvements through general obligation bonds. Under this proposal, municipal corporations, counties, townships and other government entities would be eligible to receive state bonds for capital projects to ensure clean drinking water, promote public health and alleviate environmental concerns.

Tuesday morning, alongside Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton), and a coalition of supporters, State Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) announced the introduction of bipartisan bail reform legislation. 

Ohio House Democrats today celebrated welcome news for the state’s imperiled northern coastline, following a statement by Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman released Wednesday guaranteeing full funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The initiative, a $300 million program once-targeted to lose 90 percent of it’s funding in President Trump’s proposed 2019 budget, was one of many federal environmental projects under threat this year. 

State Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) yesterday hosted the 2nd annual Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Summitat the Ohio Statehouse. The Youth Prevention Summit brings students, teachers, public officials and advocates together from across the state to empower students through education, awareness, discuss policy proposals and participate in skill-building workshops.

Additionally, several student participants joined the two lawmakers for a press conferenceto detail Ohio’s anti-trafficking legislative efforts and allow students to share their advocacy experiences.

Today State Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) introduced a resolution urging the Director of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to add Lake Erie’s Western Basin to the list of impaired waters.  The move follows a State of the State address that left the two Toledo-area representatives disappointed with the lack of urgency surrounding the continued water quality crisis in Northwest Ohio.

“To seriously address harmful algal blooms in our state requires a firm commitment to reform and to exploring all avenues for action,” said Rep. Fedor. “I was hopeful that Ohio and federal governments would treat the ongoing crisis with more resolve and that last week’s State of the State address would outline some real policy initiatives. It is past time to put Lake Erie and the lives we have built here first.”

This resolution recognizes that Lake Erie’s Western Basin is facing a water quality crisis, plagued by pollution, algal blooms, and fish kills. Both Rep. Fedor and Rep. Sheehy were serving Toledo in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2014 when an algal bloom left 500,000 Toledoans without safe drinking water. Lake Erie’s Western Basin still requires massive doses of chlorine to be considered safefor consumption, continually impacting much of the region.

“The algae problem is far too critical to continue the weak actions taken by the current state and federal administrations,” said Rep. Sheehy. “If swift and decisive action is not taken now, Ohioans along the coast will continue to lose income, wildlife, and many more resources from Lake Erie.”

Unlike Ohio, Michigan did include the open waters in its jurisdiction on its list of impaired waters that it submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which approved that list. The United States EPA already has declared Michigan’sportion of Lake Erie impair

On the heels of their House resolution calling for the Lake Erie’s open waters to be declared “impaired,” state Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) today issued the following statements in response to the Kasich Administration’s about-face on issuing the declaration – which could mean tighter pollution standards and more resources to protect the Great Lake:

“Today, the governor listened to the needs, fears, and wishes of this legislative body and the people of our great state on the issue of Lake Erie. I want to thank him for finally standing up and calling for Lake Erie to be declared impaired. I look forward to working closely with his office, the people of Toledo, the communities all along Lake Erie, and all Ohioans on cleaning up Lake Erie, returning it to its former glory, and ensuring that it is safe and healthy for years to come.” —state Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo)

“This decision certainly comes as welcome news following years of economic damage in Northwest Ohio. We are thankful for the Governor’s political courage, and that he is joining us in defense of Ohio’s single greatest natural resource against the big-money special interest groups fighting against a solution.” —state Rep. Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon)

Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), the Ranking Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, released a statement Tuesday following the committee passage of House Bill (HB) 157, legislation that would prohibit the collection of income taxes from workers who aren’t physically in an office inside the city or village limits. The bill comes as many Ohio workers remain on work from home status amid the coronavirus pandemic.