Democratic News

State Rep. and Caucus Dean Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today announced the Ohio House Democratic Caucus has selected their new leadership team for the 132^nd General Assembly. State Rep. Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) was re-elected to the highest minority leadership position, House Democratic leader, in a caucus-wide vote this evening.

“Words cannot express my level of appreciation and respect for the talent, dedication and work that our leadership team, members and staff have shared with Ohioans over the last two years. We are truly grateful and better because of their efforts,” said Strahorn. “I also would like to thank Rep. Jack Cera for his continued leadership within our caucus. I look forward to growing and developing our caucus over the next two years.”

Rep. Cera will continue to play a key role in the leadership of the caucus, while Leader Strahorn will be joined on leadership by Assistant Democratic Leader Nicholas J. Celebrezze (D-Parma), Democratic Whip Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Assistant Democratic Whip Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron).

“Our success will only be possible because of the high caliber members and staff that will dedicate their public service to the pursuit of a stronger Ohio during the next two years. I am humbled by their continued trust and support,” said Celebrezze, who served as assistant leader in the 131st General Assembly.

In addition to Rep. Celebrezze, Rep. Antonio was also re-elected to her respective leadership position.

“I am honored to continue our work together as a caucus, united by the promise of freedom and allied by the fight for equality. We are unified in our belief in our state and our hope for the future,” said Antonio.

The caucus is bringing on state Rep. Emilia Strong Sykes, an Akron lawmaker in her first term, as assistant Democratic whip.

“I feel honored to serve my colleagues, constituents an

In advance of Veterans Day, State Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today introduced legislation to honor Ohio’s dedicated veterans by creating a specialty license plate for those who served in multiple military zones or operations.

“I have many constituents, friends and neighbors who humbly and selflessly served our nation during more than one military conflict,” says Johnson, member of the House Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety Committee. “Ohio license plates have long served as proud displays of honor, memorializing the sacrifices of the brave men and women in our military. Making this simple change to Ohio law is a small gesture to more fully honor American patriots who have given so much.”

State Rep. John Boccieri (D-Poland) today expressed his support for House Bill 609, legislation sponsored by state Reps. Niraj Antani and Mike Duffey that would lift the prohibition on taking a photograph of a marked ballot and sharing it publicly. Taking voting selfies would currently be considered a felony of the fifth degree, which Boccieri noted is far too serious a consequence for such an expression of free speech.

“I sincerely hope that this bill will be passed and enacted because I think people should be allowed to share pictures of their ballots freely. The current penalty for this is incredibly overblown,” Boccieri said. “For example, my opponent this year shared a picture of his ballot on his Facebook page and I honestly don’t think him, or anyone, should be faced with felony charges for posting their vote online.”

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent), with Kent State student Hana Barkowitz, today called on Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted to step into the age of smartphones and make voter ID paperless.

“Many young people, like me, are dependent on their smartphones,” said Kent State student Hana Barkowitz. “Ohioans can use their smartphones to get into concerts and presidential rallies, and they can even show proof of car insurance on their phones. Ohio should get smart and allow paperless voter ID.” 

A study from the Pew Research Center found that 15 percent of young Americans and 13 percent of low income Americans are heavily dependent on their smartphones for access to the internet. Compared to 1 percent of American households earning $75,000 or more per year.

“It’s important that we make it easy to vote for all Ohioans - that includes students, low income voters and other voters who rely heavily on their smartphones,” said Rep. Clyde. “Husted still has a chance to get smart and allow paperless voter ID on Tuesday.” 

State Rep. Nickie Antonio(D-Lakewood) today issued the following statement responding to Gov. John Kasich’s decision to send state highway patrol to help tamp down the growing controversy surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline:

“If the governor wants to truly be responsive to an emergency, he need not look beyond his home state. Communities across Ohio are in desperate need of additional resources to combat the growing opioid crisis that has already claimed an historic number of Ohio lives. First responders, treatment providers and local law enforcement have been stretched perilously thin by the opioid and heroin crisis, but so far the governor has refused to free up critical additional state resources by recognizing the crisis for the statewide emergency that it is. 

State Rep. Nickie Antonio(D-Lakewood) today received The Center for Community Solutions Award for Public Service in Honor of John A. Begala for her efforts to address Ohio’s opioid addiction crisis and her work on the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee to improve the rate of spending and quality of Medicaid care.

“I am extremely honored to accept this award from The Center for Community Solutions, an organization known for their dedicated efforts to improve the quality of life for all Ohioans,” said Antonio. “I will continue to work diligently to expand treatment opportunities for those struggling with addiction, ensure local law enforcement have adequate resources, and increase prevention programs to combat the ongoing opioid crisis in Ohio.”

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the below statement in response to last night’s federal district court order rejecting Secretary of State Husted’s limited remedy for purged voters and implementing a solution that will allow more people to cast ballots in the November election:

"After a federal court of appeals found Secretary Husted had illegally purged voters, the secretary still tried to get the very stingiest remedy to his wrongdoing approved by the lower court. The court soundly rejected Husted's inadequate proposal," said Rep. Clyde. "Illegally purged voters will get to vote and have their votes counted in this historic election and that is a huge victory for the people of Ohio."

Today, Ohioans were made aware of the arrests of 150 people and the recovery of 105 children involved in child prostitution rings in 76 cities across the country, including the city of Toledo. After hearing of the arrests and subsequent recoveries, Rep. Fedor (D-Toledo) issued the following statement:

“I am grateful for the continued efforts to rescue victims from criminals who profit from these detestable crimes. It is imperative for lawmakers and law enforcement to remain committed to protecting Ohioans from the scourge of human trafficking. My legislation, Sub. H.B. 130, is designed to explicitly prevent and protect minors in the State of Ohio from becoming victims by punishing the criminals who partake in these heinous crimes.”

I have received several calls from concerned citizens, churches and civic groups since the decision in the Trayvon Martin case came out a week ago. All asking what I thought, how I felt, and what I planned to do.

I was deeply saddened for Trayvon’s family when I heard the verdict and at the loss of yet another young black male child. I am sick and sad like so many people who love Trayvon and mourn his loss. My feelings won’t change or soothe their frustration. I hope my prayers will.

Following my sadness, my thoughts turned to how long before this comes to Ohio and how can we stop it?

Ultimately, this senseless situation was a direct result of legislation – House Bill 249 introduced by Rep. Dennis K. Baxley (R-Florida) in 2005 and supported by a majority Republican legislature. 133 of 153 legislators voted to pass Stand Your Ground legislation in Florida.

Therein lies my fear, Ohio Republicans have supermajorities in both the House and Senate – 83 of your 132 elected legislators are prepared to bring Stand Your Ground to your state.

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.

State Reps. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) and Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) today announced a legislative proposal aimed at protecting and improving Ohio’s water quality through the establishment of the Ohio Water Quality Improvement Program. Under the program, farmers would be incentivized to conserve environmentally sensitive agricultural land rather than use the property for farming or ranching. 

“Ensuring safe and clean drinking water for the citizens of Ohio is of the utmost importance,” said Patterson. “While we have made great strides in working with the farming community to fight agricultural runoff, as a state we can and should do more. The Ohio Water Quality Improvement Program gives us the opportunity to partner with Ohio’s farmers to strategically conserve farmland in order to promote healthier streams, rivers and estuaries.” 

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."

State Rep. John Boccieri (D-Poland) today criticized the passage of House Bill 410, legislation that slashes state funding to local communities who use photo enforcement of traffic laws. The bill also gives city and county courts exclusive jurisdiction over civil actions stemming from local traffic law violations.

“We should focus on common sense ways to fix photo enforcement complaints, not punish local communities by slashing their state funding,” said Boccieri. “We need to make sure taxpayers are treated fairly while preserving their ability to self govern and make their own decisions locally, without heavy-handed threats from Columbus.”

The bill comes as the state has cut more than $2 billion from local communities over the last several years.

Boccieri has made strides to protect taxpayers from uneven and confusing traffic law by sponsoring House Bill 219. House Bill 219 sets a commonsense standard for speed limits by requiring all speed limit zones to become effective beginning at the speed limit sign.

“I support this component of the bill, but local communities should answer to local taxpayers on the enforcement of traffic laws in our community.”

The bill passed the House 65-19 and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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.

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) recently recognized the 10 graduates of the first ever Drive for Success program in Akron. Established jointly by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Akron Summit County Action Agency (ASCA), Drive for Success helps provide individuals with the opportunity to attain career readiness skills in the construction industry.

“The Drive for Success program is a marvelous example of how effective partnerships between the state and local communities can help expand access to economic opportunities for our residents,” said Sykes. “By providing these graduates with the training they need to enter and find success in the workforce, we are investing in their future as well as the future growth of our regional economy.” 

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 Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today applauded Summit County Council’s vote in support of legislation giving county employees six weeks paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. Currently, county employees must exhaust all their sick and vacation benefits before tapping into the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows for up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave. The city of Dayton became the first Ohio city to pass a paid parental leave measure roughly one year ago, but with today’s vote Summit County becomes the first county in the state to offer paid parental leave to its employees.

“I am incredibly proud to serve in Summit County – the first county in Ohio to vote to implement paid parental leave,” said Johnson. “Allowing mothers and fathers to spend more time with their newborn children without worrying about falling behind financially will positively impact our families and communities. Providing paid parental leave is the responsible thing to do in a modern, industrialized nation, and it is also the right choice to remain competitive in attracting new workers. Seeing local communities step up to address this issue is incredibly encouraging and I look forward to continuing the push for paid family leave at the state level.

House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today reported the passage of House Bill (HB) 529, the state’s $2.6 billion biennial capital budget. The capital budget is primarily used to invest in the upkeep of state facilities, colleges and university campuses, and state lands, but also includes a number of community projects.

HB 529 invests more than $480 million for technology and facility upgrades at Ohio’s colleges and universities, allowing them to retool to meet the demands of 21st century higher education and job training. Sinclair Community College will receive $10.33 million for campus renovations and upgrades.

“A competitive workforce begins with educating our students and training workers with the skills they need in this new and changing economy,” said Strahorn. “For years, Sinclair has been a leader in education and job training in Southwest Ohio, and these investments will allow the next generation of students, business leaders and entrepreneurs to make an impact in their communities.”

In addition to more than $1 billion in statewide funding for K-12 and higher education capital projects, HB 529 invests $350 million in statewide infrastructure projects through the Public Works Commission and $147 million throughout the state in local community projects.

“Whether it’s rebuilding crumbling roads and bridges or upgrading our cultural centers, investing in Ohio communities makes us more competitive, creating jobs and spurring growth in our local and regional economies,” added Strahorn. “Projects like the Arcade Innovation Hub are changing the game, using the tremendous community resources we already have right here in Southwest Ohio, including our universities and business leaders, to encourage entrepreneurs and students to take their ideas to the next level.”

Notable Montgomery County community projects funded under HB 529 include:

Histor

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today called on Secretary of State Jon Husted to restore illegally purged Ohio voters to the rolls and count the vote of any voter who should never have been purged in the first place. Yesterday, Husted ended negotiations with voting rights advocates and filed a motion in federal district court seeking to keep purged voters off the rolls and to continue to throw out the ballots of the wrongly purged.

“Over the past five years, under Husted, Ohio has led the nation in purging voters from the rolls. That's not on accident. That's on purpose. And the court caught him. And like so many other GOP officials across the country who want to tip elections in their favor, Husted is still refusing to make things right even after he was caught red-handed,” said Rep. Clyde.

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.”

State Rep. Jack Cera’s (D-Bellaire) bipartisan bill with Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) to expand high-speed internet access in Ohio’s rural communities received bipartisan support today from the House Finance Committee. The legislation, House Bill 378, would better connect people and businesses, driving growth and creating jobs in rural communities across the state.

“People and businesses in our part of the state deserve the same economic opportunities other communities have, and that starts with reliable, modern infrastructure,” said Cera.

HB 378 would appropriate $100 million over the next two years from the proceeds of bonds issued to support Ohio’s Third Frontier Program. Local communities, businesses, nonprofits and co-ops would all be eligible to participate in the grant program, which would be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency.

“Staying competitive, creating jobs and growing our economy comes from public-private partnerships like this, where our communities in Eastern Ohio aren’t priced out of taking the first step,” Cera added.

Cera is working with Republican leadership to determine the soonest date the bill could receive a full vote of the House before heading to the Ohio Senate.

State Reps. John Boccieri (D-Poland) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) sent a letter to state Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell), Chair of the House Education and Career Readiness Committee, requesting an investigation into the effectiveness of the Youngstown Plan, which was created in House Bill (HB) 70 in 2015. Under the plan, the state assumed control of the Youngstown City School District, eliminated the school board and appointed a CEO to oversee all operations of the district. The letter comes amid the resignation of three Academic Distress Commission members and the potential departure of Youngstown City School District CEO, Krish Mohip.

“The rushed legislation that instituted the Youngstown Plan under HB 70 in the last biennium now causes a need for an investigation,” the Mahoning Valley lawmakers wrote.

Boccieri and Lepore-Hagan are scheduled to meet with Brenner and a member of the Academic Distress Commission in Youngstown on Monday, April 16.

*Editor’s note: A copy of the letter is attached

In the wake of Ohio Republican lawmaker Niraj Antani’s public comments suggesting students should arm themselves in high schools across the state, state Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement:

“To suggest students should carry guns at school is to turn our backs on our constitutional oath to further a free society where students have an equal opportunity to succeed. Arming students in the 21st century violates every shred of commonsense, responsible lawmaking, and is better saved for oppressive regimes in foreign lands – not America.

“We should be deeply troubled and angered by politicians who suggest arming students is an appropriate response to the national discussion on commonsense ways to reduce gun violence in our nation. Too many politicians have robbed our students of a childhood by failing to keep them safe, which has pushed them out of our schools and into the streets to fight for accountability from their elected officials. It’s clear some politicians still aren’t listening.”