Democratic News

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today commented on the nineteenth anniversary of the landmark school funding Supreme Court decision, contending that Ohio has failed children and families and challenging her colleagues in the legislature to put children first.

“Almost two decades after the DeRolph decision, Ohio still does not have a coherent education plan. Instead, the legislature has relied on a drawn-out, piecemeal approach that has failed to deliver the ‘thorough and efficient’ funding necessary to provide our children with the education required to succeed in the 21^st century. Though the DeRolph ruling pushed the state closer to funding the construction of new school buildings, it is what takes place inside of our schools that matters most.

“How many children has Ohio failed? How many potential doctors, teachers, and scientists have we held back by not investing properly in our public education system?

House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today announced State Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) as the lead Democratic member of the Ohio House Judiciary Committee. The first-term lawmaker was elevated to the committee leadership position this week, after serving on the panel since the beginning of her term in 2015. 

State Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today announced the introduction of House Bill 489, legislation to support abandoned mine reclamation, promote mine safety, and encourage the employment of laid-off mine workers.  

State Reps. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake) and Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) today introduced their “Restore Ohio” initiative, legislation to invest in Ohio’s communities and build reliable, efficient, and modern infrastructure systems that will fuel a strong and thriving economy.

State Reps. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Janine R. Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) today introduced legislation aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence from gun violence by requiring individuals convicted of a domestic violence crime or served with a civil protection order to turn over their firearms to law enforcement. 

Rep. Ramos (D-Lorain) today introduced legislation to increase the number of early voting facilities in qualifying counties across the state to better promote public participation in statewide elections.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement regarding today’s court ruling that overturned a statewide directive from Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted barring eligible 17-year-olds from voting in Tuesday’s presidential primary: 

State Rep. Stephen Slesnick (D-Canton) today applauded the passage of House Bill 87, legislation to honor Moses Fleetwood Walker, the nation’s first professional African American baseball player. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Slesnick, designates Walker’s birthday of October 7 as “Moses Fleetwood Walker Day” in the state of Ohio. 

"Walker overcame prejudice and discrimination to break into professional baseball during the Jim Crow-era," said Slesnick. "His legacy as one of the first professional African American athletes is an inspiration to all of us today."

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) testified Thursday at the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission (OCMC) Committee on Education, calling for a return to Ohio’s all-elected state school board model. Fedor, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee, was invited to come before the OCMC after state school board President Tom Gunlock, an appointee of Gov. Kasich, recently proposed ridding the board of locally elected members. 

“A political appointee cannot be the voice of the parents, teachers and students. We have seen political appointees in our state education system illegally scrub data and make decisions based on special interests instead of the best interests of our children,” said Fedor. “An all-elected board would hold educational trustees accountable by putting the power back in the hands of parents and The People.” 

State Rep. Kevin L. Boyce (D-Columbus) today asked Gov. John Kasich to veto recently passed House Bill 294, legislation that seeks to defund Planned Parenthood in Ohio.

Five years ago this month, Senate Bill 5 was introduced in the Ohio Senate to strip workers of their right to come together and speak with one voice to negotiate fairer wages and safer workplaces.

In the months that followed, tens of thousands of Ohioans from all walks of life traveled to Columbus to rally against the extreme measure, and that fall voters sent a clear message to politicians at the Statehouse when they soundly overturned Issue 2 at the ballot box.

Despite the overwhelming rejection of SB5/Issue 2, Ohio’s working families continue to face legislative attempts by Republicans to gut the prevailing wage law, slash workers’ unemployment compensation benefits to give employers a tax cut, and restrict workers’ right to collectively bargain for fair wages and safe workplaces.

Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement in response to reports that the CEO of Ohio’s privatized economic development entity received a $122,634 pay increase this year for a total salary just shy of a half million dollars: 

State Reps. Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) and Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) this week introduced a resolution calling for the reinstatement of the Glass-Steagall Act, the core provisions of the federal Banking Act of 1933, to improve transparency and stability in the financial sector. 

“At a time when our state and nation are amidst a fragile recovery from the Great Recession, as far too many communities simply have not recovered yet, it is incumbent upon us to action to ensure this never happens again,” said Ramos. “We owe it to our constituents, the American taxpayers, to ensure that their tax dollars are being utilized to create opportunities for the public, not just a handful of wealthy Wall Street opportunists.” 

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) issued the following statement in response to a lawsuit brought by a number of eligible 17-year-old voters challenging Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted’s directive to exclude them from presidential primary voting:

“Ohio law is clear and has permitted those who will be 18 years old before the November election to vote in the presidential primary since 1981. Disenfranchising eligible voters is wrong, creates confusion, and drives people away from the voting process. I applaud these extraordinary young Ohioans in their fight to be able to vote in our state’s presidential primary.”

A copy of the lawsuit can be found here.

As the world celebrates “International Women’s Day,” an annual event recognized by the United Nations to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, Rep. Greta Johnson (D-Akron) today called for meaningful state action on issues of gender equality. 

State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today applauded the passage of House Bill (HB) 405, legislation to increase the safety of Ohio children by strengthening penalties against sexual predators.

“This legislation will help protect Ohio’s most valuable asset – our children,” said Smith, a primary sponsor of the bill. “Internet predators in Ohio need to know there will be consequences for their despicable actions. This legislation will put predators behind bars and help keep our kids safe.”

State Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) today announced the introduction of legislation to establish a three-day sales tax “holiday” during the first weekend of August for “back-to-school” clothing and school supplies. Not only will the holiday help offset Ohio’s 4.5 percent sales tax increase enacted by the 2013 state budget, but for three days shoppers will pay no sales tax on itemized purchases as they prepare their children for the coming of the new school year. A similar proposal launched Ohio’s first temporary sales tax holiday in August 2015.

The Central Seventh-day Adventist Church of Columbus, Ohio honored Rep. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) Saturday with the Black History Achievement Award. Rep. Craig received the award during the Church’s Worship Experience.

Ohio State Rep. Stephanie Howse (D-Cleveland) has been selected to co-chair a national network of state legislators, a program of the National Institute of Civil Discourse (NICD), which is committed to returning civility, rationality and respect to American politics. The new leadership will work to expand the Network just as the presidential primary season opens and with new polls showing American are fed up with hyper-toxicity in politics.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) sent a letter to Secretary of State Jon Husted today urging him to issue an additional directive to ensure all ballots with missing postmarks are counted. 

A House legislative panel today came one step closer to passing legislation, Senate Bill 152, that prohibits cities and other municipalities from setting minimum standards for hiring local residents for public works projects. The minimum residency standards, currently in place in cities and municipalities around the state, let qualified workers earn the opportunity to find rewarding employment in their own communities.

Some Ohio communities use local hiring requirements on publicly financed projects as a way to strengthen local workforce participation and, in turn, strengthen local economies. The City of Akron – currently in the midst of a $1.4 billion sewer system upgrade project – has a local hiring target of 30 percent, with that goal increasing to 50 percent by 2018.

“I am very disappointed that the legislature continues to ignore The City of Akron and our freedom to make decisions that get people back to work and stabilize our local economy,” said State Rep. Emilia Sykes. “My colleagues and I worked diligently to present alternatives that would employ city residents.”

State Rep. John Boccieri today wrote to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) regarding outstanding concerns over when the agency claims it first learned of test results revealing water contamination in Sebring, Ohio. Boccieri's office recently received documentation from the state's water testing vendor, Ream and Haagar Environmental Lab, that confirms the vendor first notified the Ohio EPA in August of test results showing elevated lead levels in Sebring's water.