Lawmaker urges adoption of her full slate of fixes on the postmark problem
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.
Lawmakers will discuss State of Black Ohio, unveil "Justice for All" agenda
State Rep. and Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) will join OLBC members, community leaders and citizens from around the state for the OLBC’s fourth Annual Day of Action next Wednesday, February 24, at the Riffe Center Capitol Theatre Lobby from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
This year’s event will highlight the OLBC’s 2016 agenda on issues that are important to Ohio’s African American community – including voting rights, jobs and economic opportunities, criminal justice reform, infant mortality, and more.
“As we celebrate black history month, citizens from all over the state will gather at their capitol to make their voices heard. Our constituents, the people of Ohio, are tired of sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the legislature to act on issues like justice reform, voting rights, economic opportunity and infant mortality,” said Reece. “That is why we will be calling for action to effect positive change on a statewide level to make sure the future looks brighter for African Americans in Ohio. As we enter the new year, African-American unemployment remains double the state average and black babies are dying at twice the rate of white babies. We must move beyond just words by taking action to help address the challenges faced by the African American community in Ohio.”
WHAT: The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Annual Day of Action
WHO: Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, advocates, activists, faith community
WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 24
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
HB 126 connects families to resources and keeps kids out of foster care
The Ohio House of Representatives today unanimously passed House Bill (HB) 126, sponsored by state Reps. Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) and Jeff Rezabek (R-Dayton). HB 126 would create a statewide system of kinship navigators that will help keep families together and provide needed assistance for Ohio’s most vulnerable populations.
Anti-LGBT bill, HB 36, passes through the Ohio House
State Reps. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Janine Boyd (D-Cleveland Heights) today expressed disappointment with the passage of House Bill (HB) 36, which writes discrimination into Ohio law by allowing ministers not to solemnize marriages that are contrary to their personal beliefs.
Says latest effort is part of a growing trend of policies that hurt working men and women
House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today spoke out against anti-worker restrictions the Republican-controlled Ohio legislature continues to push this year. The latest attack on working families, Republican Tom Brinkman’s right to work” legislation – House Bill 377, would effectively weaken collective bargaining rights in the state by outlawing what are known as fair share fees, or costs stemming from the collective bargaining process that typically brings higher wages and better benefits for all employees, union and non-union alike. A Republican-led panel will consider Brinkman’s bill later this afternoon.
“So-called right to work restrictions do not create jobs – instead, they start a race to the bottom, lowering the quality of life for families by making people and communities poorer and workers less safe,” said Leader Strahorn. “Workers in right to work for less states take home less pay, face higher poverty and infant mortality rates, and are more likely to die on the job. There is a reason workers in Ohio are not lining up in support of right to work: because they know right to work is wrong. It is wrong for working families and it is wrong for our state.”
National studies show that workers in states with right to work for less restrictions have a 36 percent higher chance of dying on the job and are stuck in more low-wage occupations than workers in free-bargaining states like Ohio. The Economic Policy Institute calculates that workers in states with right to work restrictions earn $1,540 less a year, while U.S. Census Bureau data shows that median family income is at least $6,000 less compared to other states.
A study by The National Education Association also reveals that these same right to work for less states invest some $3,000 less per-pupil for public education than their free-bargaining counterparts. Children and families in right to work for less states are a
Nearly 900 absentee ballots in Summit County tossed due to lack of postmark
State Rep. and President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) joined Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) today in calling for a statewide investigation following troubling reports that hundreds of Akron voters had their absentee ballots voided because they lacked a postmark.
Calls for hearing on bill to require written policies, public investigatory reports
State Rep. and President of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) and State Rep. Jonathan Dever (R-Cincinnati) recently held a news conference to discuss House Bill 380, newly introduced legislation to create a more transparent investigative process with deaths that result from a law enforcement officer’s use of a firearm.
Several amendments requiring the use of local workers tabled on party lines
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.”
Legislation expands "move over" consideration to sanitation vehicles
State Reps. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) and John M. Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake) today announced House Bill (HB) 58, legislation to encourage drivers to yield to sanitation and recycling vehicles, passed favorably out of the Ohio House with bipartisan support.
Environmental lab documents confirm state agency notified of elevated lead levels in August
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.
Says EPA accepting responsibility is a step in the right direction to correct notification process, puts forward legislation to prevent water crisis repeat
State Rep. John Boccieri (D-Poland) today announced legislation to establish clear standards for water testing and public notification procedures in cases of lead contamination. The legislation comes in the midst of the Sebring water crisis, in which records have revealed that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to notify residents of Sebring, Ohio that area water had higher-than-normal levels of lead for almost five months.
