Democratic News

As Republican legislative leaders remain deadlocked on a long-term budget deal, House Democratic lawmakers today voted in favor of Senate Bill (SB) 171, which would extend funding for the next 17 days to avoid a government shutdown. They also voted to pass SB 172, a 30-day funding extension for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. The Ohio Constitution requires both budgets to be passed by July 1.

“The majority party has been unwilling to work together, and now our only option to fulfill our constitutional duty and avoid a Republican shutdown is to pass this short-term budget,” said House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron). “Democrats are committed to fulfilling our promise to taxpayers and hope our majority-party colleagues can put the petty politics aside to do the same.”

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement decrying Republican Statehouse leaders whose failure to come to an agreement on the state budget now threatens a state government shutdown. The Ohio Constitution requires the budget to be passed by July 1.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s decision in the North Carolina and Maryland partisan gerrymandering cases. The decision will impact the ongoing court challenge to Ohio's congressional map. 

State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) today announced the House passage of her bipartisan House Bill (HB) 9, legislation to establish general education course requirements and streamline the transfer credit system at public universities in Ohio.

State Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today encouraged local education leaders and parents to avoid reading too much into new state report cards for local school districts. School districts across the state Thursday received report cards under a new testing system.

“Schools once again are forced to adjust to the ever-changing education policies that come out of Columbus,” said Cera. “Just as teachers, administrators, students and parents figure out the last round of standards, Columbus is putting a new system in place, and it is frustrating to say the least. But, we cannot be discouraged by a new state website with flawed letter grades. In many classrooms throughout our community, we know our kids and teachers are making progress, much of which can’t be measured by bureaucrats in Columbus or a test vendor in Washington.”

Over the past three years, the state has changed testing vendors and methods three times, leaving local districts with a constantly changing evaluation system for student achievement.

Following the state’s release of so-called school “report cards” today, state Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), the House Democratic Caucus education lead – is releasing the open letter below to all statewide news editors and education reporters:

“The floggings will continue until morale improves.” This famous line attributed to Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty has also been used to summarize the state of contemporary education policy. Now that the federal government has recognized the flaws inherent in trying to promote learning through punishment and set a new course with the more flexible Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Ohio could also right our course. Instead, Republicans and the Ohio Department of Education are more than doubling-down on the punishment strategy by delivering six letter grades in a gimmick known as the state school report card.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today announced the election of Rep. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) as Minority Whip and Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) as Assistant Minority Whip for the 133^rd General Assembly. Brown joins the Democratic leadership team after former Whip Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) stepped down last week.

“I want to thank Rep. Smith for his service to this leadership team and dedication to strengthening our caucus. I know he will continue to use that same vigor to fight on behalf of his constituents here at the Statehouse,” said Leader Sykes. “I look forward to welcoming Rep. Brown into our leadership team and continuing working with Rep. Hicks-Hudson as we move Ohio forward and restore our 

State Reps. Kent Smith (D-Euclid), Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) and state Sen. Mike Skindell (D-Lakewood) joined local advocates and elected officials today in South Euclid, Ohio to highlight pending legislation that calls for amending the U.S. Constitution and eliminate First Amendment protections for corporate personhood, abolishing the notion that money is equated to speech. The lawmakers are introducing a statewide resolution in the Ohio legislature to support the proposed federal amendment.

“It goes without saying that when the founding fathers wrote the First Amendment they were concerned with the rights of John Doe the individual, not John Doe’s private investment company,” said Smith. “When money is considered speech, those who have the most money have the most speech. This contradicts the basic cornerstone philosophy of American democracy of one person, one vote.”

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) and state Rep. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) today issued a joint statement as members of the state budget conference committee were announced. Cera, the lead Democrat on the House Finance Committee, will represent the caucus on the panel.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement in response to the decision by a panel of the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals:

“The Court found that Husted has been illegally tossing out the ballots of eligible and registered voters. He must stop. Husted’s job is to let the people vote, not to break down our democratic system.

State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) today introduced a bipartisan resolution with state Rep. Rick Perales (R-Beavercreek) to recognize Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month in Ohio.  

State Rep. Denise Driehaus is providing a public service announcement on Ohio's new Good Samaritan Law. The law protects people from prosecution or punisnhment when they call 911 for help treating an opioid overdose.

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President and state Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) responded to today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision denying a stay request by Democratic leaders in Ohio to reinstate same day registration and the first week of early voting in Ohio – a process used by some 90,000 Ohioans in the past:

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decision to deny a stay request filed by Ohio Democrats to reinstate same day registration and the first week of early voting in the Buckeye State:

“I am very disappointed in this news from the U.S. Supreme Court. As the trial court found, the burden of Ohio Senate Bill 238’s elimination of the first week of early voting and same day registration disproportionately falls on minorities here in Ohio. Unfortunately, the Court is not always well-equipped to remedy every discriminatory measure that lands before it. I will continue to fight legislative efforts to restrict voting, especially those that harm minority voters.”

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today applauded this week’s passage of a series of bipartisan priority bills, including criminal justice reforms, funding to protect Ohio waterways and a proposal to keep moms and babies healthy. Sykes joined Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) to announce the bills at a Statehouse press conference last month. Their joint-announcement followed the Democrats’ unveiling of Ohio Promise, their blueprint for Ohio’s future focused on working together to restore Ohio’s promise of better lives and brighter futures for working people and families. 

State Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) today announced the passage of House Bill (HB) 5, his bipartisan bill with Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) to create the Ohio Public Defender State Loan Repayment Program to incentivize lawyers to work as public defenders in underserved areas of the state.

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) will speak at the 7^th Annual National Pen-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Presidents’ Forum about the importance of protecting voting rights this election, Wednesday, Sept. 14^th at 2:00 p.m. The forum presented in partnership with Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, will focus on the effects of voter suppression laws across the U.S., as well as solutions to combat and improve voter turnout. 

State Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Clifton) today released the following statement encourage citizens to become aware of Ohio’s new Good Samaritan Law which takes effect tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 13:

“As Ohio’s opioid epidemic reaches statewide emergency levels, it is now more important than ever that people don’t second guess doing the right thing. That is why I am pleased to announce my bipartisan Good Samaritan law takes effect statewide tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13. Now, if any Ohioan suspects a friend, family member or loved one is overdosing, they can call 911 immediately – free from fear that they will be punished or prosecuted for getting someone the help they need when they need it. I encourage all citizens to take that first step and make an emergency call for help when someone’s life is on the line.”  

State Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson) today applauded the passage of House Bill (HB) 7, his bipartisan legislation joint-sponsored with Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) to create the H2Ohio Trust Fund to protect, preserve and improve water quality across Ohio.

Ohio House Health and Aging Ranking Member and State Representative Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) released the following statement on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) denial of the state’s request to charge premiums for Ohio’s Medicaid Program, regardless of age. The federal decision cited concerns that such charges undermine access to coverage and the affordability of care, and do not support the objectives of the Medicaid program.

“On behalf of the thousands of low-income parents, foster care youth and beneficiaries with breast and cervical cancer, I am pleased to hear of the CMS decision to deny Ohio’s special demonstration project waiver application, which would have imposed additional premiums for those insured by Medicaid or Medicare,” said Antonio. “In the denial letter, CMS officials identified the same concerns that House Democratic lawmakers noted as fundamental flaws in the request to change Ohio’s Medicaid program by requiring premiums and excluding individuals from care indefinitely if they failed to pay premiums and all arrears premium payments. I hope this decision is a step toward evidence-based policy solutions that aim to improve the overall health of our state and all of its citizens.”

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) members today held a press conference outlining their Build Up Black Families legislative package in honor of Juneteenth, which marks the anniversary of the first announcement of the abolition of slavery in America.

“As we’ve been working to restore the Ohio promise of a better life and brighter future for everyone, we say that family comes first and we mean that,” said Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland). “Our members have been working together, drafting common sense legislation to deliver results for a real shot at the American Dream for black families in Ohio.”