Democratic News

State Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) today issued a statement following the latest changes to House Bill (HB) 6, which Republican lawmakers amended to bail out more corporations and all but eliminate energy efficiency and renewable energy standards in Ohio.

Ohio House Democratic lawmakers today announced a number of proposals, including safe storage, red-flag and background check laws, commonsense measures they say will better keep kids and communities safe. The package comes amid debate on House Bill (HB) 178, controversial legislation Democrats say is a solution in search of a problem. 

State Reps. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) and state Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today criticized a new Republican bill that fails to outlaw all instances of rape and assault in Ohio, regardless of when they occurred.

Instead, new legislation from Statehouse Republicans, House Bill 249, narrowly ends the statute of limitations for civil claims relating to sexual misconduct by physicians of land grant universities between the years of 1978-2000, a carve-out specially tailored to the more than 150 men who claim they were sexually assaulted by Dr. Richard Strauss while attending The Ohio State University 19 or more years ago.

“Rape and sexual assault destroy lives and take a part of victims’ freedom and individual liberty that they can never get back,” said Sobecki and Galonski in a joint statement. “We’re proud to continue leading the fight to ensure all victims of rape and sexual assault receive justice. We’re disappointed, but not surprised, that this bill misses that mark so terribly by failing to protect the many other Ohioans around our state who are equally deserving of justice.”

Democratic members of the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee today released a joint statement after Republicans running the committee banned questions from the elected officials in a failed effort to promote partisan legislation – House Bill 6 – designed to bailout one energy company in the state at expense to taxpayers.

  State Reps. Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) recently introduced House Bill (HB) 243 titled “Madeline’s Law”, new legislation with bipartisan support that requires Ohio insurance companies to cover a portion of the cost of hearing aids for children.

“For young children with hearing loss, early intervention is crucial for speech and language development,” said Rep. Russo. “This legislation supports early intervention by ensuring families have the insurance coverage necessary to afford hearing aids for their children.”

State Reps. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) and Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park) this week introduced the Child Access Prevention law in the Ohio House, commonsense gun safety legislation to ensure firearms are stored safely and securely out of the reach of minors.  

House Democratic lawmakers today voted in favor of the state budget, House Bill 166, which includes a number of key Democratic priorities, including a significant tax cut for working people and families. 

House Democratic Leader and Legislative Taskforce on Redistricting Co-Chair Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today detailed next steps that the Task Force, co-chaired by Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina), must take to “consider the recent Court decision and, more importantly, to take necessary steps to ensure Ohio is taking the lead on our own fair districts, regardless of the Court’s decision on matters pending before it and outcomes in other states or courts,” she wrote in a letter* to Obhof.

House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) today urged Ohio GOP officials to accept the will of Ohio voters and reject congressional redistricting court appeals motivated by maintaining partisan, political control over the next election cycle.

“Whether or not our current congressional map is unfair and unconstitutional is not in dispute. Virtually no one believes it to be a fair map. The egregiously gerrymandered districts are what drove the voters to approve a reform measure that would eliminate the current mapmaking process and ensure fairer district lines. The Court has just given us the opportunity to start a little sooner than we expected,” the leaders wrote in a letter to GOP officials.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued the following statement in response to Ohio’s existing congressional district map being struck down as unconstitutional by the federal courts:

“Today’s ruling is a victory for voters that upholds our fundamental American values of free and fair elections. This decision means voters will have their voices heard and have elected officials who work for their districts – not just special interests or political parties.