Reps. Crossman, Brent introduce legislation to designate February 21 as "Congressman John Lewis Voter Registration Day"

COLUMBUS—State Reps. Jeffrey A. Crossman (D- Parma) and Juanita O. Brent (D-Cleveland) re-introduced legislation today to designate each February 21 in Ohio as “Congressman John Lewis Voter Registration Day” in memory of his long legacy.  Reps. Brent and Crossman originally introduced the legislation last General Assembly, but the bill did not receive any hearings.

“Voting is our sacred right as American citizens. Voter registration is threatened everyday with voter roll purges, the closing of voter registration weeks before an election and not allowing same-day or automatic voter registration,” said Rep. Brent. “The creation of the John Lewis Voter Registration Day is a call to action, a reminder that we all must do our part to get more people civically engaged in voting. The Hon. John Lewis was a trailblazer in the fight for voting rights, thus it is fitting to have the day named after him.”

“Last year our country mourned the loss of Congressman John Lewis— a leader in the fight for voting rights for everyone.  Dedicating an entire day in his honor for the purpose of focusing on voter registration is a fitting tribute to a man who believed that the only way we can continue to ‘bend the arc of history toward justice’ is to secure the right to vote for every citizen,” said Rep. Crossman. “We are committed to passing this legislation this General Assembly, and we hope that our Republican colleagues join us in recognizing the value of creating a day dedicated to voter registration.”

Reps. Crossman and Brent chose February 21 as the day to remember all the important work Lewis did to expand voting rights because it is his birthday. 

The legislation now awaits a bill number and referral to an Ohio House committee.