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State Rep. Jack Cera’s (D-Bellaire) bipartisan bill with Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell) to expand high-speed internet access in Ohio’s rural communities received bipartisan support today from the House Finance Committee. The legislation, House Bill 378, would better connect people and businesses, driving growth and creating jobs in rural communities across the state.

“People and businesses in our part of the state deserve the same economic opportunities other communities have, and that starts with reliable, modern infrastructure,” said Cera.

HB 378 would appropriate $100 million over the next two years from the proceeds of bonds issued to support Ohio’s Third Frontier Program. Local communities, businesses, nonprofits and co-ops would all be eligible to participate in the grant program, which would be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency.

“Staying competitive, creating jobs and growing our economy comes from public-private partnerships like this, where our communities in Eastern Ohio aren’t priced out of taking the first step,” Cera added.

Cera is working with Republican leadership to determine the soonest date the bill could receive a full vote of the House before heading to the Ohio Senate.

 
 
Say policy makers should put education before politics
March 18, 2018

State Reps. John Boccieri (D-Poland) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) sent a letter to state Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell), Chair of the House Education and Career Readiness Committee, requesting an investigation into the effectiveness of the Youngstown Plan, which was created in House Bill (HB) 70 in 2015. Under the plan, the state assumed control of the Youngstown City School District, eliminated the school board and appointed a CEO to oversee all operations of the district. The letter comes amid the resignation of three Academic Distress Commission members and the potential departure of Youngstown City School District CEO, Krish Mohip.

“The rushed legislation that instituted the Youngstown Plan under HB 70 in the last biennium now causes a need for an investigation,” the Mahoning Valley lawmakers wrote.

Boccieri and Lepore-Hagan are scheduled to meet with Brenner and a member of the Academic Distress Commission in Youngstown on Monday, April 16.

*Editor’s note: A copy of the letter is attached

 
 

In the wake of Ohio Republican lawmaker Niraj Antani’s public comments suggesting students should arm themselves in high schools across the state, state Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement:

“To suggest students should carry guns at school is to turn our backs on our constitutional oath to further a free society where students have an equal opportunity to succeed. Arming students in the 21st century violates every shred of commonsense, responsible lawmaking, and is better saved for oppressive regimes in foreign lands – not America.

“We should be deeply troubled and angered by politicians who suggest arming students is an appropriate response to the national discussion on commonsense ways to reduce gun violence in our nation. Too many politicians have robbed our students of a childhood by failing to keep them safe, which has pushed them out of our schools and into the streets to fight for accountability from their elected officials. It’s clear some politicians still aren’t listening.”

 
 
Legislation prohibiting fracking in state and local parks introduced in the Ohio House
March 16, 2018

On the heels of the first state Oil and Gas Commission meeting Thursday, state Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) today introduced legislation that would protect Ohio’s parks and nature preserves from the impacts of fracking. The proposed bill will ensure adequate protections for Ohio’s state and local parks by refusing any new well permits for lands typically enjoyed by families and people who enjoy the outdoors. 

“It is my hope that we can all share a vision for our state that includes meeting our energy needs without ever having to sacrifice our beautiful state and local parks, forests, nature preserves, and wildlife areas,” said Leland. “Conserving Ohio’s public lands ensures they will be around for future generations to utilize and enjoy.”

This year’s state-budget-veto showdown between Gov. Kasich and Ohio House Republicans resulted in the appointment of members to the vacant Oil and Gas Commission, which is responsible for issuing drilling licenses for state lands. The commission held its first meeting Thursday in Columbus.

The footprint and disruption of fracking, or horizontal drilling, is much larger than conventional oil and gas wells, raising additional concerns over habitat fragmentation and wetland destruction. Fracking also typically costs Ohio’s communities much more in added cleanup, greater wear and tear on roads, and significant emergency response needs.

 
 
Lawmakers say Medicaid waiver would cost taxpayers, hurt economy and take away healthcare
March 15, 2018

Ohio House Democratic lawmakers today sent a letter to Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Barbara Sears, during the agency’s public comment period, calling on the agency to rethink controversial and partisan Medicaid restrictions. The new restrictions would deny some qualifying Medicaid recipients their healthcare without notice if they cannot work a specified number of hours in a given month.

 
 
Call for modernizing Ohio's wages, giving 1.8 million Ohioans a raise
March 13, 2018
Democratic Lawmakers Announce $15 Minimum Wage  Bill

Ohio Democratic state lawmakers, workers and advocates today announced a bill to address Ohio’s bad economic growth and low wages with new legislation to increase Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. House Assistant Democratic Whip Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati), Senate Assistant Democratic Whip Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) and state Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman) called for the legislation, which would give a raise to 1.8 million Ohioans.

 
 

Today State Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Michael Sheehy (D-Oregon) introduced a resolution urging the Director of the United States Environmental Protection Agency to add Lake Erie’s Western Basin to the list of impaired waters.  The move follows a State of the State address that left the two Toledo-area representatives disappointed with the lack of urgency surrounding the continued water quality crisis in Northwest Ohio.

“To seriously address harmful algal blooms in our state requires a firm commitment to reform and to exploring all avenues for action,” said Rep. Fedor. “I was hopeful that Ohio and federal governments would treat the ongoing crisis with more resolve and that last week’s State of the State address would outline some real policy initiatives. It is past time to put Lake Erie and the lives we have built here first.”

This resolution recognizes that Lake Erie’s Western Basin is facing a water quality crisis, plagued by pollution, algal blooms, and fish kills. Both Rep. Fedor and Rep. Sheehy were serving Toledo in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2014 when an algal bloom left 500,000 Toledoans without safe drinking water. Lake Erie’s Western Basin still requires massive doses of chlorine to be considered safefor consumption, continually impacting much of the region.

“The algae problem is far too critical to continue the weak actions taken by the current state and federal administrations,” said Rep. Sheehy. “If swift and decisive action is not taken now, Ohioans along the coast will continue to lose income, wildlife, and many more resources from Lake Erie.”

Unlike Ohio, Michigan did include the open waters in its jurisdiction on its list of impaired waters that it submitted to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which approved that list. The United States EPA already has declared Michigan’sportion of Lake Erie impair

 
 
Ohioans continue to miss out on economic growth and opportunity
March 6, 2018

Ohio House Democratic lawmakers this evening responded to Gov. Kasich’s annual State of the State address in Westerville, Ohio. Though the governor touted a comeback for the Buckeye State, House Democrats noted that Ohioans disproportionately face lower quality-of-life standards than the rest of the nation.

“Ohio used to lead the nation in innovation and economic opportunity. We were first in flight, we have sent men to the moon and even more to the White House,” said House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “Now we lead the in all the wrong ways. We’ve tried everything their way for seven years straight. It’s just not working for the middle class and working families.”

 
 

Ohio House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. John Kasich’s gun safety announcement:

“Today we are at a breaking point, where the American epidemic of gun violence and the activism of our nation’s young people are forcing politicians to retreat from the once-comfortable shadows of partisan, political ideology. This gives us hope and reaffirms our continued work to keep our schools, places of worship, and public settings free from the fear that gun violence holds over our everyday lives. We welcome anyone who is serious about gun safety to the table, and we continue to stand ready to work with anyone who supports restoring commonsense and sanity to the ongoing American dialogue on how we form a more perfect Union.” 

 
 

State Rep. David Leland (D-Columbus) issued the following statement today in response to Gov. John Kasich’s proposed gun safety framework in Ohio:

“By putting partisan divides behind us, we will be closer to the day when our children don’t have to live in fear of gun violence .Keeping those we love safe and protected from senseless, random acts of violence should be our highest priority. The framework proposed by the governor today brings us closer to that point. Ultimately, I believe we also need to have a serious conversation about prohibiting firearm and ammunition sales to people under the age of 21 in Ohio.”

 
 
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