Democratic News

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) announced today that he and Rep. Rick Perales (R-Beavercreek) have introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month in Ohio. The designated month will fall from September 15 to October 15, 2015. 

“Throughout the decades, Americans of Hispanic descent have proudly defended our country in wars and enriched the lives of all Ohioans through contributions to such fields as business, technology, science, education, religion, entertainment, politics, and the arts,” said Ramos, who is of Puerto-Rican descent. “In light of these various contributions to our society, I am proud to formally recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month here in Ohio.” 

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement today in response to recently discovered comments made this summer by GOP county commissioners about online voter registration. 

Medina GOP County Commissioners have cited an unexplained threat of “fraud” to justify their lack of support for online voter registration. However, Commissioner Adam Friedrick went so far as to reveal his true thoughts about voting: “I think voting is a privilege that people should make more of an effort to exercise,” he said. “That’s why I think we should make it hard for people to vote, not easy.”

Rep. Clyde’s statement: 

“Although this statement by a GOP elected official is truly shocking, it perfectly describes the game plan of the GOP to restrict Ohioans’ right to vote. We have seen voting rights attacked by bill after bill and hundreds of thousands of voters purged from Ohio’s rolls. Let’s be very clear: voting is a RIGHT and it is our sworn duty as elected officials’ to uphold it and protect it.  

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) issued the following statement in response to calls from several State Board of Education members at today’s meeting for an independent investigation into the illegal data scrubbing done by David Hansen, Gov. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband. 

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement in response to the public records released by the Ohio Department of Education relating to the illegal charter school data scrubbing done by David Hansen, Gov. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband.

COLUMBUS— State Reps. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) and Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus) today issued a report and recommendations to fellow members of the Energy Mandate Study Committee (EMSC), urging the panel to include in its final report to the legislature the resumption of energy efficiency requirements balanced with investments in existing natural resources. In a letter to the ESMC chairmen, the legislators maintained that restoring Ohio’s energy benchmarks will diversify the state’s energy portfolio, cut energy costs for consumers, address public health concerns, and spur job growth in new and existing industries.

State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. John Kasich’s reported response to the Ohio Department of Education’s delay in releasing public records associated with Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband scrubbing failing grades from online charter schools.

“It seems like a fair indication that charter school corruption has deep roots in our state, considering the governor is closely involved in the response to a six-week old public records request. ODE should have independently filled the request weeks ago with a volume of information that errs on the side of complete transparency and accountability.

“Given the amount of time that has passed since the request, and the fact that the Ohio Department of Education and the governor have a lot to lose if records reveal willful and systemic charter school corruption at the highest levels of government – an independent eye should have investigated the scandal with Mr. Kasich’s campaign manager’s husband when it first happened. It is unfortunate that, at this point, there is no way to trust or verify pending results that have likely been carefully picked over by multiple parties.”

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today issued the following statement about the Secretary of State finally complying with the law requiring a public comment period for proposed directives: 

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) announced today the introduction of House Bill 309, legislation to fix a problem in the law that requires voters’ absentee ballots to be thrown out if they arrive on time at boards of elections without a postmark. 

The state’s highest-ranking Democratic member of the House education panel, State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), today called for an clean and independent investigation into allegations of attendance fraud at the Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA). 

House Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton) today issued the statement below in response to the news that the state has purchased a record 19 percent of eligible goods and services through minority-owned businesses this year. Ohio’s Minority Business Enterprise program, established in 1980, requires state agencies to make some of their annual purchases for goods and services with certified minority-owned businesses.