Democratic News

COLUMBUS- State Representative Richard D. Brown (D-Canal Winchester) voted “no” on House Bill 606, sponsored by State Representative Dianne Grendell (R-Chesterland), during Tuesday’s House session after the majority caucus blocked provisions that would protect essential workers who contract COVID-19 on the job from being included in the legislation.

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democrats today announced the end of their Ohio Promise Virtual Town Hall Tour, which comprised of more than two dozen virtual town halls since June on topics including COVID-19, jobs and the economy, racial justice, gun safety, back to school procedures, and voting access. Across the state, over 20,000 Ohioans tuned in to these town halls to hear from their elected officials and ask questions.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today blasted Speaker Robert Cupp (R-Lima) and House Republicans for abruptly ending House session as Democrats readied to offer several measures to repeal House Bill (HB) 6, the $2 billion corporate bailout tied to an ongoing FBI investigation into an alleged $60 million scheme to pass the bill. Former Speaker Larry Householder and several associates were arrested and indicted for their roles in the alleged corruption scheme.

COLUMBUS— Ohio House Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) issued a statement following House Republicans’ last-minute amendments to bipartisan Senate Bill (SB) 318 honoring the centennial celebration of women’s suffrage today in House Rules and Reference Committee. Republicans introduced two different amendments with language to remove disgraced former speaker Larry Householder from the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee (JLEC) and the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB).

COLUMBUS— House Democratic lawmakers Reps. Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) and Michael J. O’Brien (D-Warren) today blasted Speaker Robert Cupp (R-Lima) for his refusal to repeal House Bill 6 – the $2 billion corporate bailout bill is at the center of an ongoing FBI criminal investigation into an alleged $60 million racketeering and bribery scheme led by former Republican Speaker Larry Householder. Householder and four associates were arrested and indicted in the alleged scheme.

COLUMBUS—House Democratic lawmakers Reps. Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) and Michael J. O’Brien (D-Warren) today announced they will file a discharge petition to bring bipartisan legislation to repeal House Bill (HB) 6 to the floor for a vote next week. The passage of HB 6 in 2019 has come under scrutiny in recent weeks following the arrest and indictment of former Republican Speaker Larry Householder and several close associates in an alleged $60 million bribery and corruption scheme to pass the bill.

COLUMBUS – Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Jeffrey A. Crossman (D-Parma) today announced the introduction of House Bill (HB) 752. The legislation would prohibit anyone from interfering with the circulation of election petitions by threatening, intimidating or compensating another person, a practice commonly referred to as petition blocking.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement ahead of the 57^th anniversary of the historic March on Washington, which was held August 28, 2020, to advocate for the civil and economic rights and freedoms of Black Americans. The anniversary comes amid months of protest and renewed activism to end racial injustice in the United States.

State Reps. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) responded to the state Controlling Board refusing to hear Secretary LaRose’s late request for additional authority to pay return postage for absentee ballots in its meeting yesterday. LaRose said he will come back to the Board in mid-September, but absentee ballot applications are set to be mailed to 7.8 Million Ohio voters before that – around Labor Day – without return postage. The members have been urging LaRose for months to use existing authority of his office to pay return postage for both applications and ballots.

COLUMBUS – House Democrats announced Monday the state Controlling Board approved another round of federal funding to support Ohio’s efforts to control the COVID-19 outbreak as school districts prepare for fall semester.