Democratic News

State Reps. Adam C. Miller (D-Columbus) and Thomas West (D-Canton) today announced the introduction of legislation that would repeal the recently passed Shoot First law that permits the use of deadly force by individuals who believe their lives are endangered anywhere in the state. The law was tucked in as a last minute amendment to Senate Bill (SB) 175 during the lame duck period of the 133rd General Assembly despite passionate opposition from House Democrats. The governor then chose to sign this bill into law, even after professing concerns about gun violence in Ohio.  

The Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus today announced the selection of the following Co-Chairs and Co-Vice Chairs for the 134th General Assembly:

House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement on Wednesday’s inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, cementing Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.

In the wake of last week’s storm floods of Boardman-area residents’ homes, State Rep. John Boccieri (D-Poland) and other local elected officials are urging Boardman Township Trustee Tom Costello to quickly share the township’s flood-mitigation plan and to work with state officials to address local safety and health issues, much like Austintown and Poland did when faced with similar issues.

“When families and citizens experience the financial and physical devastation that flooding brings, they need serious solutions that prioritize their safety and well-being,” said Boccieri. “I stand ready to assist local officials who need to establish a comprehensive plan immediately to ensure this never happens again.”

COLUMBUS– Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Mike DeWine signing Senate Bill (SB) 175, dangerous legislation that would allow the use of deadly force by any individual who feels their life is in danger:

State Rep. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) today expressed concern and disdain for the recent appointment of state Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) to serve as committee chair for the Senate Health committee. 

State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) responded to today’s Ohio Department of Medicaid decision to fire the state’s pharmacy middlemen after reading an advance copy of Auditor Dave Yost’s report on the deceptive healthcare pricing scheme that cost Ohio taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. Yost’s report is expected to be made publicly available tomorrow.

“Today’s decision to fire cheating big-pharma middlemen is proof positive of what many of us have been saying all along: big healthcare corporations have been ripping off Ohio consumers by hundreds of millions of dollars to line their own pockets and boost their own bottom line,” said West. “This decision is a win for consumers and small independent pharmacies alike, but we shouldn’t wait until January 1 to stop this rip off.”

State Representative Stephanie Howse (D- Cleveland) today condemned the governor’s signing of Senate Bill 175, Shoot First legislation that would permit the use of deadly force by individuals who believe their lives are endangered anywhere in the state. Democrats spoke against the extreme Shoot First bill in late December, saying it will threaten Black lives and makes Ohioans less safe.

State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) issued a statement on Wednesday’s inauguration of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President of the United States, cementing Democratic control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.

“Whether you call it ‘Kill at Will,’ ‘Stand Your Ground,’ or ‘Shoot First’ policy, we’ve seen in other states that it clearly leads to violence and death. The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and other members of law enforcement oppose laws like these because they take away a judge’s or jury’s power to evaluate self-defense, creating a loophole for people to get away with manslaughter and murder. This law will greatly decrease public safety in Ohio and disproportionately impact the lives of Black Ohioans and other people of color as victims of gun violence, with their killers now having a way to escape prosecution,” said Rep. Robinson. 

Rep. Brigid Kelly (D-Cincinnati) will sponsor legislation to allow for committees to meet and witnesses to testify virtually amid worsening conditions of the coronavirus pandemic across Ohio. Rep. Kelly introduced similar resolutions in the 133rd General Assembly to allow House committees and Sessions to be conducted virtually.

State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) is optimistic that four agencies will sit down by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission’s (OCRC) Aug. 16 mediation deadline to address racial profiling and discrimination by State Highway Patrol and private guards at the security checkpoints for the Riffe Tower and the Statehouse.

"Now that the State Highway Patrol’s self-review is completed, the next step is to sit down with all parties for mediation,” said Sykes. “I'm keeping an open mind and remain hopeful that we can come together to ensure everyone is treated equally at their state capitol.”

Sykes said that if some parties aren’t willing to meet OCRC’s mediation deadline, she will rely on the outcome of the commission’s independent investigation to determine a final resolution.

State Reps. Jack Cera (D-Bellaire) and Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today announced they will introduce new whistleblower reforms for employees who come forward to report wrongdoing and corruption to authorities. The announcement follows explosive, far-reaching corruption cases that have rocked state government over the past year.

“When someone blows the whistle on corruption in state government, it’s our duty to listen, hold officials accountable and ensure the little guy is protected,” said Cera. “In some ways, we’ve become numb to the scandals and cover-ups because those who try to do the right thing are too often silenced—and that needs to change.”

Current Ohio law recognizes public and private sector employees who blow the whistle on potentially corrupt activities, but it provides them few protections from retribution, retaliation and loss of earnings and compensation for doing the right thing.

“This past year has seen one scandal after another, with high-ranking state officials looking the other way while taxpayer dollars were wasted and used to line the pockets of ECOT mastermind Bill Lager. They must be held accountable to Ohio taxpayers,” said Clyde. “By protecting those who report wrongdoing, we can begin to take on the culture of corruption that has plagued state government for too long. It’s time for a change.”

After the Ohio Supreme Court today ruled the online charter school ECOT violated state law by fraudulently boosting student attendance records to cheat taxpayers of some $80 million, state Rep. Teresa Fedor says the next step is holding the operators and founder criminally accountable.

“Today’s ruling brings us one step closer to fully understanding the extent of this tangled web of political payoffs and taxpayer fraud,” said Fedor. “Elected officials at the highest level of power turned a blind eye to this criminal empire while they took huge sums of campaign cash. Obviously, federal authorities now have an even more important role in independently determining the scope of corruption and malfeasance – not only within the school, but within state government.”

Three years after it was exposed that Gov. John Kasich’s handpicked charter-czar David Hansen, husband of Kasich’s chief of staff, was illegally changing charter school grades to allow failing charter schools like ECOT to draw down on more taxpayer funding, little has happened at the Republican-controlled Statehouse to crack down, once and for all, on Ohio’s largely unregulated charter school industry.

“There is no doubt that the corrupt charter school system in Ohio was designed, not to help our children prepare for their future, but to help pad Republican campaign coffers,” Fedor added. “Today’s ruling reiterates what Bill Lager allegedly said, this whole scheme ‘isn’t about the children.’”

Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today condemned the governor’s signing of Senate Bill 175, Shoot First legislation that would permit the use of deadly force by individuals who believe their lives are endangered anywhere in the state. Democrats spoke against the extreme Shoot First bill in late December, saying it will threaten Black lives and makes Ohioans less safe. Sykes sent the governor a letter urging his veto of the controversial legislation Dec. 22.

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today issued a statement commemorating the 53^rd anniversary of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 and putting out information on frequently asked voting questions in advance of tomorrow’s August 7 special congressional election in central Ohio.

Ohio state Rep. Alicia Reece will lead a discussion on race, representation and important policy issues, like the threat of so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws and anti-voting legislation, at the National Urban League’s annual conference in Columbus TODAY at 2:30 p.m. in the Greater Columbus Convention Center Room C171.

Reece, the moderator of the Young, Black and Elected – New Era of Leadership panel, will be joined by Black leaders from across the nation, including DeSoto, Texas Councilwoman Canidce Quarles, and Louisiana state Rep. Katrina Jackson.

“When the Black community sees progress, we all, as Americans, share in that progress and the new opportunity that comes from it,” said Reece.  “But we can’t make progress in this country when fundamentally flawed laws like so-called Stand Your Ground and anti-voter restrictions sow fear and justified racial violence in our communities. With these emerging threats to the basic security and safety of communities throughout our nation, the only path to a brighter future begins with action.”

So-called “Stand Your Ground” legislation is being considered by the Republican-controlled Ohio House of Representatives, and could be up for a vote as soon as Sept. 19 during one of the House’s “if-needed” sessions.

In response to Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office*, state Reps. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) today called on AG DeWine to re-do the investigation into sexual harassment at the Statehouse in light of new information tainting the original investigation of state Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati).

“The conflict of interests here is glaring,” the lawmakers wrote in a response letter to AG DeWine. “This latest conflict to surface shows that the investigation that exonerated Seitz is even more tainted than we first believed.”

A copy of the lawmakers’ letter is attached. 

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Democratic Women’s Legislative Caucus yesterday during their first meeting of the 134th General Assembly elected their leadership team for this session:

State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today issued a statement following a recent federal court order requiring Secretary Husted to issue a directive reinstating the “APRI exception.” The court-ordered directive will require purged voters’ ballots to be counted in the upcoming central Ohio congressional race that will occur next Tuesday, August 7. 

Today, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus President State Rep. Thomas West (D-Canton) was sworn in by Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, followed by the following officers: State Reps. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland), Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), Erica Crawley (D-Columbus), Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati), and State Sens. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus), and Vernon Sykes (D-Akron). The change in leadership is also accompanied by the appointment of a new director of the caucus, Tony Bishop. The new leadership team briefly outlined a plan to better engage Black Ohioans and build the necessary coalitions across the state to improve the everyday lives of all Ohioans. The new leadership team issued the statements below following their swearing-in.

State Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today announced Ohio’s back-to-school sales tax-free holiday scheduled for this weekend, August 3-5, as a result of the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 226. The annual event helps lessen the sting of the 4.5 percent statewide sales tax hike passed by Republican lawmakers in the 2013 state budget. The hike has cost taxpayers almost $2 billion more since then, according to state revenue numbers.

“With so many Ohio families struggling to make ends meet already, the tax free holiday alleviates a bit of the financial burden that comes with back to school shopping,” said Galonski. “To be successful during the school year students and their families not only need to purchase class specific items, but also replace everyday use items. While a family may save a relatively small amount this weekend, those dollars add up so a student can have lunch money or be able to replace something later in the school year. Every little bit helps.”     

Following the 133rd General Assembly’s frustrating inability to take meaningful action to repeal House Bill 6, Select Committee on Energy Policy & Oversight Ranking Member David Leland (D-Columbus) is proposing legislation on day one of the 134th General Assembly aimed at breaking the logjam. This legislation combines House Bill 772 from the 133rd General Assembly with a groundbreaking, market-based, consumer-driven Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) program.

State Rep. Juanita Brent (D-Cleveland) today condemned Governor Mike DeWine’s signing into law of Senate Bill 175, which grants civil immunity to handgun licensees who are responsible for injury, death, or other loss as a result of carrying a handgun. The proposed amendment mimics “stand your ground” laws and permits the use of deadly force by individuals who believe their lives are endangered. Brent says the legislation disproportionately impacts the lives of Black Ohioans and puts the safety of Ohioans at risk.

House Democrats today celebrated a historically effective two-year legislative session, which saw them play a critical role in policymaking, passing dozens of bills and long-held caucus priorities, including investments in education, job training, and public transit, as well as tax cuts for working families and expanded health care access to improve maternal health and infant mortality. Dec. 31 marks the official end to the 133rd General Assembly (GA). 

Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued the following statement as Ohio and the nation will reportedly fall far short of the vaccination goal of 20 million doses by the end of the year. Just 2.1 million doses have been administered nationwide to date. The state Controlling Board Wednesday approved $125 million in funds to distribute vaccines.

State Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid) today highlighted several key priorities Democrats were able to deliver for Ohio taxpayers in 2020, including securing $4.53 billion in funding to assist local communities, front line workers, first responders, schools, small businesses, and Ohio’s working people and families affected by coronavirus and ongoing economic uncertainty.