Democratic News

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus today released the following statement on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus today released the following statement on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day:

COLUMBUS — Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) today released the following statement after Attorney General Dave Yost rejected the summary for a proposed referendum to allow voters to roll back harmful provisions of Senate Bill (SB) 56:

COLUMBUS — Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) today condemned the Senate’s passage of anti-voter Senate Bill (SB) 56 which overrides the will of Ohio voters on cannabis and undercuts local craft brewers and businesses with hemp products.

COLUMBUS –Ohio Democratic Women’s Legislative Caucus Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 from complications of cancer.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87 from complications of cancer.

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) and Latyna M. Humphrey (D-Columbus) today responded to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review’s (JCARR) unanimous decision to move proposed rule 173-2-08 forward for a business impact analysis before it can be reconsidered by the committee. 

COLUMBUS — Ohio House Democrats today sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine requesting a full veto of anti-voter Senate Bill (SB) 293, which places new burdens on voters by adding unnecessary hurdles to the voting process, shortening the time available for Ohioans to make their voices heard, and weakening essential accountability measures.

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), Mike Sheehy (D-Oregon), and Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) expressed disappointment today after Governor Mike DeWine decided to issue a waiver of his public health orders for political rallies, including an upcoming presidential rally in Toledo on Monday.

COLUMBUS — Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) today condemned the passage of anti-voter Senate Bill (SB) 293 which implements unnecessary hurdles to the voting process, SB 56 which overrides the will of Ohio voters on cannabis and undercuts local craft brewers and businesses with hemp products, and HB 184 which slashes funding for nursing homes and childcare.

COLUMBUS –Ahead of the first-ever National Black Voter Day on Sept. 18, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) issued a statement calling for action to eliminate systemic barriers to voting in Ohio. The call comes as the Ohio Senate considers House Bill (HB) 680, the GOP election bill that would create new voting restrictions like shortening the time for voters to request absentee ballots, eliminating the ability for the secretary of state to prepay return postage for ballot materials, and barring the Health Director and other officials from affecting the conduct of elections—even in the interest of public health.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) today condemns the advancement of House Concurrent Resolution 26, a measure that seeks to summon and publicly admonish Judge Ted N. Berry, a respected Cincinnati Municipal Court judge and son of Cincinnati’s first Black mayor.

COLUMBUS - Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) today released the following statement concerning Friday’s meeting of the Ohio Redistricting Commission where a negotiated congressional map was approved that ensures current Democratic seats remain competitive races: 

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement following Governor Mike DeWine’s creation of a new dashboard for parents and caregivers that provides information about cases, hospitalizations and deaths among Ohio’s children. DeWine today referred to the statistic that Black children make up 45% of all COVID-19 hospitalizations but only 18% of the population as “troubling.”

COLUMBUS — Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) today released the following statement after Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) giving $7M though the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to various Ohio food banks and up to $18M in funds to Ohioans who are at or below 50% of the federal poverty level who already qualify for Ohio Works First (OWF) cash assistance. 

COLUMBUS— State Representative Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) responded today to developments in a lawsuit against Secretary of State Frank LaRose about his limiting all Ohio counties to one ballot drop box per county. Yesterday, a Franklin County judge declared LaRose’s actions “arbitrary” and “unreasonable,” but Sec. LaRose continued to instruct counties they could have no more than one drop box. The court has now ordered LaRose to answer for himself by today at 3 p.m. 

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) participated in a virtual press conference with other House Democratic lawmakers to discuss legislative solutions that are needed as the state faces multiple unprecedented crises. The Ohio House was scheduled to meet for an if-needed House session today, but Speaker Robert Cupp canceled this session on Friday, Sept. 11.

COLUMBUS – House Democrats slammed GOP lawmakers on the Controlling Board Monday for refusing to approve funds to cover the cost of absentee ballot postage for Ohio voters ahead of the November election.

COLUMBUS— State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) responded to today’s refusal by the state Controlling Board to grant the Secretary of State’s last minute request for additional authority to pay return postage for absentee ballots. Sec. LaRose recently mailed absentee ballot applications to registered Ohio voters without including return postage. Sweeney has been urging LaRose for months to use the existing authority of his office to pay return postage for both ballot applications and absentee ballots.

COLUMBUS –House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement on the 19^th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.