Democratic News

State Rep. Randi Clites (D-Ravenna) and students at Kent State University today responded to a notification the university released Thursday informing students of a delay in issuing tuition bills due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the passage of the Ohio state budget.

“As legislators, it is our constitutional duty to pass a long-term budget by June 30. Interim budgets bring uncertainty and break the promise we made to taxpayers to do so. The delay in billing at Kent State shows the detrimental effects of missing the budget deadline has had on all Ohioans, including students who rely on financial aid and student loans,” said Rep. Clites. “In a state with one-party rule, we should not be putting Ohio students and families in such an uncertain position. I am committed to working together to get this done and I call on Statehouse Republicans to do the same.”

House Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today called on state lawmakers to recover funds lost by Ohio libraries during the ongoing 17-day temporary budget extension. Ohio’s public library systems have lost thousands of dollars under the bill, and stand to lose more if Republican lawmakers cannot reach a long-term deal by July 17.

Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today announced the selection of Amber Epling as Communications Director for the House Democratic Caucus.

House Democratic lawmakers from across Ohio today sent a letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose seeking information from his office about the impact of moving the 2020 presidential primary from March 10 to March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. See the letter below.

COLUMBUS — House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) today made the following statement concerning a Federal Court’s blocking of the misleading, so-called “foreign money ban” that was set to take effect Sunday:

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued the following statement in response to Governor DeWine’s call to abandon fair tax reform in order to break ongoing Republican gridlock and quickly pass a budget – regardless of its fiscal impact on the state’s bottom line.

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) and State Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) Wednesday submitted a filing with the Ohio Supreme Court detailing the alleged legal malpractice of Attorney General Dave Yost and overtly partisan behavior of the Ballot Board chair Secretary of State Frank LaRose concerning each party’s conduct with the Citizens Not Politicians legal matter. 

As Republican legislative leaders remain deadlocked on a long-term budget deal, House Democratic lawmakers today voted in favor of Senate Bill (SB) 171, which would extend funding for the next 17 days to avoid a government shutdown. They also voted to pass SB 172, a 30-day funding extension for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. The Ohio Constitution requires both budgets to be passed by July 1.

“The majority party has been unwilling to work together, and now our only option to fulfill our constitutional duty and avoid a Republican shutdown is to pass this short-term budget,” said House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron). “Democrats are committed to fulfilling our promise to taxpayers and hope our majority-party colleagues can put the petty politics aside to do the same.”

COLUMBUS — Cuyahoga County State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake), Phillip M. Robinson (D-Solon), Sean Patrick Brennan (Parma) and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne hosted a press conference Tuesday in Cuyahoga County addressing state-mandated property valuation changes and solutions to growing concerns over rising property taxes for Ohio homeowners. 

Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) today issued a statement decrying Republican Statehouse leaders whose failure to come to an agreement on the state budget now threatens a state government shutdown. The Ohio Constitution requires the budget to be passed by July 1.

COLUMBUS — House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) and Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) today sent a letter to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost detailing his blatant disregard for the legal rights of the minority members of the Ohio Ballot Board— Rep. Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) and Senator Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) —who broke with the majority of Ballot Board members and voted against Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s deceptive and misleading ballot summary language for the Citizens Not Politicians constitutional amendment, Issue 1.