House Dems conclude Ohio Promise Tour as legislature returns for fall session

House Democrats announced the conclusion of their Ohio Promise Town Hall Tour this week, which saw more than two dozen stops in cities across the state over the past two months. In the wake of the mass shooting in Dayton in August, Ohioans all across the state came out to urge action on commonsense gun safety, an issue Democrats say is a top concern heading into the fall session.

“As elected officials, we work for you, and that’s what this Ohio Promise Tour was all about—to be accessible to our constituents, to listen to their concerns and to reaffirm our commitment to working together to better the lives of working people and families by restoring opportunity for all Ohioans,” said House Minority Leader Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Akron).

In the nearly 30 town halls House Democrats held this summer, a top issue at nearly every event was commonsense gun safety reform, with everyday Ohioans expressing concerns about what the legislature is doing to help keep Ohio’s kids and communities safe.

“Ohioans from all political backgrounds want more—not less—safety in their communities,” added Leader Sykes. “That’s why we’re calling on Republican leadership in the House to hold hearings on commonsense gun safety bills. We can’t afford to wait another day.”

In the wake of the Dayton shooting, House Dems renewed their calls for commonsense gun safety measures, introducing several new bills to help keep Ohio’s kids and communities safe. They’ve continued to call for action, launching a website, DoSomethingOhio.com, which provides resources for Ohioans who want to get involved and hold the legislature accountable to do something about gun violence.

In addition to gun safety, many of the other top concerns among attendees during the Ohio Promise Tour focused on local issues, including Republican budget cuts to local governments, fair school funding and state takeovers. Other issues included healthcare access and job training.

The tour also saw lawmakers provide constituents with a legislative update, including information on the recently passed state budget, bipartisan priorities, and several Democratic-led wins for working people and families during the first half of the 2019 legislative session.

To close the tour, House Democrats today released an Ohio Promise Tour recap video, which shows footage from more than a dozen town hall tour events, as well as interviews with Democratic members and attendees. Media can download production quality video of the Ohio Promise tour HERE.

To find a full list of Ohio Promise Tour stops and to access official photos, visit www.ohiohousedemocrats.org.