emilia sykes
Ohioans in the U.S. House and Senate have introduced rail safety bills, how do they differ?
Ohio’s congressional delegation was quick to promise legislative action in the wake of the East Palestine train derailment. Now, lawmakers have introduced bipartisan measures in both chambers of Congress. In a moment of divided government and fever-pitch partisanship, it’s notable lawmakers from both parties came together to propose substantive policy changes. However, proponents could still […]
Last minute donations: Who gave to Ohio’s federal candidates in the final weeks of the election?
Donors spent a lot of money in Ohio during this year’s election. Campaign advertising tracker AdImpact estimated $344 million went into ads on TV, online or over the radio. OpenSecrets, which tracks federal campaigns, showed candidates raising about $100 million — and that didn’t take into account the final week of fundraising. During the final […]
For years, Portman navigated the shifting political climate. Now he wants out.
Rob Portman of Ohio will not be seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate, with the Cincinnati Republican citing increased polarization in American politics as a reason to not campaign for a third term The surprise announcement on Monday morning set off an early-week scramble for politicians of both parties to consider a run at the […]
House lawmakers leave racism resolution on the table
A resolution declaring racism a public health crisis did not receive a hearing before the Ohio House of Representatives left for their summer break. The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus announced the measure at the beginning of the month, and it was referred to the House’s State and Local Government Committee on June 3. The bill […]
Police say suspect threatened to kill father of ranking house Dem unless she resigned
Democratic House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes received a call from an unknown man on May 23 calling from her father’s phone number, threatening to kill him if she didn’t “step aside” politically, according to a police report released Friday. The suspect claimed he had her father, Democratic state Senator Vernon Sykes, captive. He told her not […]
Voting advocates finding common ground on election reform, with one exception
There is plenty that Ohio leaders and voting advocates agree on when it comes to forming a plan for the November general election. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and voter rights groups agree, for example, that absentee ballot requests should be available on the internet instead of just through the mail. They also agree […]
Jewish leader: response to Brenner part of ‘protocol’ on handling Ohio pols’ Nazi comparisons
When the anti-Semitic comments amplified by state Sen. Andrew Brenner were uncovered Wednesday morning, Howie Beigelman, the son of a Holocaust survivor, knew what to do. He picked up the phone and called Brenner directly to talk about them. This is the third such call the executive director of Ohio Jewish Communities has had to […]
The Ohio Primary Election is postponed. Now what?
The dust is beginning to settle following a dizzying Monday that saw the Primary Election dragged through a press conference, challenged in court and ultimately postponed through an emergency health declaration. The election did not happen Tuesday as planned. Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, heralded for their earlier decisions amid […]
The money and interests targeting Ohio’s legislature and Supreme Court in 2020
It’s not an understatement to say this November’s General Election will have monstrous implications. Everything comes to a head in this 2020 cycle: the legislatures, the courts, the census, control of the new redistricting effort and a presidential race sure to bring immense turnout this fall. As such, both political parties are doing everything they […]
Many Ohio lawmakers use campaign $$ to subscribe to hometown papers
Dozens of Ohio legislators are choosing to spend their donors’ money in the interest of local journalism. In total, 35 state representatives and senators paid for news subscriptions using campaign funds in 2019, a review from the Ohio Capital Journal has found. And though the president bemoans the alleged problem of “fake news,” it is […]
Improving Medicaid, stopping gun violence, and addressing housing discrimination
Each day in our newsletter, we are highlighting stories and commentary from other media big and small throughout Ohio and the nation. If you’d like to get this feature directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. Catching Our Eye: History Thursday The creative characterizations of the impeachment of Andrew Johnson given by […]
Helium, honey and hair products: A look into Ohio pols’ odd campaign expenses
A few years ago, during the lull before the Nelsonville Parade of the Hills, a young campaign volunteer made their way down a busy sidewalk. Most of the families had come prepared with empty shopping bags, awaiting an onslaught of candy, but some children did not have one. They might have been forced to collect […]