hearcel craig
Ohio state Senate Democrats lay out priorities for the coming term
Ohio’s Senate Democrats gathered in a Statehouse conference room Tuesday to discuss their priorities for the coming term. The gathering itself offered a stark visual reminder of the challenges the minority faces. The seven Democratic senators weren’t even enough to fill the small conference table where they met. Minority Leader Nickie Antonio acknowledged they face […]
Ohio’s minimum wage to rise by 10 cents per hour in 2021
The Ohio minimum wage will rise by 10 cents to $8.80 per hour in 2021. That will be the wage for non-tipped employees. Tipped workers will earn $4.35 per hour plus tips in 2021. Ohio workers under the age of 16 will make the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour. Ohio’s minimum wage […]
State senators introduce bill to make Juneteenth a paid holiday in Ohio
Will Ohio become the second state in America to make Juneteeth a paid holiday? That’s the hope of two bipartisan state senators who introduced Senate Bill 334 on Monday to make that happen. They are state Sens. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus, and Andrew Brenner, R-Powell. Craig and Powell are joined by 12 other state senators, including […]
Ohio House passes bill to limit Dr. Acton’s power to issue health orders
A small group of Ohio legislators may be given the chance to put the state’s COVID-19 health orders to a vote. The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a bill that would give that group authority to approve or reject certain orders from Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the Ohio Department of Health. The […]
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 […]
Musician sings of struggles as lawmakers highlight bills that would help black families
The story sung by Paisha Thomas inside the Ohio Statehouse atrium tells of a hard-working mother. She has three kids, and is stuck picking up extra shifts on Fridays to make up for the time spent raising them. She weighs the cost and makes the choice, is it the chicken or the rent? As the […]