Columbus – State Senator Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) today voted against House Bill 59, the biennial operating budget for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015.  Noting that she and her Democrat colleagues tried to improve the legislation by offering amendments on a broad range of topics, Senator Smith said that she could not support a budget that did nothing to address the lack of funds to local governments, health disparities across the state, or increased funds for Ohio foodbanks.

Cleveland – Today, State Senator Shirley Smith announced that she has organized a full day of events on Thursday, May 23rd from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM at the Wolstein Center (2000 Prospect Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115) on the campus of Cleveland State University related to workforce re-entry for ex-offenders. The event will feature workshops surrounding records expungement and the Certificate of Qualification for Employment (CQE), provisions of law that became effective with the passage of Senate Bill 337 last year.

Columbus – State Senator Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) stood with her Democrat colleagues today and announced that she has introduced legislation, Senate Bill 117, to expand Medicaid in Ohio to cover individuals up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, as allowed by the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act of 2008 and as proposed by Governor John Kasich in his second biennial budget.

Columbus – Senate Bill 10, Senator Shirley Smith’s (D-Cleveland) legislation to increase access to the polls for individuals with disabilities, was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon.