COLUMBUS - Today, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus sent a letter to Governor John R. Kasich, urging him to use his line item veto authority to remove several troubling provisions from Amended Substitute House Bill 49, the state budget bill. 

COLUMBUS – Today, members of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus expressed frustration with their Republican colleagues' choice to make cuts to communities and services when better alternatives existed. The Republican-led Senate passed their version of the two-year state budget bill (Amended Substitute House Bill 49) this evening and sent it to the House for concurrence. Senate Democrats had offered two alternative budget plans that would have balanced Ohio's budget and sent funding where it was most needed. Both of these proposals were rejected in favor of massive cuts across the board.

COLUMBUS – Today, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus announced a budget plan that would erase the state budget deficit and provide additional funding for communities, schools, Medicaid, and the fight against Ohio’s opioid crisis. This could be accomplished by suspending the business investor tax break, which has failed to create jobs. It does not provide employers enough funds to hire any new workers. The nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission (LSC) estimates the tax deduction will cost Ohio over $1 billion per year during the next budget. 

COLUMBUS – Today, as President Trump visits Ohio, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus is calling on the U.S. Congress to vote against the American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA). According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis, the AHCA would result in one million Ohioans losing insurance coverage. Over 23 million Americans would lose coverage by 2026.

COLUMBUS—Today, State Senator Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) introduced Senate Bill 161, which would designate a portion of I-271 in Beachwood as the “Captain Michael Palumbo Memorial Highway.” Captain Palumbo was a vocal advocate for benefits for firefighters. He was the namesake for a recent bill to help provide workers compensation to firefighters with certain job-related cancers. Governor Kasich signed the Michael Louis Palumbo Jr. Act into law earlier this year.

COLUMBUS – Today, Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D- Richmond Heights) and Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Boardman) announced the Call Center Consumer Protection Act, Senate Bill 156. This bill would incentivize call centers to keep their jobs in the state of Ohio instead of moving them overseas.