Hearcel F. Craig News

Today, state Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) issued a statement in response to the shooting that left a teenager dead and multiple people injured in his district on July 4th.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to accept conference committee changes to House Bill 96, the state operating budget.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) hosted a Juneteenth flag raising ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse.

Today, state Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) criticized the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 172, a bill that threatens the due process rights of immigrants living in Ohio.

Today, state Senators Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) celebrated the passage of Senate Bill 85, their legislation to create the Ohio NAACP license plate. 

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) voted against House Bill 96, the Senate Republicans' version of the state operating budget.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) celebrated the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 95, which would designate a portion of I-71 in Columbus as the "Chief of Police James G. Jackson Memorial Highway."

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) commended the Ohio Senate's passage of House Bill 15, which makes significant changes to Ohio's energy policies to protect consumers, increase power generation, and improve the state's electric grid. House Bill 15 largely mirrors Senate Bill 2, which was unanimously passed by the Senate in March.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) condemned the Ohio Senate's concurrence of Senate Bill 1, also known as the "Higher Education Destruction Act."

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) gave sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 95, which would designate a portion of I-71 in Columbus as "Chief of Police James G. Jackson Memorial Highway." 

Today, state Senators Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Kent Smith (D-Euclid) gave sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 85, which would create the Ohio NAACP license plate.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) commended the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 2, which makes significant changes to Ohio's energy policies to protect consumers, increase power generation, and improve the state's electric grid.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) commended the Ohio Senate's passage of House Bill 54, the state's two-year transportation budget. The budget invests $11.5 billion over the biennium into Ohio's roads, bridges, airports, and railways, with nearly $200 million being invested in public transportation.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement in response to Governor Mike DeWine's State of the State address.

Today, state Senators Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) celebrated the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 39, their bill to require the creation of a poster highlighting benefits and resources available to veterans that would be available to employers free of charge.

Today, Senate Assistant Minority Leader Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) announced that the Juneteenth flag has officially been added to the list of flags that are allowed to be flown at the Ohio Statehouse. 

Today, state Senator Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to pass the highly controversial Senate Bill 1:  

Today, state Senators Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) introduced legislation that would prevent individuals convicted of first-degree misdemeanors for domestic violence from possessing firearms or dangerous weapons in Ohio.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) paid tribute to Ben Espy, former Ohio Senate Minority Leader and Columbus City Council member, who passed away on January 4, 2025. 

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) took the oath of office to continue serving in the Ohio Senate during the 136th General Assembly as Assistant Democratic Leader. 

Today, state Senators Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Bill DeMora (D-Columbus) announced their support for some of the recommendations made by the Joint Committee on Property Tax Review and Reform. The report recommended several legislative solutions, including raising the homestead exemption and considering the authorization of a property tax circuit breaker as proposed in Senate Bill 271, jointly sponsored by Senator Craig.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) celebrated the Ohio Legislature's passage of House Joint Resolution 8, a constitutional amendment that would ask voters to reauthorize the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) at the Ohio Public Works Commission. H.J.R. 8 is identical to Senate Joint Resolution 4, which passed out of the Senate in November and was sponsored by Senator Craig and state Senator Brian Chavez (R-Marietta). 

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and state Senator Stephanie Kunze (R-Dublin) applauded the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 207, which would designate September 19 as "Stillbirth Prevention Day" in Ohio.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and state Senator Brian Chavez (R-Marietta) celebrated the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Joint Resolution 4, which urges voters to renew the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP) at the Ohio Public Works Commission. 

This week, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus voted on and announced caucus leadership for the 136th General Assembly, beginning in January 2025.