Hearcel F. Craig News

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) took the oath of office to serve in the Ohio Senate as Assistant Minority Leader during the 135th General Assembly.

Today, the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus voted on and announced caucus leadership for the 135th General Assembly, beginning in January 2023. The Caucus voted to elect state Senator Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) as Minority Leader.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig issued a statement celebrating the release of a new report by the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, a state commission established last year and charged to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the impact of Ohioans on the nation's past, present, and future.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement:

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement after members of the Columbus Education Association went on strike after an impasse over negotiations with the Columbus City Schools for safer working and learning conditions:

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement to praise the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 323, which designates a portion of State Route 315, extending from King Avenue to Broad Street in Columbus, as the "Jesse Owens Memorial Highway."

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) praised the Ohio Senate's passage of House Bill 687, the state Capital Budget that appropriates $10.7 million for 20 economic development projects in Ohio's 15th Senate District, which includes part of Franklin County.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement in response to a mass shooting this week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 children and two teachers.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) congratulated the 2022 class of the City of Columbus Hall of Fame: Maude Hill, Mary Teresa Funk, Rev. Dr. James Poindexter and Ned Pettus Jr., whom Senator Craig spoke about during the ceremony.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement after the cosmetic company Orveon announced that it will open an extension of its corporate offices in the Arena District in Columbus, which will create 150 new jobs.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) issued the following statement after Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, making her the first Black woman to ever serve as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

This week, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Representative Kristin Boggs (D-Columbus) honored Columbus resident Kaylie Goines as the 2022 Youth of the Year awardee for the Boy and Girls Clubs of Central Ohio.

Today, state Senators Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) highlighted Ohio's Step Up to Quality Program, the impacts of improved kindergarten readiness and the need to increase pay for early childhood education workers during a press conference on the expanding access to and increasing the quality of early childhood education programs.

Last week, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) spoke at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Lockbourne Greene Housing Development in the South Side neighborhood of Columbus.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus), a member of the Ohio Retirement Study Council (ORSC), released the following statement after each system reported on the status of their Russian holdings and the Council voted to require Ohio's five public pension systems - the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, the State Teachers Retirement System, the School Employees Retirement System, the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund and the Ohio Highway Patrol Retirement System - to report their progress and process on Russian divestiture at the next ORSC meeting.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) announced that the Ohio Legislative Service Commission (LSC) is accepting applications for its 13-month Legislative and Media Production Fellowship Program. The Commission will hire 24 fellows to work with members of the Ohio General Assembly throughout 2023.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) released the following statement after the Senate passed, on a party-line vote, Senate Bill 258 - a congressional district map that continues to gerrymander Ohio's communities:

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) released the following statement after Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission adopted state legislative maps that continue to gerrymander Ohio's communities and give the Republican Party an unearned advantage in the General Assembly:

Today, Ohio state Senators Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) conducted a focus group at Columbus Chamber of Commerce in Columbus to identify obstacles and collaborate on solutions to enhance the experience of minority business owners.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor announced that they will champion legislation to give property owners the freedom to redact discriminatory language from their online housing documents.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) announced that the Ohio General Assembly passed his legislation to designate Poindexter Village in Columbus as a state historic site, after adding it to House Bill 110, the operating budget.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) announced that the Ohio General Assembly passed his legislation to make Juneteenth a paid state holiday, after adding it to House Bill 110, the operating budget.

Today, Assistant Minority Whip Hearcel F. Craig announced that he voted against House Bill 110, the state operating budget. All members of the Democratic Caucus joined in opposition.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) released the following statement on the sub-bill to H. B. 110 introduced in the Senate Finance committee this morning:

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) announced the Senate's passage of Senate Bill 31, his legislation to designate Columbus' Poindexter Village as a state historic site.