Kent Smith News

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to accept conference committee changes to Senate Bill 56, which significantly changes the state's adult-use cannabis program and directly undermines the will of Ohio voters, who established Ohio's recreational marijuana industry by passing State Issue 2 in 2023. 

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) praised the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) for issuing two major enforcement orders totaling $250.7 million in restitution and civil forfeitures against FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities-following years of investigations tied to the House Bill 6 corruption scandal.

Today, state Senator Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) and state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) gave sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 235, which would ban the sale and use of devices that accelerate a firearm's rate of fire. Senator Craig also gave sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 238, which would provide gun owners with options to safely store their firearms.

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) gave sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 245 and Senate Bill 246, legislation to reform how public utilities are regulated in Ohio and implement safeguards to protect consumers.

Nobody in Ohio just pays property tax. People also pay sales tax and income tax. Everyone's tax burden is a three-legged stool. Today's property tax crisis didn't just emerge overnight. It's been 20 years in the making. It creates unfair burdens on local governments and those on a fixed income, but it is also out-of-balance when you compare Ohio to its nine Great Lakes and neighboring states. Read more...

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement regarding Statehouse Republicans' decision to ignore the constitutional requirement to pass a bipartisan congressional map by September 30. 

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) condemned the Ohio Senate Republicans' vote to override Governor DeWine's veto of a provision to restrict the ability of communities to put levies for schools and local services before voters under the guise of tax relief.

State Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) has announced a series of town halls in Ohio's 21st Senate District. He will host 15 town halls in 19 days between Wednesday, August 5, and Saturday, August 23.  The purpose of these town halls will be to educate constituents and local leaders on matters affecting them in the legislature, share legislative priorities, and take questions. A full schedule of the town halls can be found here:

In mid-July, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) presented the Jane B. Sheats Community Impact Award to seven residents in Ohio's 21st Senate District. Five of the awards were given to a group of Laurel High School students who led Laurel's Environmental Action for the Future (L.E.A.F.) The other two awards went to Robin Koslen and Suzanne Zilber, both Cleveland Heights residents who organized the 2025 Resistance Fair in February 2025.

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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 Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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 Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement in response to the Ohio Senate's passage of Senate Bill 4, which undermines local governments by establishing a partisan Election Integrity Unit under the Secretary of State.  

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 Kent Smith (D-Euclid) voted against House Bill 96, the Senate Republicans' version of the state operating budget.

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement in response to reports of a man burning 100 library books from the Beachwood Public Library. The books, mainly about subjects such as Jewish history, African American history, and LGBTQ+ education, were burned in a series of social media posts, as reported by Cleveland.com.

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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, Senate Democratic Whip Kent Smith (D-Euclid) and Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) introduced legislation that calls on state and federal legislators to support an amendment to the United States Constitution that would eliminate corporate personhood and the legal doctrine of money being equated with political speech.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood), Senate Democratic Whip Kent Smith (D-Euclid), and state Senators Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) sent a letter to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio urging them to carefully consider the recent FirstEnergy layoffs when evaluating personnel costs in their ongoing rate case.

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 Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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 Kent Smith (D-Euclid) 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 Kent Smith (D-Euclid) released the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 56, which overhauls the adult-use recreational marijuana laws that the majority of Ohioans voted to approve in 2023.

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to pass the highly controversial Senate Bill 1:

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) issued the following statement in response to former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and senior vice president Michael Dowling being charged in federal court for their role in the H.B. 6 corruption scheme:

Today, state Senator Kent Smith (D-Euclid) held a press conference to discuss the values that will guide his work in the 136th General Assembly, the "Rules for the Road Ahead."