Vernon Sykes News

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement to recognize the one-year anniversary of the police shooting of Jayland Walker.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to pass their version of House Bill 33, the state operating budget.

Today, state Senators Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) and state Representatives Tavia Galonski (D-Akron), Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) and Bob Young (R-Green) remembered former member of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus and lifelong resident of Akron, Tom Sawyer, who passed away on May 20.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) marched with members of the Akron community to demand justice for the death of Jayland Walker and call for increased accountability from the Akron Police Department.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued a response to the governor's decision to relocate the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) salt storage facility in Parkman Township, which has been connected to the contamination of 17 drinking water wells in the community.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued the following statement after the Ohio Senate voted to pass Senate Bill 83, the highly controversial Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement after the Ohio Senate voted along party lines to concur with the changes made by the House of Representatives to Senate Joint Resolution 2, which would raise the threshold for Ohioans to pass citizen-initiated constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement after the Ohio Senate voted along party lines to pass Senate Joint Resolution 2 and Senate Bill 92. S.J.R. 2 would raise the threshold for Ohioans to pass constitutional amendments from a simple majority to 60%, while S.B. 92 would allow for August special elections when a proposed constitutional amendment is on the ballot.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) released a comment on the decision by a special grand jury to not bring forward criminal charges against the eight Akron police officers involved in the killing of Jayland Walker.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued a statement after the Ohio Senate voted along party lines to pass Senate Bill 1, which drastically limits the duties and function of the State Board of Education and Department of Education.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) issued the following statement in response to Governor Mike DeWine's State of the State address:

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) announced the beginning of his service in the Ohio Senate for the 135th General Assembly.

This week, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) supported the Ohio Controlling Board's decision to release $15 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to food banks, so that they can acquire and distribute food to Ohioans.

Today, Ohio Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) and state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) released the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court ruled in a 4-3 vote that the congressional map adopted by Republican members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission on March 2, 2022 are unconstitutional:

This week, state Senator Dr. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) commended the Ohio Senate's passage of House Bill 687, the state Capital Budget that appropriates $7.4 million for economic development projects in Ohio's 28th Senate District, which includes Summit County.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, issued the following statement after a federal court ordered Ohio to hold the 2022 election using state legislative maps that were previously ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court:

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, issued the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the newest state legislative maps adopted by majority Commission members on May 5. The Court gave the Commission until June 3 to draw new, constitutional maps:

Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and House Minority Leader and Commission member Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) responded to the ORC's failure to adopt a new set of constitutional and fair state legislative maps by the May 6 Ohio Supreme Court deadline. Amid loud chants for fair maps from Ohioans, the majority of commissioners instead voted to adopt the third set of legislative maps, which were already ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court on March 16.

Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and House Minority Leader and Commission member Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) held a redistricting public forum today at the Ohio Statehouse after Republican commissioners refused to hold an official Redistricting Commission meeting despite multiple requests. Democrats heard from more than 60 Ohioans who shared their thoughts on the redistricting process and encouraged the Redistricting Commission to reconvene immediately to adopt fair, constitutional maps.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, issued the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the newest state legislative maps adopted by majority Commission members on March 28. The Court gave the Commission until May 6 to draw new, constitutional maps:

Today, Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and House Minority Leader and Commission member Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) issued a statement after the majority of Commissioners subverted the bipartisan, transparent map-drawing process ordered by the Ohio Supreme Court, instead introducing and adopting a set of state legislative maps that were drawn in secret by majority commissioners. The Republican maps fail to comply with the Constitution and Court requirement that maps must reflect the statewide preferences of Ohio voters who voted 54% Republican and 46% Democratic over the last 10 years. Republican commissioners forced a vote on the secret partisan maps before the Commission could review the final draft maps drawn by the independent map makers.

Today, state Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron), co-chair of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, issued the following statement after the Ohio Supreme Court invalidated the newest state legislative maps adopted by majority Commission members on February 24. The Court gave the Commission until March 28 to draw new, constitutional maps:

This week, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law Senate Bill 105, legislation introduced by state Senators Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Kirk Schuring (R-Canton) to require political subdivisions to recognize state certifications of minority business enterprises (MBEs), women-owned business enterprises (WBEs) and veteran-friendly business enterprises (VBEs).

Today, Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and House Minority Leader and Commission member Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) issued statements after Republican Commission members adopted a congressional map that unduly favors GOP candidates, and failed to pass by the bipartisan vote required by the state Constitution. Both Democrats voted against the map.

Today, Ohio Redistricting Commission Co-Chair Sen. Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and House Minority Leader and Commission member Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) issued a statement today after the majority of Commission members voted to pass another set of partisan state legislative maps that fail to comply with the Constitution and Court requirement that maps must reflect the statewide preferences of Ohio voters who voted 54% Republican and 46% Democratic over the last ten years. If approved by the Supreme Court, the maps will last for only four years.