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Democrats Say Republican Lawmakers Are Heading Home without Addressing Gun Violence

A photo of the Senate chamber on the first day of session, January 2017.
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
A photo of the Senate chamber on the first day of session, January 2017.

The Republican leader of Ohio’s Senate says the short-term goals of his caucus have been accomplished. But some lawmakers disagree.

Senate President Larry Obhof says senators have passed the items that are important to them and are ready to go on break for the summer.

“On the priorities that we set out, we’ve tried as much as possible that we could get those done.”

But Democratic Minority Leader Kenny Yuko says there are priorities Republicans haven’t addressed, such as school safety.

“We can’t sit back and let people die and do nothing and say we have done our job so we have got to keep working.”

Yuko wants to pass Democratic gun-reform bills, as well as a Republican bill of several reforms backed by Gov. John Kasich. Obhof says that bill is not going to pass and he says he’s not going to set an arbitrary deadline for possibly passing some others.

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment. Jo started her career in Louisville, Kentucky in the mid 80’s when she helped produce a televised presidential debate for ABC News, worked for a creative services company and served as a general assignment report for a commercial radio station. In 1989, she returned back to her native Ohio to work at the WOSU Stations in Columbus where she began a long resume in public radio.