Emilia Sykes
Office
Running for State Representative, Ohio, District 34 (2018)
Biography
State Representative Emilia Sykes is excited to be in her first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Emilia is living her dream of coming home to Akron to represent her neighbors in a district she loves.
Emilia is more than a state representative. She is someone you can trust to get the job done, someone who truly cares about our community.
Our district, the one you elected her to represent, faces great challenges. We have too many working families who are playing by the rules but still struggle to make ends meet every month. That’s why Emilia fought to be on the House Finance Committee, the panel that controls our state budget. Emilia is dedicated to strengthening middle class families and preparing Ohio’s economy for the future.
Emilia is passionate about improving health care for members of our community and all Ohioans. She cares deeply about our state’s infant mortality crisis, continuing adequate support for Medicaid and supporting our state’s children and elderly. Emilia fights for these issues daily as the Ranking Minority Member on the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and as a member of the Health and Aging Committee.
Emilia is also a member of the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees and was appointed to the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission.
Born and raised in Akron, Emilia and her sister grew up in a politically active and socially conscious family.
From an early age, Emilia learned the importance of public service. Her parents, Vernon and Barbara Sykes, have dedicated their lives to giving back to their community. Both served as elected leaders, and instilled in Emilia the value of giving back to those in need. Seeing her parents make positive changes for the Akron community was inspiring and set an example she continues to emulate.
Emilia’s parents also emphasized the importance of education. Emilia graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University with a B.A. in Psychology. Four years later, she earned her J.D. with a Certificate in Family Law from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. The same year, Emilia earned her Master of Public Health from the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions.
As the Administrative Staff Advisor at the Summit County Fiscal Office, Emilia helped to establish a county land bank that repurposed vacant and abandoned property. Prior to her time with the County, Emilia offered access to quality health and legal services to people in need at Community Legal Services in Akron. While working with other local organizations to find solutions to health issues, Emilia brought creative solutions to the problems that low-income citizens face. By working directly with individuals in need, Emilia has seen first-hand the necessity of a robust social safety net, good schools and access to job training.
Emilia continues to be a passionate voice for her community as an Ohio State Representative, and is constantly working to improve our Akron community for all Ohioans.
Source: Emilia Sykes.com
Priorities
Health Care
Protecting Women’s Health:
Politicians in the General Assembly continue to play doctor, passing legislation that is dangerous for women while placing medically unnecessary restrictions on basic health services. These attacks are a serious threat to some of the most essential rights protected by the Constitution. I continue to support Planned Parenthood and other organizations that support women and families and work for policies that respect women’s autonomy and rights to comprehensive healthcare.
I supported the decision to declare Ohio’s infant mortality epidemic a public health crisis. It’s time to get serious about reducing the infant mortality in our state by using resources to drive our efforts and actions to give credence to our words.
Unfortunately, the majority party inserted a measure in the state’s budget that would limit pregnancy care, as well as breast and cervical cancer treatments for low-income Ohio women. By cutting access to prenatal care, we risk worsening our state’s high infant mortality rate.
Implementing the Affordable Care Act:
I support the ACA’s option to expand Medicaid, which will provide health coverage to the neediest Ohioans. Medicaid expansion is a win-win that will provide health insurance to the working families who need it most without increasing the cost to our state’s taxpayers.
Reinforcing Our Safety Net:
Our state must continue to provide a robust safety net through healthcare, economic assistance and social programs. We are continuing to strengthen our community if we invest in our most treasured asset, our people.
Community Empowerment
Repurposing vacant and abandoned property:
There are hundreds of vacant and abandoned lots in our district. These empty spaces encourage crime, lower property values, and generally undermine the growth of our community. I work every day to collaborate with other local leaders to find creative solutions for these spaces that will enhance our community.
In the General Assembly, I introduced a bill that would establish procedures for the remediation of Ohio properties on which a meth lab has been discovered. The legislation established identification and cleanup procedures for sites that contain harmful meth-related chemicals. Remediation of these sites is the next step in the process of reclaiming our neighborhoods.
Voting rights:
We’ve seen what can happen when our state government passes laws that restrict voting rights. I am a tireless advocate for voting rights so that every Ohioan has equal access to the ballot.
I worked with my colleagues to remove a student voter suppression provision in the state’s transportation budget. The provision would have made it harder for out of state students to vote. With the help of students, voting rights groups and our caucus, we helped protect our most basic right in a democracy and the provision was vetoed.
Supporting local government:
I am working to ensure that policies are in place and resources are available so that local governments can adequately serve the community.
Law enforcement, infrastructure support and transportation are important tools to every community. These are essential for economic growth.
I was successful in removing a local hiring ban in the state’s $7 billion transportation budget bill,. The negotiations I held with members of the Ohio House and Senate stopped the potential devastation of Akron families and jobs and our state’s economy.
Education & Jobs
Early Childhood Education:
Many children enter elementary school behind their peers in wealthier districts. We need to do everything we can to provide all children the resources they need to succeed. By strengthening our early childhood education programs, we are providing a valuable return on this investment.
Renewing Our Commitment to Public Schools:
When our children walk into school, they should feel empowered, rather than defeated by the state evaluations their schools have received. In the Legislature, I am working to develop an evaluation system that provides the community with an accurate assessment of their schools, takes into account the unique needs of each district and doesn’t shame or belittle students and community members.
Creating Jobs:
I believe that education is the foundation of job creation. The state must encourage educational and job-training programs that meet the changing demands of today’s economy. This includes keeping college affordable and making trade and vocational programs available and accessible because an educated, well-trained workforce attracts businesses that keep good jobs here in Ohio and the 34th District.
Source: Emilia Sykes.com
Emilia Sykes
...
Office
Running for State Representative, Ohio, District 34 (2018)
Biography
State Representative Emilia Sykes is excited to be in her first term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Emilia is living her dream of coming home to Akron to represent her neighbors in a district she loves.
Emilia is more than a state representative. She is someone you can trust to get the job done, someone who truly cares about our community.
Our district, the one you elected her to represent, faces great challenges. We have too many working families who are playing by the rules but still struggle to make ends meet every month. That’s why Emilia fought to be on the House Finance Committee, the panel that controls our state budget. Emilia is dedicated to strengthening middle class families and preparing Ohio’s economy for the future.
Emilia is passionate about improving health care for members of our community and all Ohioans. She cares deeply about our state’s infant mortality crisis, continuing adequate support for Medicaid and supporting our state’s children and elderly. Emilia fights for these issues daily as the Ranking Minority Member on the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services and as a member of the Health and Aging Committee.
Emilia is also a member of the Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees and was appointed to the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission.
Born and raised in Akron, Emilia and her sister grew up in a politically active and socially conscious family.
From an early age, Emilia learned the importance of public service. Her parents, Vernon and Barbara Sykes, have dedicated their lives to giving back to their community. Both served as elected leaders, and instilled in Emilia the value of giving back to those in need. Seeing her parents make positive changes for the Akron community was inspiring and set an example she continues to emulate.
Emilia’s parents also emphasized the importance of education. Emilia graduated magna cum laude from Kent State University with a B.A. in Psychology. Four years later, she earned her J.D. with a Certificate in Family Law from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. The same year, Emilia earned her Master of Public Health from the University of Florida College of Public Health and Health Professions.
As the Administrative Staff Advisor at the Summit County Fiscal Office, Emilia helped to establish a county land bank that repurposed vacant and abandoned property. Prior to her time with the County, Emilia offered access to quality health and legal services to people in need at Community Legal Services in Akron. While working with other local organizations to find solutions to health issues, Emilia brought creative solutions to the problems that low-income citizens face. By working directly with individuals in need, Emilia has seen first-hand the necessity of a robust social safety net, good schools and access to job training.
Emilia continues to be a passionate voice for her community as an Ohio State Representative, and is constantly working to improve our Akron community for all Ohioans.
Source: Emilia Sykes.com
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Priorities
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Social