ICYMI: Sykes sneaks pay raise into bill for families of fallen first responders

During her time in the Ohio legislature, Democrat Emilia Sykes snuck a pay raise for herself into legislation that was supposed to benefit the families of fallen first responders.

NRCC Comment: “Career politician Emilia Sykes has proven she’ll do anything to enrich herself at the expense of Ohio taxpayers, and Ohioans deserve better.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Courtney Parella

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OH-13 Democrat Nominee Emilia Sykes Inserted Pay Increase into Legislation to Benefit First Responders Families
The Ohio Star
By Aaron Gulbransen
August 29, 2022
https://theohiostar.com/2022/08/29/oh-13-democrat-nominee-emilia-sykes-inserted-pay-increase-into-legislation-to-benefit-first-responders-families/

In 2018, as an Ohio legislative leader, OH-13 Democrat nominee Emilia Sykes inserted a pay raise for herself into legislation to benefit the families of fallen first responders.

Between December 2017 and December 31, 2018, Emilia Sykes served as the Democratic Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives. In the Ohio House of Representatives, the minority whip “is responsible for monitoring legislation and securing votes for legislation on the floor. The Minority Whip is elected by all members of the House and is responsible for monitoring legislation and security votes for legislation on the floor.”

In a late-night and last-minute move in 2018, legislative leaders put the pay raise into the legislation because they wanted something that then-Governor John Kasich would not veto.

“Just before the clock struck midnight during a marathon legislative session Thursday, Ohio lawmakers approved a pay raise for themselves and other elected officials,” reported Cleveland.com.

“Just before the clock struck midnight during a marathon legislative session Thursday, Ohio lawmakers approved a pay raise for themselves and other elected officials, tacking it onto a bill to increase benefits for the widows and children of fallen first responders. Senate Bill 296 now heads to Gov. John Kasich, who called the measure “this grubby pay bill” and is likely to veto it. However, the bill passed both the Ohio House and Senate by wider margins than the three-fifths majority needed to override Kasich’s veto, should it come to that,” added the outlet.

The pay raise legislation was inserted into another bill, likely with the hope that lawmakers would not vote against legislation to benefit the families of fallen first responders.

“Governor John Kasich calls it quote a grubby pay bill, but it’s unclear if he’ll veto a pay raise which Ohio lawmakers gave to themselves in the dark of night … Remember when Kentucky lawmakers stuck a pension bill into a sewer measure earlier this year? Well, Ohio lawmakers just did a somewhat similar last-minute combo. In this case attaching the pay raise to a bill which no one would oppose – increasing benefits for spouses and children of fallen first responders,” said Cleveland.com.

Governor John Kasich originally vetoed the legislation “because it included pay raises for lawmakers and other elected officials.”

“Gov. John Kasich on Friday vetoed a bill that would extend increase benefits for deceased first responders’ families because it included pay raises for lawmakers and other elected officials. The pay raises, the first in 10 years, were added late in the session to Senate Bill 296. The bill would increase benefits for widows and children of deceased police officers and firefighters,” reported WKYC.

“‘Nobody likes pay raises,’ Kasich told reporters during a luncheon Dec. 13. ‘It would be one thing if they did it in the light of day, but it’s another thing if you do it and just kind of sneak it through. I don’t think people like that.’”