Ohio State House District 19 Choose 1
**The information on this page reflects Ohio s new State Senate and State House districts that determine elections in 2024 and go into effect in 2025, which may be different from your current districts.
Biographical Information
Training and Experience
President B & P Spring
Volunteer/Community Service
Youth Baseball & Soccer Coach
What are your top priorities and how will you address them?
My top priority is to help the citizens of the19th district in Ohio. The " little man/woman " voices are no longer heard. I have always been seen in the local communities through coaching and business and I will use the power of the state rep title to smash down doors that stop others from succeeding.
What changes do you support or oppose to voting and elections policy?
Voting is the most important and basic right of every citizen. I am in favor of absentee voting upon request and I would like to see a national holiday once every four years for the presidential race. I do not think that it takes 6-9 weeks to vote.
How should government bring economic and job opportunities to Ohio?
Federal, state and local governments responsibility are to foster an atmosphere that allows for businesses to survive and flourish. The private sector will seek communities that allow this and will invest in the best run city and state.
What are your aspirations for K-12 and higher education?
My philosophy is simple and based upon the rule of Ashland University... "Teach Students How To Think, Not What To Think " Promoting and encouraging the student to think for her or himself should be the goal of every school board and every educator.
Under what circumstances should the state support or check local government?
The " check " in local govt. comes from the citizens of the local community when they vote - What I expect from state support is that they treat all local govt. equally. There is no reason that money should be allocated in different amounts. Rewarding local governments that have made poor decisions only reinforces the same poor leadership. Safety of all citizens and increased property values should be the goal of all local leaders.
State your position on healthcare policy.
The ACA is the law of the land and Americans will continue to be priced gouged until lobbyist are removed from the equation. "Big Pharma " will make massive profits and politicians will continue to vote accordingly until their feet are held to the fire. Incentives must be put in place for employers that offer healthcare and to individuals that do not abuse the system.
State your position on environmental policy and natural resource management?
America and American businesses should be held to the same standards of that of the rest of the world. There are many instances however where American businesses rules, regulations and fines are often more severe than other countries. Fairness is a must and America must lead the way rather than be dictated to by outside world organizations
What role, if any, should government take to ensure no person is discriminated against?
If a person feels he or she has been discriminated against, the private sector can do much more to help than any public official can.... laws and regulations already in place allow for all to flourish.
Biographical Information
Website
http://www.robinsonforohio.com
Twitter
@robinsonforoh
Training and Experience
Growing up in northeast Ohio, I saw firsthand from my parents that through hard work, sacrifice, and dedication, it is possible to live the American Dream. My experiences working in the public, for profit, and nonprofit sectors provide me with an unique perspective on how to bring people to get things done for hardworking Ohioans. I am in my third term as state representative.
Volunteer/Community Service
Ohio Democratic Party Central Committee Member - District 18; Ohio Democratic Party Executive Committee Member; Cuyahoga County Democratic Party - Central/Precinct Committee Member, Executive Committee Member, and Solon/Glenwillow City Leader
What are your top priorities and how will you address them?
We are at a crossroads, in both Ohio and our country. The three greatest issues facing our communities today are fighting for educational opportunity for all students; addressing the real threats to economic stability for working families; and advocating for social equality for everyone. Democrats must fight for better jobs and brighter futures for all Ohioans.
What changes do you support or oppose to voting and elections policy?
We must rollback anti-voter policies put in place by HB458 such as expanding eligible voter identification, and maximizing early voting opportunities. We must maintain accurate voter registration lists, implement language assistance programs, and allow for automatic and same day voter registration. It is imperative that all Ohioans who want to cast a ballot are able to do so.
How should government bring economic and job opportunities to Ohio?
In my first term my bill, signed into law by Gov. DeWine, helps streamline the process of developing industry-recognized credential and certificate programs. HB 4 helps expand workforce training and certification development options. HB 4 sets up the Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation (OWT) as the potential first point of contact and resource for employers and companies to connect to existing certificate or credential programs, proposals and get guidance on how to work with schools and state education agencies to develop programs, and helps make the process quick and efficient. More training options lead to better paying jobs and careers for Ohioans.
What are your aspirations for K-12 and higher education?
As a state representative, I co-sponsored HB 305, overhauling Ohio’s public school funding formula. I will continue fighting to ensure funding is equitable for all Ohio students and keep public education funds in our public schools.
I passed a bill eliminating state mandated student retention provisions of the Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Ohio needs to invest in proven ways to improve K-3 reading proficiency, such as universal pre-school and all-day kindergarten.
Ohio’s higher education institutions prepare the next generation for the workforce by advancing critical thinking, freedom of speech, and intellectual diversity. Political interference has no place in Ohio’s public colleges and universities.
Under what circumstances should the state support or check local government?
Ohio’s state constitution grants the right to municipal home rule, guaranteeing local governments the right to manage themselves without interference from the legislature. The GOP supermajority legislature is chipping away at home rule. Recent trends show conservative policies are approved while progressive policies, such as gun safety measures, plastic bag bans, and regulating flavored tobacco products, are blocked.
State your position on healthcare policy.
In my first term, I co-sponsored HB 390, which would incorporate into Ohio law patient protections in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This bill would protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, limit insurance premiums, ban annual and lifetime limits, and ensure coverage of essential health benefits, such as preventative and maternal healthcare.
I will continue to support Medicaid expansion and other healthcare expansions. Lack of healthcare coverage leads to preventable health ailments going unaddressed, leading to serious health conditions. Eventually these issues lead to a bigger tax burden down the line. No family should ever have to choose between paying bills or seeking medicine and affordable healthcare.
State your position on environmental policy and natural resource management?
I support the expansion of alternative energy to eventually replace nuclear and fossil fuels in the future, in order to end the dangers of pollution and global warming. As state representative, I voted twice against HB 6, which effectively ended Ohio’s renewable and energy efficiency programs. I voted against legislation that deregulates ephemeral streams, prevents local governments from limiting use of natural gas, classifies natural gas as green energy and allows leasing public lands for fracking, and revises the law governing wind farms and solar facilities.
I co-sponsored HB 738, which repealed HB 6 and would have revived prior law. I co-sponsored legislation to create the H2O fund, providing $85 million to Lake Erie restoration.
What role, if any, should government take to ensure no person is discriminated against?
With the further alarming rise of racism, sexism and antisemitism, now more than ever our state government must do whatever it takes to protect all Ohians and fight back vigorously against all forms of hate. That is why I have been a vocal opponent of HB 322 and HB 327, and more recently HB 151, deeply problematic and unconstitutional anti-diversity bills that seek to whitewash history and move the state in a dangerous and backward direction. I am a co-sponsor for the Fairness Act, that would add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity into Ohio's anti-discrimination laws. I will continue to speak out on behalf of these rights for Ohioans (e.g. town hall meetings, op eds, press conferences, at the statehouse, forums, etc.).