A state representative from Columbus who hasn鈥檛 been to the Statehouse in more than a year and a half is suing her fellow House Democrats as well as the current and former minority leaders.
Rep. Bernadine Kennedy Kent (D-Columbus) she was kicked out of the House Democratic Caucus in November 2017 blasting Columbus Police for their handling of Black crime victim cases. She was speaking in support of her bill mandating police officers as child abuse reporters.
Kent names the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, current Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) and former Minority Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton).
Kent was removed from the Ohio House Democratic Caucus in June 2018, not long after . Smith was battling to replace former Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who'd into payday lending legislation. And Democrats (D-Dayton).
Her lawyer Nick Owens says Kent has PTSD and anxiety and feared further retaliation so she didn鈥檛 run for re-election. He points to an incident when Kent was denied entry to a caucus meeting in May 2019. That was the last time she was at the Statehouse.
But he said she鈥檚 still a Democrat, though for re-election this year. She was one of two sitting Democratic state lawmakers across the country who did.
鈥淓ven if she voted for Donald Trump, the law is clear. All members of the state legislature elected under the affiliation of their party are then respective members of their caucuses," Owens said.
A spokesperson for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus had no comment on the lawsuit.
Copyright 2020 The Statehouse News Bureau.
