Portage County legislators condemn Minnesota school shooting

Some of Portage County’s legislators responded on social media, expressing sympathy or calling for action to end gun violence, after two children died and 21 people were wounded during a shooting on Aug. 27 in Minnesota. 

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed when the shooter fired through the  stained-glass windows of Annunciation Catholic Church and School during Mass. The 23-year-old shooter then fatally shot himself, according to national media reports.

Ohio Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) shared a Fox News report about the shooting on X the same day. She added, “Praying for the families of these precious children, innocent victims of this horrific atrocity.”

Similarly, U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Bainbridge Township) stated on X: “I am heartbroken for the victims of the tragic shooting in Minneapolis today. Kelly and I will be praying for all who are affected.”

U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) shared a CBS News post that quoted Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. 

“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” the mayor said in a news conference. “These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”  

Skyes on X added, “Heartbreaking isn’t strong enough and ‘thoughts and prayers’ aren’t good enough. We have to do better than this. We must ACT to protect our children.”

Bills brought forth (from July 29 to Aug. 31)

Roegner introduced two bills in August. 

Senate Bill 244, which she co-sponsored with Sen. Jane Timken (R-Jackson Township), would establish Aug. 26 as Abbey Gate Remembrance Day in Ohio. It would honor the 13 U.S. military members who died in a suicide bomb attack, which also killed more than 160 civilians, during evacuations at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Roegner also proposed designating April as Sikh Awareness Month with Senate Bill 248. The bill language does not provide any additional information. Sikhism is a religion founded in the Punjab region of India.

State Rep. Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Twp.) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township) sponsored House Bill 426, which would add “digital assets” to the Ohio Revised Code for unclaimed funds. They introduced it on Aug. 28, and it was referred to the House technology and innovation committee in mid-September.

The bill defines digital assets as a virtual currency, such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and adds new regulations surrounding their safekeeping and management.

State Rep. Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown), Joyce and Sykes were not the primary sponsors of any legislation during this period.

How they’ve voted

Congress returned from an August recess and voted on a handful of measures in the first week of September.

On Sept. 2, Sykes and Joyce voted in favor of the Stop Chinese Fentanyl Act of 2025, which passed the House with a vote tally of 407-4. The bill, sponsored by Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr, seeks to impose sanctions on Chinese producers of synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.

“The opioid epidemic has devastated individuals, families, and communities across Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, and the rise of fentanyl has only made this crisis worse,” Sykes said in a news release. “By holding Chinese individuals and organizations accountable for selling, financing, and transporting fentanyl to the United States, this legislation will improve law enforcement’s ability to pursue fentanyl-related offenses and help keep our community safe.”

Entities that don’t cooperate with the United States’ counternarcotics efforts would be designated as foreign opioid traffickers, according to the release. Ohio Department of Health data shows that unintentional drug overdose deaths have been decreasing since 2021, but opioids accounted for 82% of the 4,452 deaths in 2023.

Sykes also voted on Sept. 3 along with fellow Democrats to table a motion to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver. The Republican-led motion would have also removed the Democratic representative from New Jersey from the Homeland Security Committee. 

Joyce was one of only five Republicans who voted to postpone the motion.

McIver has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of assaulting and interfering with immigrations officers that stem from a congressional visit to a new detention facility in Newark, New Jersey.

Committees

Joyce announced on Aug. 13 that he has re-established the House Recycling Caucus alongside Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a Democrat from Michigan; Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Iowa; and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine.

“Recycling is a critical tool for reducing pollution in our environment while also contributing to the job market and economy,” Joyce said in a prepared statement. “The national recycling rate is barely over thirty percent, largely because rural communities lack access to recycling infrastructure, which prevents them from participating in the circular economy.”

Joyce added that he and his colleagues would work together to educate policymakers about the benefits of recycling and bring forth initiatives to expand access to recycling in rural communities nationwide.

Community work

Area politicians made public appearances and discussed policies on a local and national level in August.

Demetriou and Workman met with Portage County Auditor Matt Kelly for a “productive discussion on property tax reform priorities,” according to Demetriou’s Facebook post. He also joined other politicians at the Portage Development Board to discuss the area’s economic growth in late August.

Workman joined more than 50 Ohio lawmakers and officials in Washington, D.C., for the White House State Leadership Conference. The White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs organized the event.

“It was an honor to represent Portage County at the White House State Leadership Conference for Ohio legislators,” Workman said in a prepared statement. “These conversations are critical to ensuring our state’s voice is heard on issues ranging from economic growth to public health. I look forward to bringing back what I learned to strengthen partnerships and deliver results for Ohioans.”    

In early August, Joyce toured the T.J. Davies Company in Mantua to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary.

“T.J. Davies has long been a worldwide leader in retention knob manufacturing, and they are a shining example of Ohio’s manufacturing excellence,” Joyce said in a prepared statement. “As co-chair of the Manufacturing Caucus, it is my job to make sure our manufacturers have the workforce and technology they need to compete.”

Sykes toured Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s first community pharmacy in Akron alongside the agency’s President and CEO Erica Wilson-Domer on Aug. 25. The visit highlighted recent challenges faced by Planned Parenthood and the importance of reproductive health care services, according to a news release from Sykes’ office.

“Planned Parenthood has been here for generations helping Ohioans make informed, responsible choices about their health and I will continue to use my platform in Congress to protect that care, fight for fair Medicaid reimbursements and Title X funding, and strengthen protections for patients and providers,” the congresswoman said in a prepared statement.

Sharing stances on social media

In the past month, several state legislators have endorsed candidates within their party and shared their support online.

Roegner shared social media posts in support of U.S. Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed in January and is seeking to maintain his seat, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican candidate for governor. She also is a 2026 state treasurer candidate.

“Thank you @SenJonHusted for your leadership and service to our nation,” Roegner said on X while sharing a post from his official campaign account.

Workman shared a flyer on X that promoted the GOP booth featuring herself and Ramaswamy at the Portage County fair.

Demetriou shared a photo on Facebook of himself with Ramaswamy. The caption read: “Huge, energetic crowd and tremendous support for our next Governor, Vivek Ramaswamy, at the Portage County Fair last night! Ohio is ready for bold leadership.”

Demetriou is running for the state Senate District 27 seat, which is currently held by Roegner.