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Today, local county prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh made clear in the Akron Beacon Journal why she’s supporting Emilia Sykes for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. Bevan Walsh highlights Sykes’ proven record of working to protect survivors of domestic violence, and her fearless work to make Northeast Ohio’s streets safer.
The prosecutor calls out Sykes’ extremist opponent Madison Gesiotto Gilbert and Washington Republicans’ misleading ads that try to smear Sykes’ record as a crime fighter and champion for survivors of violence and abuse.
In reality, Sykes spent her time in the Ohio legislature leading the efforts to pass laws to crack down on crime and make Ohio’s streets and families safer. Now, members of the community are making their support for Sykes heard.
“There’s one candidate in this race that voters can trust to keep them safe, and that’s Emilia Sykes,” said DCCC Spokesperson Nebeyatt Betre. “No amount of false ads will change Rep. Sykes’ record of making Northeast Ohio’s streets safer, and her commitment to continue that work in Congress.”
Read key points of the article below:
Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh says Emilia Sykes a champion for crime victim
Sherri Bevan Walsh
Oct 21, 2022
As Summit County’s longest-serving prosecutor, I have had the pleasure of working alongside many public officials, both Democrat and Republican, to make our community safer. One such individual I’ve been proud to work alongside is state Rep. Emilia Sykes.
This is why I have been deeply disappointed at the dishonest ads about her legislative record. The truth is that Sykes has been a champion for survivors of domestic violence and abuse.
When Sykes first joined the Ohio legislature, she learned that Ohio was one of only two states that had not modernized its domestic violence laws. She immediately got to work to change that.
She called attention to teen dating violence by designating February as Ohio Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.
She brought community leaders and experts together and learned that Ohio law only defined domestic violence as occurring between family members or those cohabitating with one another. People in intimate relationships were not included, leaving thousands of Ohioans, many of them seniors and young people, without recourse if violence occurred in their relationships.
To that end, Sykes then introduced legislation to extend domestic violence protections to survivors of dating violence by allowing them to obtain civil protection orders. Her bill would eventually become House Bill 1 and was signed into law in 2018 with strong bipartisan support.
Domestic violence takes many forms such as physical harm, sexual assault, stalking, coercive and controlling behavior, emotional abuse, harassment and exploitation.
It can occur in person or online. It can occur with a current or former romantic partner. And it knows no racial, ethnic, economic, geographic or educational boundaries.
Thanks to Sykes, Ohio is now safer.
And her work has not stopped there.
She took action after learning about a constituent who was being tracked electronically, but who had no legal recourse against the perpetrator. She introduced a bipartisan bill that would again modernize our laws. This legislation outlaws tracking individuals with electronic devices, such as Apple AirTags, without a person’s consent.
Her work in the Ohio Statehouse has led to increased protection of victims, the establishment of the Ohio Violent Offender Database, restitution for seniors who are victims of fraud and identity theft, and suicide and violence awareness training programs for school staff and students.
The lies and political mudslinging must stop — the truth is, Rep. Sykes has stood up for victims of crime and works hard to keep people safe and secure in our community.
Sherri Bevan Walsh first was elected Summit County prosecutor in 2000.
Sherri Bevan Walsh |
