Letters: Remember Rep. Emilia Sykes helped strengthen Ohio domestic violence law

Sykes works for victims of violence

I am outraged to see the deceptive attacks being used against state Rep. Emilia Sykes on the issue of domestic violence.

Sykes has been a champion for victims of domestic violence in Ohio. When she was first elected to the Statehouse, she learned that Ohio was one of only two states that had not modernized their domestic violence laws to include all intimate partner relationships. She worked with Democrats and Republicans to make House Bill 1 priority legislation and ultimately into law.

HB 1 gave victims of dating violence the ability to obtain civil protective orders against their attacker. Before HB 1, Ohio law defined domestic violence as occurring between spouses, family members, those cohabiting or parents. People in ongoing, substantial, intimate and romantic relationships were not included, leaving thousands of Ohioans without recourse in the event of dating violence.

We know civil protection orders are effective at stopping abuse and they do much to improve feelings of safety among victims.

Sykes' work earned her the Rev. Dr. Robert A. Denton Outstanding Victim Service Award.

Sykes is and has been a champion for all those who have suffered violence. To say anything else is ridiculous.

Mark Derrig, Akron

Applause for gun buyback plan

Thank you to Summit County Council members Veronica Sims (District 5), John Schmidt (District 2) and Erin Dickinson (at-large) for putting citizen safety first with their gun buyback initiative ("County planning gun buyback," Sept. 19).

While our Republican state legislators and Gov. Mike DeWine have passed laws making it easier for an individual to obtain a gun than a driver’s license, these County Council members are looking for ways to make us safer by taking guns off the street and educating the public on the safe storage of firearms.

While there is no quick fix for gun violence in our community, it’s nice to see elected leaders taking positive action on our behalf.

Christopher Fisher, Akron

Costly hazards in construction zone

Beware of debris on the Central Interchange. Last week my husband was driving on Interstate 77 South through the never-ending construction zone. When he exited on Arlington Road, a dashboard light went on signaling tire damage. A large L-shaped piece of metal was lodged into one of the tires. The tire couldn't be repaired and it cost us $219 and change to get a new tire. Talk about an expensive outing. Besides the bumper-to-bumper traffic, beware of debris on the road that can and will damage your car.

Judith Hilinski, Brimfield

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Emilia Sykes is champion for Ohio domestic violence victims