2017. Initiatives and positions As ranking member of the House Finance Committee, Sykes has been critical of Governor John Kasich's privatization measure for the Ohio Department of Development, stating the measure to replace it, JobsOhio, was abdicating too much legislative authority to the executive branch. "This is a new entity and we're trying to make sure we have proper oversight in place." The former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Sykes has come out against Kasich's biennium budget plan for 2012–2013, stating that he is especially troubled by the cuts proposed to local government, and plans to privatize several state prisons. He stated that he feels as if he has already been shut out of the budget process. Sykes is a member of the budget conference committee. References External links Senator Vernon Sykes (official site) Project Vote Smart - Representative Vernon Sykes (OH) profile Follow the Money - Vernon Sykes 2006 2000 1998 1996 campaign contributions Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives University of Akron alumni Wright State University alumni Ohio University alumni Harvard Kennedy School alumni Kent State University faculty 1951 births Living people African-American state legislators in Ohio 21st-century American politicians Democratic Party Ohio state senators People from Forrest City, Arkansas 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people