From an email just received from Dennis Kucinich:

I would like to thank you for your support, and thank the tens of thousands of concerned Citizens for Kucinich who in the past few months have written, emailed and called to discuss my running for Congress in Washington State.

At the end of this term I will have served sixteen years in the House of Representatives, leading the way for peace, to bring an end to the wars, for workers' rights, for health care for all, for monetary policy reform and to end the corrupting influence which money has on our political decision-making process. My staff and I have worked to deliver a level of constituent service to the people of Cleveland, which most agree is unmatched for results. As testimony to our efforts in the Cleveland area I received about 75% of the vote from my present constituents who were included in the newly redistricted area in which I ran in March.

Because of my love of public service, I have given a great deal of time and much thought to the advice and encouragement I have received from so many people of good will in Washington State. I certainly want to continue to be of service to our country and to the working men and women who have built it.

After careful consideration and discussions with Elizabeth and my closest friends, I have decided that, at this time, I can best serve from outside the Congress. My commitments to peace, to workers' rights and to social and economic justice are constant and are not dependent upon holding an office. They are dependent upon my continuing to stand up, to speak out, to organize, to motivate and to inspire our nation as to its deeper potential. This I promise I will do with great energy and heart.

I will complete my service in the U.S. House on January 2, 2013, with the same passion and devotion to duty with which I began it on January 3, 1997. And when I do, I shall think of you and all those who have given me encouragement to continue to be of service, and I will smile, knowing that we shall meet again in our celebration of the potential of citizen activists to change the world.

Please continue to encourage your friends and family to sign up at www.Kucinich.us because we will need to continue to work together for change outside Congress, as we have worked for it from within. This is just the beginning!

Sincerely,

Dennis

103 Mayors Urge Ohio General Assembly to Close Gun Show Loophole

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 650 American mayors, announced today that 103 Ohio mayors have joined the coalition to fight crime in their communities by reducing the spread of illegal guns and preventing gun violence. The coalition believes much more can be done to keep guns out of the wrong hands while still respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Upon reaching the milestone of more than 100 members, Ohio mayors renewed their call for the Ohio House of Representatives to enact House Bill 263, legislation that would close the gun show loophole. HB 263 would correct a gap in federal law that allows private sellers at gun shows and elsewhere to do so without first conducting a background check.

"As mayors, we see firsthand the devastating effects that illegal guns have on our communities," said Mayor Michael B. Coleman of Columbus, chair of Ohio Mayors Against Illegal Guns. "The size and diversity of our coalition is a testament to the widespread support here in Ohio for HB 263 and other common-sense gun laws."

The members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns represent Ohio's biggest cities and some of its smallest towns. Altogether the coalition mayors represent more than 3.2 million Ohio citizens from across the state.

"With more than 100 Ohio members, Mayors Against Illegal Guns shows that  mayors from across Ohio--big cities and small towns, Republicans, Democrats, and independents--can agree on common sense solutions to help prevent gun violence and protect our citizens and law enforcement officers," said Orville Mayor David Handwerk.

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors to more than 650 mayors from across the country. The bipartisan coalition has united the nation's mayors around these common goals: protecting their communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.

Language would tie public assistance to assessment and drug test

(Columbus) -State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) reacted today to a move by Senate Republicans to amend House Bill 487, the budget corrections bill, to include a measure that would force participants in the Ohio Works First (OWF) program to submit to drug testing.

"Given all of the challenges facing the citizens of Ohio, vilifying those who are poor is unacceptable," said Senator Turner.  "There is no question that those receiving public assistance should not be using these funds for anything illegal, but to infer that everyone on OWF is a criminal suspect is wrong.  The true victims of this measure will not be irresponsible adults, but the families and children who depend upon these temporary benefits to get by."

Introduced Bill to Protect Women from "Gender Rating" by Health Care Insurance Companies

COLUMBUS -State Reps. Nancy Garland (D- Columbus), Chair of the Ohio House Democratic Women's Caucus, and Nickie J. Antonio (D- Lakewood) held a press conference in coordination with Innovation Ohio to discuss gender discrimination by health insurance companies, and introduce HB 551 to prohibit so called "gender rating."

Currently, health insurance companies determine premiums based on a variety of factors, one of which is the gender of the policy holder. Women are consistently charged significantly higher rates than men, even when factoring out maternity coverage.  The legislation introduced today would eliminate gender discrimination in healthcare premiums. Ohio's women would no longer have to unfairly pay more for equal coverage.

"Women deserve to be treated equally to men, and this legislation will make that possibility closer to a reality," Rep. Garland stated. "Ohio's women cannot be forced to pay higher insurance premiums any longer. Not only does this put a financial strain on individuals, but on small businesses that are owned by or employ women. This injustice must end."

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement upon the signing of SB 295, an unprecedented partial legislative repeal of HB 194, which was signed by Gov. Kasich today.   SB 295 is an unconstitutional effort to undermine voters' rights to challenge the terms of a bad law at the ballot box.

"One year ago, Republicans rammed through one of the worst voter suppression bills in state history, House Bill 194.  HB 194 dramatically limited early voting opportunities, created meaningless reasons to throw out perfectly good absentee and provisional ballots, and took away local control from counties who adopted practices to eliminate the long lines that plagued Ohio voters in the 2004 presidential election.

"Senate Bill 295 does not repeal all of the vote suppressing provisions of HB 194.  By signing this into law today, Gov. Kasich is disregarding the wishes of over 400,000 voters who want those three days of early voting back.  This overreach by the Republicans could again mire Ohio in expensive litigation during a busy election year."

Welfare drug tests to be put in bill

A test program requiring some Ohio welfare recipients to pass drug tests before getting cash assistance is among the changes Senate Republicans are expected to make today to a wide-ranging bill known as the mid-biennium review.

The proposal is modeled on a bill crafted last year by Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-Lancaster. Schaffer initially proposed a statewide testing requirement, but then in November offered a new version that would set up a test program in three counties that volunteer and are chosen by the director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

Under Schaffer's drug-testing proposal, participating counties would survey each applicant to determine if there is "reasonable cause" to suspect the person has a drug problem. If the answer is yes, the person must pass a drug test before getting assistance.

Schaffer said the survey is key to Ohio avoiding the kind of unconstitutional search and seizure trouble that drug-testing laws encountered in Florida and Michigan.

Our Response? Pass the Hagan proposal calling for Alcohol and Drug Testing of Elected Officials and JobsOhio Board Members!

Republicans have made Ohio the epicenter of their attacks on women's health and women's rights. Women from across Ohio come together today for a day of networking and advocacy and to show them they are watching and will hold them accountable.

Attendees received an issues briefing from members of the OHDWC, an expert "how to lobby" training, the opportunity to sit in on the legislative session, and materials to help each woman speak to legislators about the issues concerning women and families in Ohio.

Here's the agenda for the day:
8:30am - Registration & light breakfast
9:00am - Welcome
9:15am -Issues briefing from members of the Ohio House Democratic Women's Caucus
10:00am - "How to Lobby" info session
10:30am - Walk from ProgressOhio to the State Capitol building
10:45am - Meeting with the full House Democratic Caucus
11:00am - Sit in on House session; attendees will be introduced from the floor
Noon - 3:30pm - Group lobbying appointments with legislators
1:30pm - Press conference on exciting new legislation the Caucus is introducing to support Ohio women and families!

On Friday, Ohio's largest teachers' union, the Ohio Education Association, voted to expand its membership rolls to a new arena -- charter schools.

The Ohio Education Association has never been a fan of charter schools. OEA Vice President Bill Leibensperger says the union doesn't support charter schools as they currently operate in Ohio.

But the union has been losing members, about 6,000 in the past five years. That's about 5 percent of its total current membership.

And Leibensperger says charter school teachers represent tens of thousands of potential new members. Plus, he says, by bringing charter school teachers into the union, it may be possible to morph charters into the kind of schools the union can get behind.

"We don't support the way charter schools operate in the state of Ohio," he says. "We believe that by organizing and giving them a voice, that learning conditions will improve."

Leibensperger says the move to organize charter schools was a "teaching and learning" decision, not a "numbers" one.

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Columbus - Today, the College Democrats of Ohio released a letter signed by eleven chapter leaders admonishing Ohio Senator Rob Portman for his vote against legislation that would have prevented student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1.

"Time is running short," the chapter presidents wrote in their letter.  "Unless Congress takes action by July 1, subsidized student loans are set to double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent.  In Ohio, nearly 380,000 students would see their interest rates increase, totaling $295 million for just one year of borrowing.

"This increase is unsustainable, unconscionable, and wrong.  That is why the College Democrats of Ohio are discouraged to learn that [Portman] voted against legislation that would have prevented this increase from taking place."

Last Tuesday, Portman joined fellow Senate Republican leadership in blocking a proposal that would have kept student loan interest rates at their current 3.4 percent.  By contrast, President Obama has traveled the country urging Congress to take immediate action to prevent this dramatic increase.

"[President Obama's] position could not be more at odds with Republicans in Congress and the presumptive head of the Republican Party, Mitt Romney.  Mr. Romney is a staunch supporter of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin's) budget plan, which would force more than 7 million students to pay almost $1,000 in cost over the life of that loan," the College Democrats wrote.

The full text of the letter, which can be found below, was signed by chapter leaders at the University of Dayton, Kent State University, Ohio University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, University of Toledo, University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, The Ohio State University and Bowling Green State University.

Wednesday, while most of America was consumed by issues of marriage equality, an important motion was made on the floor of the House.  Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) offered an amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2013 that would have barred the Justice Department from using any funds to enforce an important law--Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Rep. John Lewis led the charge against the Broun Amendment, castigating his colleague for even presenting an amendment which would have the affect of disenfranchising millions of Americans. He spoke to the history of struggle, pain, and even death surrounding the fight for the right to vote in America, suggested that perhaps people who are unaware of voting rights history become better educated about the problems that still exist, as well as the history, and said he felt it was reprehensible that a member from Georgia, a state where violations have been deemed to occur as recently as the election of 2010, should offer such an amendment.

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