The Ohio Senate Democrats have released a list of their priorities for the upcoming session:

Job Creation & Community Development

Accelerate Ohio's economy for growth by expanding small business opportunities, revitalizing communities, cleaning up blighted properties and creating pathways to employment.

Family Health & Wellness

Expand school nutrition programs, establish commission focused on building strong families and offer veterans college credit for skills acquired in military service.

Energy

Create employment opportunities for graduates of oil and gas training programs and protect Ohioans by requiring the disclosure of chemicals used in fracking.

Education

Reform Ohio's unconstitutional school funding system by reducing the reliance on local property taxes through legislation and constitutional amendment.

Public Safety

Promote safety in our schools and communities by placing limitations on assault weapons.

Voting

Improve Ohio's election laws to increase fairness and access to the polls for all Ohioans.

Particularly noteworthy is the addition is a plan to introduce stronger public safety bills, in the wake of Newtown. 

After the heated battle over SB5, many elected officials in Ohio have been hesitant to attack your rights in the workplace. That hasn't stopped some conservatives from trying to get another bill passed into law that would strip away your rights.

ProgressOhio's Brian Rothenberg had this to say to the Cincinnati Enquirer on the subject:

The governor understands the perils this would have in the 2014 elections. I don't think he needs this headache.

Jim Renacci tried to avoid paying taxes on nearly $14 million that he made.

The congressional contest between Democratic Rep. Betty Sutton and Republican Rep. Jim Renacci is among the nation's most costly and hard-fought races, and has also devolved into one of the nastiest.

After Renacci placed ads accusing Sutton of "voting to raise taxes on just about everyone," Sutton fired back with an ad that claims Renacci supports tax breaks for millionaires like himself and "tried to avoid paying taxes on nearly $14 million that he made."

"We play by the rules but Renacci thinks he's above them," says a male blue collar worker shown in Sutton's ad.

Watch It:

Reams of legal documents show that Renacci battled with the state over trust income from an S corporation, trying to avoid paying taxes on the $13.7 million at issue in the case.

On the Truth-O-Meter, Sutton's claim rates True.

Firefighter Sean Carpenter explains why he will vote for President Obama in new 60-second spot

Beginning this week, Lima resident Sean Carpenter will share his personal story about why he will vote for President Obama this election through a 60-second, documentary-style commercial airing on local cable television and online.

"With all the negative attack ads lately, it's hard to know what's true and what can be trusted," Carpenter said. "I know I'd rather hear from my neighbor than someone who is trying to sell me something. I figure other people would too, so I shared my story."

Watch It:

Bending over backwards to attack President Obama, Ohio Senator Rob Portman attacked the White House over Ohio job numbers.

Portman claimed 20,000 jobs were lost - just one problem. In September there was an 8,000 job gain in the state. - OOPs.

"The loss of 12,800 Ohio jobs shows that the Obama economy is not performing where it needs to be. The slight drop in unemployment - entirely caused by 20,000 Ohioans leaving the workforce - shows that many jobless Ohioans have simply given up hope," Mr. Portman (R-Terrace Park) said in a statement issued after the unemployment announcement in Gongwer.

But the real numbers show that the  Ohio labor force grew by 8,000 over the month before, with CPS data showing 15,000 new jobs offset by 7,000 drop in unemployee.

Numbers are reported here:http://jfs.ohio.gov/RELEASES/unemp/201210/doc.asp

Of course the real irony is that Portman was budget Director under George W. Bush, whose policies led to the market collapse. But in silly season what's a little fact got to do with it.

COLUMBUS - Voters First has released its first television ad of the election.

The ad can be seen here.

The ad emphasizes the importance of giving redistricting power back to the citizens of Ohio, instead of the politicians and lobbyists who abuse it. The advertisement was filmed at the 49er Diner in Cleveland's Slavic Village.

"The campaign in support of Issue 2 is ramping up its efforts as most voters are now paying attention. We know that this race is tightening and that voters are beginning to respond to Voters First's message of reform," said Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for Voters First.

The Huffington Post recently named Issue 2 one of the "Ten Ballot Measures To Watch In The 2012 Election," leading to broader exposure.

Theis said, "The people of Ohio have had enough. This campaign is aggressively spreading the message of common sense reform and the citizens have taken notice. We won't let the politicians and lobbyists take away our voice or our vote any longer. That's why we're voting YES on issue 2."

Bowing to public outrage, Clear Channel will donate space on 10 billboards to counter the ones by anonymous donors meant to intimidate African American voters in Cleveland.

New Billboards To Counter Controversial Voter Fraud Warnings

National advertising company Clear Channel Outdoor sold the billboards, which have also appeared in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Milwaukee.  The buyer is only identified as "a private family foundation".  A Clear Channel spokesman says it's company policy to identify those behind billboard purchases, but says, "Policy was not followed in this case." As the buyer requested to stay anonymous in the contract, Clear Channel will never release their identity.

But after hearing from several African-American lawmakers, including Ohio state senator Nina Turner and City Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland, Clear Channel has now agreed to donate 10 new billboards Councilwoman Cleveland says will help assure voters across the city. 

"In close proximity - if possible - to the original billboards that have gone up," she explains, "the billboard will actually say, `VOTING IS A RIGHT, NOT A CRIME'. The first of those should start going up, probably Monday."

Cleveland says she'd have preferred the original billboards be taken down, but she's still pleased that Clear Channel sympathized with her complaint and others from the black community. 

Read The Full Story from Ideastream

Update:

More than 140 billboards in Ohio and Wisconsin warning of the criminal consequences of voter fraud will be taken down starting on Monday after the sponsor chose to remove them rather than reveal its identity, the billboard owner said.

The billboards, which show a large judge's gavel and read "Voter Fraud is a felony - up to 3 ½ years and a $10,000 fine," went up primarily in low-income minority neighborhoods in early October, just weeks before the November 6 elections, and were immediately criticized by voter rights groups as an attempt to intimidate minority voters.

Crews on Monday will begin taking down 30 billboards in Cleveland, 30 in Columbus and 85 in Milwaukee, Jim Cullinan, vice president of corporate communications for Clear Channel Outdoor said.

The state's unemployment rate for September was 7%, down from the 7. 2% rate recorded in August, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services announced Friday.

The agency said the total number of nonfarm wage and salary positions fell by 12,800 over the month to 5,177,200. The total number of unemployed Ohioans last month fell to 406,000, down from 413,000.

The national unemployment rate for September was 7.8%.

Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald endorsed a YES vote on Issue 2 today, saying it is needed to end policies that harm Cleveland and Ohio's other great cities.

"There is no good reason to have a congressional district that extends from Greater Cleveland all the way to Toledo. That district is an insult to people in both regions,'' FitzGerald said. "Ohio cannot fully recover if its cities continue to be undermined and under-represented.''

The newly drawn 9th congressional district, often derided as "the snake along the lake," has been the subject of national ridicule and experts have christened it "the worst congressional map in the nation."

The map also is harmful to Summit County, home to Akron, he said. Summit County has had one elected representative for nearly 80 years. Today's map puts pieces of it in four different congressional districts. If all four incumbents win, there will be no elected representative who lives Summit County for the first time since the 1920's, he said.

FitzGerald also took aim at Statehouse politicians who are systematically siphoning money away from cities to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and promote what he called "ridiculous gimmicks like privatizing the Ohio Turnpike."

His comments came one day after Gov. John Kasich's administration unveiled a consultant's report showing that the 141-mile toll road could generate several billion dollars over decades if toll are permitted to rise at the rate of inflation.

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Ohio's Republican leaders who sought to block early voting there on the final weekend before election day.

The justices without comment turned down an emergency appeal  filed by Secretary of State Jon Husted.

The court's action leaves intact rulings from two federal courts in Ohio that require the state to open the polls for all voters, including military personnel, on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday before the election.

Four years ago, more than 105,000 voters cast ballots during this final-weekend period, and a heavy turnout of African American voters gave a boost to Barack Obama's winning campaign.

UPDATE: Secretary of State Jon Husted quickly responded Tuesday to a U.S. Supreme Court decision to reject his appeal of a case ending early in-person voting the Friday before election by issuing a directive setting uniform hours. The hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3; 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5.

Related:

SCOTUSblog: Ohio rebuffed on early voting

Nuns Bring Out Protesters

A group of Nuns brings controversy and protest to downtown Marietta.

It's the Ohio "Nuns on a Bus" and they say it's not political but educational and influential.

"This is a day just for us to take the time to remember government affects peoples real lives," says one "Nuns on a Bus" supporter. "Poor people, people without insurance, those less fortunate than others and that's who the nuns stand for."

The Catholic Sisters did not mention any candidates by name and endorsed no political signs.

But a group stands opposite holding signs in support of pro-life and presidential candidate Romney, calling the nuns radical... hiding motives behind religion.

"I think unfortunately almost everything in our society has become political and incumbent upon us who have strong values both in the realm of politics and otherwise," says one protest or.

"I'm here to protest the bus load of nuns that are here," explains another protest or. "That they do not represent the Catholic church."

The sisters talk to the group about what they call a "faithful budget." They describe it as protecting the care for the vulnerable and poor.

They also make it known they are 100-percent pro-life. "Pro-life for us means that we do concern ourselves with living wage," explains one sister from "Nuns on a Bus, "just wage, decent health care, education, food, housing, and care for our seniors, medicare and other types of health care programs that are supportive."

Other Catholics, joined by more, stand opposite the Nuns in prayer, saying the group goes against real Catholic beliefs.

Cincinnati--State Representative Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati), David Singleton, Executive Director of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, President of the Cincinnati Baptist Ministers Conference, Rev. Doc Foster, Rev. Nelson Pierce with the AMOS project, along with other Hamilton County clergy held a press conference today asking for voter intimidation billboards in Hamilton County and throughout Ohio to be taken down. The billboards warn, "VOTER FRAUD IS A FELONY!," when there is little to no evidence that voter fraud is a widespread problem in Ohio. The ads have been allowed to run anonymously throughout the state, claimed only by a private family foundation.
 
"We are asking the Outdoor Advertising Association of Ohio to work with the anonymous sponsors of the billboards to have them removed immediately. It's obvious that the billboards are designed to intimidate voters and leave some wondering if merely voting is now a crime."
 
The billboards have been strategically placed in African American and low-income neighborhoods.
 
"It's sad that we have to fight against voter intimidation billboards when voters are already struggling to understand the ever changing election law directives from our Secretary of State. Maybe it would be more productive to have billboards announcing early voting hours," added Rep. Reece.

John Glenn, the former U.S. senator and astronaut from Ohio, goes to bat for President Barack Obama in a new television commercial airing exclusively in the battleground Buckeye State.

In the ad, titled "Character," Glenn, a Cambridge native, speaks straight-to-camera.

"Growing up in Ohio, you learn to size up a person by their character, and that's why I'm supporting President Obama," he says. "He stood firm against the doubters and helped rescue the auto industry.

"He's taken on big corporations and foreign powers when they've threatened our jobs, our freedom, our way of life -- and you know he means what he says. That's the Ohio way. Barack Obama has earned my vote, and my trust."

Watch It:

President Obama talks about his choice to rescue the American auto industry from collapse and save more than one million American jobs.

Watch It:

The Boss is hitting the campaign trail on President Barack Obama's behalf.

Springsteen will join former President Bill Clinton at a rally in Parma, Ohio, on Tuesday, the day of the second presidential debate.

Court has placed the case on an expedited schedule

The Obama campaign on Friday night filed a brief in the Supreme Court, arguing that Republican Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's reasons for asking the court to stop implementation of equal weekend early voting rules for all Ohio voters in a county are "simply not credible."

Earlier this week, Husted appealed a ruling from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that would permit counties to allow early voting on the weekend before next month's election for all voters in the county.

Prior to the court battle, Ohio law allowed a small group of voters subject to a federal law regarding some military voters and their families to cast an early in-person ballot on the weekend before the election. Other voters, however, would be unable to do so.

Related:

ProgressOhio Applauds 6th Circuit Decision As A Step Forward For Voters

Rep. Clyde Slams Sec. Husted's Decision to Fight Early Voting

ProgressOhio Calls On Secretary Husted To Stop The Political Gamesmanship

Ask Justices to deny Secretary of State Husted's appeal and ensure Ohioans have full and equal access to the polls
 
Columbus--Today, Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus continued the fight for Ohioans' right to vote by filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.  The brief asks the Court to deny Secretary of State Jon Husted's appeal and preserve in-person early voting for the last three days before the November 6th election.
 
"It is imperative that the court promptly deny applicants' requested stay and allow early in-person voting to proceed as it has for the last six years in Ohio," Senator Kearney and the Caucus said in the brief.  "Early voting has already begun and a last minute decision curtailing previously granted voting opportunities would undermine the public interest in voting rights for all citizens."
 
The brief was filed in response to Secretary Husted's appeal of a decision by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that found Ohio Republicans had violated the Constitution by denying Ohioans an equal opportunity to vote in-person at their board of elections on the three days prior to the election.
 
"As members of the General Assembly, amici (we) understand the need to regulate election procedures, but we refuse to accept policies that discriminate and burden the right to vote," the brief further states.
 
An Amicus Curiae or "friend of the Court" brief gives an individual or group who is not a party to a case the opportunity to make their views known to the Court and raise arguments and perspectives not otherwise considered.

Vice President Biden started out smiling and never stopped . . . infuriating Republicans

Last night, Joe Biden said Mitt Romney was wrong to dismiss the 47%, said Paul Ryan was wrong to put his personal faith above women's right to control their own bodies, said the middle-class, not the wealthy, deserve a tax break, and said it's irresponsible and reckless to push for more war in the Middle East. Biden even dared to correct Paul Ryan when Paul Ryan's assertions deviated from reality--and he did it with flair.

Biden delivered the kind of performance that thrilled Democrats--and enraged Republicans, who were torn between blaming Martha Raddatz and the expressions on Joe Biden's face. But as amusing as the GOP's spin may be, it doesn't matter. Democrats needed a strong performance from Joe Biden, and they got it.

Watch It:

At The Vice Presidential Debate: Ryan Told 24 Myths In 40 Minutes

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Ohio boards of elections must count ballots with errors caused by poll workers.

The Ohio ruling stems from SEIU v. Husted and NEOCH v. Husted, which both sought to block enforcement of a law that, as interpreted by the state's Supreme Court, allowed elections boards to throw out provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct.

A federal judge ruled in August that the measure was likely unconstitutional, prompting the state to appeal to the Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit.

The appeals court ruled that the state must count ballots cast in the wrong precinct but at the right polling place, as long as the error was the fault of a poll worker. (Some polling places serve voters from several precincts.)

A federal district court found that Ohio rejected more than 14,000 wrong-precinct ballots in 2008 and 11,000 more in 2010.

The ruling was Mr. Husted's second loss in recent weeks.

Related:

ProgressOhio Applauds 6th Circuit Decision As A Step Forward For Voters

Breaking: Secretary Husted to Appeal Federal Court Decision to the U.S. Supreme Court

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Facing a slew of bad polls and even worse headlines, Josh Mandel has lost his cool on a member of the Ohio media for the third time in two weeks.

This morning it was the Canton-based Ron Ponder Show where Mandel accused the host of shilling for Sherrod Brown, refused to answer simple and legitimate questions about his decision to hire unqualified political cronies, and got so irritable that the host actually ended the interview.

Listen In Here

"Josh Mandel is willing to lie about any topic under the sun to avoid talking about how he doesn't show up for work, hired unqualified political cronies and opposes the auto rescue that helped protect 850,000 jobs in Ohio," said Sadie Weiner, spokeswoman for Friends of Sherrod Brown.

For the week ending Oct. 6, seasonally adjusted first-time claims for unemployment insurance was 339,000, the Department of Labor reported Thursday. This was a decrease of 30,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 369,000, oriiginally reported as 367,000.

First-time claims haven't been that low since the week of Feb. 16, 2008.

Take a look at this video of Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel getting testy and absolutely flailing in an interview with the editorial board of the Youngstown Vindicator.

The Vindy recently endorsed Senator Sherrod Brown, in part because of Mandel's "tortured evasions" when the board tried to ask him about the auto bailout. The whole thing is pretty amazing, but this exchange at about 1:47 might be the highlight:

Mandel: Please, sir, don't put words in my mouth.

Editor: Somebody's gotta put words in your mouth because all you do is talk in circles.

Watch It:

Husted continues fight to restrict voting opportunities just weeks before election
 
CLEVELAND - Today, State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement in response to Secretary of State Jon Husted's decision to appeal last week's ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals allowing for ballots to be cast on the three days leading up to Election Day.

"It would not be necessary for federal courts to intervene in our state's elections were it not for Republican leaders' continued attempts to restrict the opportunities that Ohioans have to cast a ballot. If the secretary is truly concerned about setting statewide voting hours, nothing in the Sixth Circuit's ruling prohibits him from doing so during the three days before the election.
 
"With just four weeks to go before November 6, it is absolutely imperative that Ohioans have a clear set of ground rules for a free and fair election. This continued confusion is just as powerful a tactic to suppress the vote as any other. As the state's chief elections official, it is Secretary Husted's responsibility to ensure that all citizens have optimal access to the ballot box--not to litigate away precious voting opportunities."

Columbus--Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement today after Secretary of State Jon Husted announced he will appeal the U.S. 6th District Court of Appeals' decision which ordered in-person early voting to be restored for the three days proceeding the November 6th election:

"It is now clear that Secretary of State Jon Husted will stop at nothing to deny Ohioans full and equal access to the polls. 

By filing an appeal with the U. S. Supreme Court, Secretary Husted is once again searching for legal justification for Republican election laws that would deny some Ohioans the right to vote on the last three days before the election. 

Instead of standing up for the Constitution as he claims, the Secretary of State is standing in the way of equal access to the polls, which is the most fundamental right in our democracy. 

Furthermore, Secretary Husted is causing unnecessary delay and confusion just four weeks before election day."

Disappointed in Drastic Measures Taken to Cut Off Access to the Polls
 
COLUMBUS - Sec. Husted announced he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court last week's decision by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower federal court ruling reinstating the 3 busiest days of early voting for all Ohioans.

The Sixth Circuit held that the State did not have a good reason for taking away voting opportunities from non-military or overseas voters and that doing so was an unconstitutional violation of the guarantee of Equal Protection of the laws. 

The Court said the local Boards of Elections may allow all voters to vote during Saturday, November 3, 2012; Sunday, November 4, 2012; and Monday, November 5, 2012.  Husted seeks to have that decision overturned.

Pledges that whatever the outcome, voting hours will be uniform statewide

COLUMBUS - Secretary of State Jon Husted today announced that he will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to make the final determination on whether the General Assembly of the State of Ohio or the federal courts should set Ohio election laws. Husted will be appealing the Friday decision by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Obama v. Husted. Regarding this decision, all of the following may be attributed to Secretary Husted:

"This is an unprecedented intrusion by the federal courts into how states run elections and because of its impact on all 50 states as to who and how elections will be run in America we are asking the Supreme Court to step in and allow Ohioans to run Ohio elections.

"This ruling not only doesn't make legal sense, it doesn't make practical sense. The court is saying that all voters must be treated the same way under Ohio law, but also grants Ohio's 88 elections boards the authority to establish 88 different sets of rules. That means that one county may close down voting for the final weekend while a neighboring county may remain open. How any court could consider this a remedy to an equal protection problem is stunning.

Washington, D.C. -- Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the Murray Energy Corporation, the Murray Energy Corporation PAC, and the company's Chairman, President, and CEO Robert E. Murray, following a report that appeared in the October 4, 2012 issue of The New Republic.  The complaint alleges Mr. Murray threatened employees with reprisals, including the loss of their jobs, to coerce them to make contributions to the company's PAC.

Click here to read CREW's complaint against Murray Energy.

Mr. Murray is a prominent Republican donor and, in August, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney used Mr. Murray's Century Mine in Ohio as a backdrop while he attacked President Barack Obama as anti-coal.  Coal-smudged miners who worked for Mr. Murray were forced to take time off from work without pay to stand behind Mr. Romney.  Mr. Murray has also held fundraisers for Sens. Scott Brown (R-MA), Jim DeMint (R-SC), David Vitter (R-LA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Bob Corker (R-TN), among others.

CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, "It is outrageous for a business owner to abuse his power to force his employees to support a political candidate.  Whether coercing company executives to make campaign contributions or insisting coal miners take time off without pay so that a candidate can stage pretty pictures -- it is all illegal."

Voters First will file a new complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission tomorrow over the latest Ohio Republican Party mailer. Proponents of Issue 2 claim that four false statements are contained in the mailer, including one which the Elections Commission already ruled could be false.

The mailer includes the statement, "Some [Citizens' Independent Redistricting Commission] members can be chosen behind closed doors," which is nearly identical to a claim made in previous mailers which the Ohio Elections Commission determined had probable cause to be a violation. Despite this ruling, the Ohio Republican Party has repeated this false claim in subsequent campaign communications.

The complaint also alleges three other false statements: that the Commission could meet in secret, that Commission members cannot be removed, and Commission members could steal the public's money. Voters First has detailed specific provisions within the amendment which clearly prove all of these statements misleading.

"It's outrageous," said Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for Voters First. "The opponents of reform have continually been reprimanded for their deceptive tactics in the Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio Elections Commission and yet they repeat these lies again and again."

For Failure To Follow Disclaimer Law On Signage

Columbus, Ohio - ProgressOhio filed a second Federal Elections Commission complaint on Monday over Murray Energy's failure to include a disclaimer on political activity yard signs.

The signs, which say "STOP the WAR on COAL - FIRE OBAMA", contain no disclaimer.

"First Murray Energy coerced employees to appear as political props for the Romney campaign and now they have disregarded simple disclosure laws," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio. "In their zeal to play politics, Murray Energy has once again flagrantly flaunted federal law."

• Copy of the complaint:
• Pictures of the signs (1), (2)

ProgressOhio filed an FEC complaint two weeks ago over Murray Energy's published comments that they required mine workers to attend an August 14 rally in Beallsville that the Romney campaign subsequently used in television ads. A PDF copy of that complaint is online here.

"This company seems to flaunt the law on a whim," said Rothenberg. "First they coerce miners to support their political agenda. Now they ignore federal political disclaimer laws. The FEC really needs to take some action here."

Sen. Sherrod Brown received his fourth newspaper endorsement today following endorsements by the Akron Beacon Journal, Athens News and Sun News as the Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsed his reelection effort, casting Brown as a "tireless worker" for Ohio's middle class and his opponent Josh Mandel as a candidate "untethered to substance."

The Plain Dealer, which endorsed Brown's opponent Sen. Mike DeWine in 2006, notes Sherrod's unparalleled work ethic on behalf of the people of Ohio.

"Brown is a tireless worker and cheerleader for Ohio, its people and their interests. He's a good listener and a creative lawmaker -- valuable traits in a senator and positive reasons to vote for Brown."

In contrast to Sherrod's steadfast leadership for Ohio in the Senate, the Plain Dealer rightfully castigates Josh Mandel for running one of the most dishonest, deceptive, gutter-ridden and substance-free campaigns Ohio has ever seen:

"There's another powerful reason to vote for Brown -- a negative one: Electing his Republican opponent, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, would reward one of the nastiest campaigns ever waged in this state. It would reward a candidate who hasn't moved beyond partisan slogans and careful sound bites. It would reward ambition untethered to substance.

"No one runs for the U.S. Senate without a healthy ego or considerable ambition. But raw desire must be balanced by a willingness to study issues and to do the hard work of governing. Mandel shows little interest in either. He's simply not ready for the Senate."

As the Plain Dealer notes, Sherrod doesn't simply fight the big fights in Washington; from issues such as banking to manufacturing research to bus safety, Sherrod's led successful fights to move Ohio forward:

"His pragmatic support for an infrastructure bank, for advanced manufacturing research, for balanced environmental policies in a state with huge energy resources and needs. His bipartisan work to improve bus safety features after the 2007 accident that killed five Bluffton University baseball players. His efforts to play matchmaker between European aerospace giant Airbus and hundreds of Ohio parts makers. His ongoing work to replace crop support payments with an insurance program that aids only farmers who are hurting -- an idea hatched while listening to Ohio growers after he was assigned to the Agriculture Committee."

Noting that Josh Mandel hasn't done his current job as Treasurer, the Plain Dealer concludes thusly:

"Perhaps if he stayed in a job long enough to learn it, he could become a talented public servant as well. As it is, he is no match for Sherrod Brown, who deserves six more years."

Read the complete endorsement HERE.

ProgressOhio is currently part of a lawsuit with OCSEA against the State of Ohio over prison privatization.

State audit rips private prison on health, security

Conditions at the privately owned and operated Lake Erie Correctional Institution are " unacceptable" and "won't be allowed to continue," a state prison official said yesterday after the release of a critical audit.

An internal audit by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction found that the prison in Conneaut, Ohio, in Ashtabula County, met only two-thirds of state operating standards for prisons. It houses about 1,500 inmates.

In addition to numerous health, sanitation and security problems, staff members and inmates at the private prison told auditors they had "safety concerns" and do not feel secure.

The state sold the Conneaut prison last year to Corrections Corp. of America of Nashville, Tenn., for $72.7 million. The state pays CCA $44.25 per inmate per day to house, feed and clothe them and provide programs, plus a $3.8 million annual fee for maintenance. The company is obligated to run the prison at a savings of $3 million per year compared with state operation.

Read The Full Article

Columbus--Today, Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney and Senate Democrats released the following statements in response to the bipartisan decision by the Ohio 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the ruling by Federal District Court Judge Peter C. Economus which ordered in-person early voting to be restored for the three days proceeding the November 6th election:

Sen. Eric H. Kearney
Senate Democratic Leader (D-Cincinnati)

"Today's ruling speaks to the issue of fairness and equity.  Voters should be given as many opportunities to exercise their right to vote as possible. The Republican controlled legislature gave the boards the authority to grant last weekend voting and I encourage boards to use today's Court of Appeals decision to do so."

Sen. Nina Turner
Minority Whip (D-Cleveland)

"Today is a truly great day for people all over the state of Ohio. The ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upholding Judge Economus' decision supports the right of suffrage for all voters, and affords them critical opportunities to cast their ballots this fall. Justice is served!

"With the last three days of early voting again an option, it is now the duty of local boards of elections to side with voters and promote access to the ballot box."

Sen. Edna Brown
Assistant Minority Whip (D-Toledo)

"Today's decision is a victory for Ohioans. The court system has forcefully checked the transparent and shameless efforts by Republicans to suppress voter turnout in our state. There is no excuse for deliberating limiting a citizen's ability to vote no matter how much easier it is to cast a ballot than in the past. This ruling marks a setback for those attempting to circumvent access to one of the most precious rights we have as Americans; THE RIGHT TO VOTE."

Strong record on ethics, jobs, and veterans highlighted

PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - Today, Betty Sutton released her first TV ad of the 2012 campaign cycle, discussing her positive vision for Ohio while detailing her strong record on ethics, jobs, and standing up for Ohio's veterans.

"Ohio voters want a Member of Congress who has a positive vision for the future and a strong track record of getting the job done for them, not Washington special interests," said Sutton. "While Jim Renacci and his allies have spent millions attacking me, I am proud to lay out a positive case for why Ohioans should elect me to represent them in Congress."

Sutton's ad shows the toughness she has brought to Washington in standing up for strong ethics reform, fighting for Ohio jobs, and working to ensure Ohio's veterans get the services and benefits they deserve.

Watch It:

For the Ohio House: Tom Schmida in the 37th District

The new 37th Ohio House District is refreshingly competitive, Democrats and Republicans rather evenly split across northern Summit County, including Twinsburg and Stow. That should put the premium on candidates willing to reach across the aisle. The Republican incumbent, Kristina Roegner, seeking a second, two-year term, has had moments of bipartisanship. Yet, in the main, she takes a more ideological route, supportive of the proposed changes in collective bargaining for public employees, of the steep budget reductions to public schools and local governments, of the elimination of the state estate tax and of the "heartbeat" bill all but erasing abortion rights.

. . .

Her Democratic challenger is Tom Schmida. He carries his own partisan baggage, long involved in the Ohio Federation of Teachers. He, too, has experience in local government, as a village council member and then mayor of Reminderville, covering, in all, two decades. What appeals about Schmida is his deeper respect for the positive role governments make in our collective lives.

If he leans too far in the other direction on collective bargaining, he better grasps the harm in failing to invest adequately in education and public works. That, essentially, is the difference in this race. We recommend the election of Tom Schmida on Nov. 6.

Huge September Drop In Unemployment, Economy Adds 114,000 Jobs

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent last month, dropping below 8 percent for the first time in nearly four years. The rate declined because more people found work, a trend that could have an impact on undecided voters in the final month before the presidential election.

The Labor Department said Friday that employers added 114,000 jobs in September. The economy also created 86,000 more jobs in July and August than first estimated. Wages rose in September and more people started looking for work.

The job market has been improving, sluggishly but steadily. Jobs have been added for 24 straight months. There are now 325,000 more than when Obama took office.

Daily Kos Petition Gathers Over 45k Signatures Supporting FEC Investigation

Columbus, Ohio - Daily Kos announced today that they have filed over 45,000 petition signatures asking the Federal Elections Commission to rule on a complaint concerning coal company Murray Energy's requirement that miners attend an August 14 rally.

Published reports showed that Murray energy had mandated employees attend the rally after closing the Belmont County Ohio coal mine across the border from Wheeling, West Virginia. ProgressOhio filed their complaint after the Romney campaign used footage of the coerced miners in television commercials.

"Our members have shown an outpouring of sympathy for the unpaid miners exploited by Romney's campaign," said Daily Kos Labor Editor Laura Clawson. "Over 45,000 of our members are petitioning the FEC to look into this matter."

ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg said the FEC complaint outlines two distinct election code violations. "Clearly the use of the footage of the miners is a thing of value from the company and needs to be documented and reported that way. But there are also federal codes preventing corporations from forcing employees to participate in political activity. Murray Energy and Mitt Romney have really crossed the line."

The Daily Kos petition will be formally sent to the FEC to be placed in the record. "Our members felt it is absolutely important that miners not be forced into a situation like this and they understand the chilling effect that has on their speaking out,"  said Clawson. "Hopefully this petition will speak for those miners and the FEC will respond to those concerns.

A copy of the FEC complaint is available online at http://www.progressohio.org/Murray-Romney%20complaint.pdf 

Related:

Murray's Coal Workers Mandatory, Unpaid Attendance As Props At Romney Event

ProgressOhio Files FEC complaint Against Romney, Mining Company

COLUMBUS - In a stunning affirmation by opponents of State Issue 2, The Ohio Republican Party and Protect Your Vote Ohio agreed to stop using two statements Voters First has said are false. Facing disciplinary action by the Ohio Elections Commission, the Ohio Republican Party and Protect Your Vote Ohio agreed to a settlement whereby they agreed to stop using two statements.

The terms of the settlement, signed by both groups yesterday, states that the Ohio Republican Party will no longer use two demonstrably false statements it has used in the past.

The first statement, "[The Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission] will have a blank check, was determined to be factually inaccurate by the Ohio Supreme Court.

The second statement, "Some [Independent Citizens' Commission] members will be chosen in secret," was the subject of an Ohio Elections Commission hearing today.

As a result of the acknowledgement by Issue 2 opponents and their agreement to not repeat the false statements in the future, Voters First has agreed to drop their case in front of the Elections Commission.

For Ohio Supreme Court:

Then-Gov. Ted Strickland named Justice Brown to the high court in January 2011 to fill an unexpired term. She was Mr. Strickland's running mate in his failed bid for re-election in 2010.

Ms. Brown is the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, and the first African-American of either gender on the court in nearly 40 years. Before that, she was a judge in Franklin County and an executive at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The Ohio State Bar Association calls Justice Brown "highly recommended," its second-highest rating.

Ms. Brown's Republican challenger, Sharon Kennedy, is a former police officer, lawyer, and domestic-relations court judge in Butler County. The state bar rated her "not recommended," its lowest rating. Justice Brown is the clear choice.

<

10 Most Shameless Romney Debate Lies -- Debunked

Your conservative relatives should see this.

GOP's absentee candidate

New information shows that Ohio Senate hopeful Josh Mandel has skipped dozens of meetings

But it's not just meetings of the Board of Deposit that Mandel has skipped. The Ohio state treasurer serves on an additional seven boards or commissions, according to his office's annual report, for which Mandel's attendance record has not been scrutinized thus far. The eight boards have met a total of 48 times since Mandel took office, and he hadn't attended a single meeting of any of them until catching heat for skipping the Board of Deposit meetings, according to information obtained through open records requests by the liberal research group American Bridge and provided to Salon. Mandel still hasn't attended any of the other boards' meetings, and his seven appearances at the Board of Deposit -- all since the controversy began -- remain the only times he's attended any of the meetings. In his first 14 months in office, his attendance record was zero.

In addition to the State Board of Deposit, Mandel lists as his "additional duties" the Ohio Public Facilities Commission, the Sinking Fund Commission, the Agricultural Financing Commission, Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, Mine Subsidence Underwriting Board, Ohio Student Tuition Recovery Authority, and Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Release Compensation Board.

Since Mandel took office in January 2011, the Public Facilities Commission has held 11 meetings and Mandel has attended not one of them, sending his general counsel as a representative instead, according to minutes obtained through an open records request. The Mine Subsidence Underwriting Board has held four board meetings, and in each case Mandel sent a representative, according to minutes. The Ohio Student Tuition Recovery Authority has held three meetings since Mandel took office. Mandel's representative, his director of revenue management, missed the first meeting and attended the latter two, according to minutes. Of the nine meetings since January 2011 of the Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Release Compensation Board, a Mandel representative has attended five board meetings and been absent for four, according to the public meeting schedule.

Read The Full Story at Salon

JobsOhio Board Chairman Jim Boland announced today that Mark Kvamme will resign from his management role and as a member of JobsOhio Board effective at the Board's November 1st quarterly meeting.

Boland said the Board has chosen John Minor, one of JobsOhio's managing directors, to lead the organization as its new President and CIO.

JobsOhio has been saddled with litigation since its outset, largely with questions of whether it is constitutional. Lower courts have said that suits brought by ProgressOhio have raised legitimate constitutional questions, but no court has said explicitly whether the operation is legal.

The North Portico exterior of the White House is illuminated pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Oct. 1, 2012 (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

The White House was illuminated pink last night to mark the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During October, President Obama wrote in a Presidential Proclamation, "we honor those we have lost, lend our strength to those who carry on the fight, and pledge to educate ourselves and our loved ones about this tragic disease."

This month, we stand with the mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, and friends who have been affected by breast cancer, and we recognize the ongoing efforts of dedicated advocates, researchers, and health care providers who strive each day to defeat this terrible disease. In memory of the loved ones we have lost and inspired by the resilience of those living with the disease, let us strengthen our resolve to lead our Nation toward a future free from cancer in all its forms.

Read the full proclamation here

A survivor of the July mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado is appearing in a new TV ad asking the presidential candidates to explain how they will reduce gun violence when they meet to debate on Wednesday less than ten miles from the Cinemark theater where a dozen people were killed and 58 wounded.

The ad features Stephen Barton, a recent Syracuse University graduate and Fulbright Scholarship recipient who was shot while spending the night in Aurora on a bicycle trip across America. The ad will air nationally during the week that President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney meet at the University of Denver for their first face-to-face debate.

"I never thought I'd be a shooting victim until I was bleeding on a floor in Aurora," said Barton. "I was lucky, but I've seen what happens when dangerous people get their hands on guns. And I think it's fair to ask the men who want to lead the country to get past the platitudes and give us a serious plan to address a serious problem."

As President Barack Obama has gained in Ohio polls, so has incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has now jumped out to a 10-point leadover GOP Senate candidate Josh Mandel, according to a poll released Monday.

A survey from the Columbus Dispatch found Brown ahead of Mandel by a margin of 10 points, 49 percent to 39 percent. The last Dispatch poll, out Aug. 26, had the two candidates tied at 44 percent.

ProgressOhio and allies protested a Mitt Romney appearance in Ohio yesterday. The protest received local and national coverage including in the New York Times:

A dozen or so demonstrators, watched over by a lone police officer, taunted the Romney supporters, waving a giant check for $250,000 made out to "Millionaires" and signed by Mr. Romney. "We don't want a Bain economy!" they shouted. "Outsource Romney!"

Mitt Romney supporters followed their candidate's lead by showing their disdain for some of our most vulnerable citizens. They didn't write off 47% of the country, but by shouting "Go get food stamps!" at the gathered crowd, they cruelly insulted the nearly 50 million Americans, including 16 million children, who live much of their lives - at school, at work, as they go to bed each night - hungry.

More dirty tricks from Republicans trying to steal another presidential election -- Tea party groups work to remove names from Ohio voter rolls:

Lori Monroe, a 40-year-old Democrat who lives in central Ohio, was startled a few weeks ago to open a letter that said a stranger was challenging her right to vote in the presidential election.

Monroe, who was recovering from cancer surgery, called the local election board to protest. A local tea party leader was trying to strike Monroe from the voter rolls for a reason that made no sense: Her apartment building in Lancaster was listed as a commercial property.

"I'm like, really? Seriously?" Monroe said. "I've lived here seven years, and now I'm getting challenged?"

Monroe's is one of at least 2,100 names that tea party groups have sought to remove from Ohio's voter rosters.

The groups and their allies describe it as a citizen movement to prevent ballot fraud, although the Republican secretary of state said in an interview that he knew of no evidence that any more than a handful of illegal votes had been cast in Ohio in the last few presidential elections.

"We're all about election integrity -- making sure everyone who votes is registered and qualified voters," said Mary Siegel, one of the leaders of the Ohio effort.

Some Democrats see it as a targeted vote-suppression drive. The names selected for purging include hundreds of college students, trailer park residents, homeless people and African Americans in counties President Obama won in 2008. [...]

The tea party groups, scattered around the state, have joined forces under the banner of the Ohio Voter Integrity Project. It is an offshoot of True the Vote, a Texas organization that has recruited volunteers nationwide to challenge voter rosters and work as poll watchers.

True the Vote was founded by Catherine and Bryan Engelbrecht, a couple who run an oil field equipment manufacturing firm in Rosenberg, Texas.

In Ohio, election records show, one of the project's top priorities has been to remove college students from the voter rolls for failure to specify dorm room numbers. (As a group, college students are strongly in Obama's camp.)

Voters challenged include 284 students at the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, 110 at Oberlin College, 88 at College of Wooster, 38 at Kent State -- and dozens more from the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Lake Erie College, Walsh University, Hiram College, John Carroll University and Telshe Yeshiva, a rabbinical college near Cleveland.

So far, every county election board that has reviewed the dorm challenges found them invalid.

Key quote:

At a time of widening income inequality and a struggling economy, Brown sees himself as a determined champion of the middle class. The portrayal has substance. It is evident in his strong support for the Affordable Care Act and the stimulus package, both often criticized yet each essential in elevating many lives. The enactment of health-care reform, though not entirely to his liking, represents a culmination of what Brown has sought for years as a lawmaker.

The substance can be seen in legislation Brown has proposed. He has pressed for aligning better emerging industries, say, in clean energy, with the training of workers, part of his larger focus on advancing manufacturing. He has backed an infrastructure bank to support public works. He plunged into farming matters as something of a legislative newcomer yet quickly got up to speed.

ProgressOhio filed a Federal Elections Commission complaint today against Romney For President and Murray Energy Corporation over the use of Ohio coal miners by Mitt Romney's campaign. The complaint contends that the miners' unpaid, mandatory attendance at an August 14th Romney campaign rally amounts to an illegal corporate contribution, particularly as footage of the miners is now being used for campaign ads. The complaint also asks for the FEC to investigate possible coercion on the part of the mining company.

A copy of the complaint is available online at: http://www.progressohio.org/Murray-Romney%20complaint.pdf

"It is clear from published reports by executives at Murray Energy that employees were mandated to attend the August 14 Romney rally after closing the mine," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio.

"Clearly the use of these miners in television ads is meant to convey something of value to the Romney campaign and is therefore a violation of federal law," Rothenberg said.

"It find it unethical and unconscionable that the Romney campaign,  knowing that these mine workers were forced to attend the rally, chose to exploit them in television ads which portray them all as supporters," Rothenberg added. "Clearly the campaign should have thought better of exploiting the forced support of these workers."

Background information about the mandatory campaign event is available here:

• http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romney-ad-miners-rally-20120919,0,5570673.story
• http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/08/coal_miners_lost_pay_when_mitt.html
• http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/09/romney_campaign_targets_easter.html
• http://www.newsradio1170.com/player/?station=WWVA-AM&program_name=podcast&program_id=BLOOMDADDY.xml&mid=22385072

Mitt Romney's increasingly desperate campaign tried to argue yesterday that a statement by President Obama amounted to "a white flag of surrender":

You can't change Washington from the inside. You can only change it from the outside. - President Barack Obama, 9/2012

Compare and contrast to Romney's previous statements on changing DC:

I don't think you change Washington from the inside. I think you change it from the outside. - Mitt Romney, 12/2007

The biggest difference is what Obama said immediately after that selective quote, "That's how I got elected, and that's how the big accomplishments like health care got done, was because we mobilized the American people to speak out. That's how we were able to cut taxes for middle class families. So something that I'd really like to concentrate on in my second term is being in a much more constant conversation with the American people so that they can put pressure on Congress to help move some of these issues forward." 

Voters First filed a formal complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission today that accuses the Ohio Republican Party of lying to voters about Issue 2, a proposal that would take the power to draw legislative and congressional boundaries from politicians and give to the voters.

The complaint centers on a mailer that contained three deliberately misleading statements, including statements recently rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court as inaccurate.

"This is the latest in a string of deceptive tactics to mislead voters by the opponents of reform," said Sandy Theis, spokeswoman for Voters First. "Last week the Supreme Court ordered a re-write of the ballot language because it was false. This week, the same misinformation shows up in a Republican Party mailer."

"This shows that some politicians will do anything to say anything to protect the rigged system they created. Have you had enough? If you have, vote YES on Issue 2 in November. Issue 2 will stop the lies and give the power back to the people.''

Today's tapes show Mitt Romney stating that peace between Israel and Palenstine is "almost unthinkable" and that he would "kick the ball down the field" for someone else to resolve.

Meanwhile, more attention is being paid to other moments from Monday's release, namely Romney's half-joke that he'd have an easier time being elected if he had "Mexican parents" and his claim that his mere election will boost the economy "without actually doing anything."

Peter Goodman has a great take on the subtext of Romney's 47% statement and why it has resonated (negatively) with so many:

The reason the video kills what remains of his bid for the White House is because of what it tells us about his understanding of the basic facts of the American situation: He thinks there is nothing fundamentally wrong with the economy, and there are plenty of lucrative opportunities out there for anyone willing to work for them. [...]

But what Romney just got caught saying on video is that everything is pretty much fine. If it's not fine for you and your family, that's your own whiny fault. [...]

80 percent of the workforce has seen their wages decline in real terms over the last quarter-century, and the average household has seen 40 percent of its wealth disappear during the Great Recession[...]

Those people who used to work in factories in Michigan and Ohio, where they earned enough to support their families but who now work at Walmart earning enough to qualify for food stamps, Romney just branded them lazy.

Mother Jones has released a new unblurred version of the video:

It's been a rough few weeks for Mitt Romney. Politico's piece about turmoil inside his campaign has been the story of the day so far. For further confirmation that these are rocky times, look no further than this round-up of recent comments from his fellow Republicans:

• Lehman moment ... not ready for prime time ... wasn't presidential ... utter disaster ... incompetent ... completely bungle it ... just trying to score a cheap news cycle hit.

     --Senior Republican aides and strategists

• Romney looked weak today....And I thought, "He looks like Richard Nixon."

     --Peggy Noonan, conservative columnist 

• The Romney campaign's attempt to score political points on the killing of American diplomats was a dismal business in every respect. ...it was graceless and stupid as a matter of politics.

     --David Frum, conservative columnist and speechwriter for George W. Bush

• As tortured in its reasoning as it is unseemly in its timing.

     --Mark Salter, senior adviser to the McCain for President campaign

• Not much is required of Gov. Romney on this. He has to be poised. He has to be sure-footed. He has to be precise. He was none of those.

     --Ed Rogers, longtime Republican strategist

• Frankly, the charges he made were not only completely untrue but reckless and irresponsible.

     --Nicholas Burns, former U.S. ambassador to NATO under George W. Bush

• The Romney campaign put out a statement before the facts were in that politicized the matter and gratuitously attacked the administration for something they did not do....They acted too quickly, too rashly, too politically.

     --Steve Schmidt, senior adviser to the McCain for President campaign

• He had forgotten the first rule in a crisis: don't start talking before you understand what's happening.

     --Advisor to Romney's own campaign and aide to George W. Bush

• Romney should be standing as an American with Americans right now and not trying to narrowly pursue political profit.

     --Charles Hill, longtime deputy to Reagan Secretary of State George Schultz

• He's just an ambitious man. Nothing wrong with that, except when you want to be president.

     --Joe Scarborough,"Morning Joe" host & former Republican member of Congress

• The contrast he set with Obama was not good.

     --Ed Rogers, longtime Republican strategist

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today that consumers have saved 2.1 billion on health insurance premiums as a result of rate review and the 80/20 rule

American consumers have saved an estimated $2.1 billion on health insurance premiums as a result of two important provisions of ObamaCare (The Affordable Care Act) that protect consumers from excessive premiums:

 1.      In every state, insurance companies must submit a justification for public review if they want to raise premiums by 10 percent or more. This protects consumers for excessive--and unjustified--rate increases.  Rate reviews have helped save an estimated $1 billion for American consumers.

2.      The 80/20 rule ensures that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on patient care. Those companies that do not meet those spending requirements must write checks back to their customers for the difference. Consumers have received rebate checks for $1.1 billion thanks to the 80/20 rule.

These rules have brought transparency and accountability to the healthcare marketplace. Because of ObamaCare, consumers in Ohio are saving millions of dollars on healthcare premiums. And for the first time ever, millions of consumers across the country are getting money back from their insurance companies.

Click to read the full report

Run-down of Ohio political visits:

• Mitt Romney at Union Terminal 1301 Western Avenue, Cincinnati. Doors open at 8:30 AM, 10 AM start time Saturday.
• President Obama at Luke Easter Park in Cleveland, Kinsman Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive. 4:45 PM Monday.
• Paul Ryan is expected for the Miami vs OSU game on Saturday in Columbus.
• Joe Biden is speaking Lordstown this morning.

This morning ProgressOhio, the Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause and People for the American Way released a report detailing questionable practices by Ohio legislators, their staffers, and lobbyists involved with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

A PDF copy of the the report is available for download at http://tinyurl.com/ALEC7deadly.

The report is based on thousands of pages of public records detailing how ALEC, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the corporate lobbyists that fund it, have deeply intertwined themselves into Ohio's legislative process.

Among the top findings in the report are:

• The Director of Scheduling for the Ohio House speaker was asked to rearrange the 2012 session dates around ALEC events. 
• Senior staff from ALEC advised a legislator handling requests from the press that, "Actually, it would help ALEC out a lot on this issue if they said that they didn't use ALEC model legislation." 
• Hundreds  of  Statehouse emails were sent  during work  hours  solely  to schedule  legislators  for  free dinners from lobbyists at ALEC events. The lobbyist battles to take certain lawmakers out to dinner are so intense that a legislative staffer resorted to lying. 
• Despite ALEC's claims of non-partisanship, legislative staff circulated a membership recruitment letter to Republicans only. 
• ALEC's co-chair was incredulous that a corporation received 3 tickets to an ALEC event at a baseball game for "a lousy $1,000."

ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg commented, "This report undeniably shows that the spirit of the ethics laws are being flouted. It is clear that ALEC and the corporate lobbyists that fund it are flouting long-standing rules meant to protect citizens from pay-to-play government. Every dollar spent on a secret meal or exotic junket shifts power from the public to corporate lobbyists."

ProgressOhio's February 2012 report documenting the legislative influence ALEC has in Ohio is available for download here [pdf].

The Center for Media and Democracy's report on ALEC and Ohio's ethics laws is available here.

(Cleveland) - State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement today in response to Secretary of State Jon Husted's announcement that all county boards of elections will have the same early voting hours this year:

"While I am pleased that Secretary of State Husted has decided to provide for uniform extended early voting hours during the this year's election, his directive does not go far enough. It will still be harder to vote in Cuyahoga County than it has been in the past, when voters had the option of casting ballots on Saturdays and Sundays.

"These more restrictive hours will still disproportionately affect the county's African American communities, which were responsible for 56 percent of all ballots cast on the four weekends leading up to the election in 2008.

"While the Secretary's decision does create uniformity, I cannot understand why--in a presidential election year--voters would not be afforded every opportunity to cast their ballot. Weekend voting is essential to promoting voter access."

Democrat Derides Shameful Attempt to Use Military to Suppress Voting

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D- Toledo) attended a hearing in federal court about restoring the final three days of early voting to all voters.  Afterwards she met with veterans who are supporting the Obama campaign's efforts to give voting back to all voters.  She released the following statement:

"I supported early voting for all voters 6 years ago along with my Republican colleagues.  Unfortunately, Republicans have changed their tune because they have seen how wonderfully early voting has worked out for working people, minorities, and any voter who cannot make it to the polls on Election Day but still wants to vote in person.  I am deeply saddened by the blatant attempts by Republicans to cut off voting opportunities for most voters, even veterans.  I would like to see them compete fairly in elections on the strength of their ideas, instead of by rigging the election system."

The lawsuit brought by President Obama's campaign seeks to restore the final 3 days of in-person early voting for all voters.  Republican legislators set two end dates for in-person early voting with the passage of SB 295, cutting off those final 3 days for veterans and most other voters despite their repeated hollow calls for uniformity.

More Images

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Mitt Romney's stop at Tom's Ice Cream Bowl in Zanesville, Ohio yesterday.

The protesters opposed much of the Romney/Ryan agenda, including the undermining of Medicare and tax cuts aimed at the wealthiest corporations and individuals.

A 15 ft foot check representing the estimated tax cut for the wealthiest 2% of the country was displayed.

Sutton asks Renacci to join three non-partisan forums that allow for frank policy discussion
 
PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - Today, Betty Sutton announced that she has agreed to three debates with non-partisan, non-political partners in Ohio's 16th Congressional District, allowing voters a chance to hear honest policy discussions through debates with non-biased hosts and moderators.
 
"Ohio voters deserve to see the clear differences between myself and Congressman Renacci when it comes to protecting Medicare, creating jobs, and putting the middle-class first," said Sutton. "It is important that Congressman Renacci cast politics as usual aside and join me in these non-partisan, non-biased debates so that we can show Ohioans our path for the future."
 
Sutton's campaign has confirmed interest in participating in debates with the City Club of Cleveland, the University of Akron's Bliss Institute of Applied Politics, and Kent State University's Stark County Campus. These partners were chosen as they will not be endorsing or supporting either candidate during the election, ensuring that voters will have access to fair debates throughout the 16th District. Dates for these three debates include October 8th (University of Akron), October 10th (City Club of Cleveland), and October 17th (Kent State).

Fred Strahorn was selected as the Democratic candidate for the 39th Ohio House District after a vote of 41-1 at the Montgomery County Democratic headquarters yesterday.

Mark Owens, chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Party, said he believed Strahorn's experience as a state representative and senator earned the party's endorsement to run for the seat now held by Rep. Clayton Luckie.

CHICAGO - Obama for America Campaign Manager Jim Messina released the following statement in response to Mitt Romney picking Congressman Paul Ryan to be his presumptive nominee for vice president:

"In naming Congressman Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney has chosen a leader of the House Republicans who shares his commitment to the flawed theory that new budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, while placing greater burdens on the middle class and seniors, will somehow deliver a stronger economy. The architect of the radical Republican House budget, Ryan, like Romney, proposed an additional $250,000 tax cut for millionaires, and deep cuts in education from Head Start to college aid. His plan also would end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a voucher system, shifting thousands of dollars in health care costs to seniors.

As a member of Congress, Ryan rubber-stamped the reckless Bush economic policies that exploded our deficit and crashed our economy. Now the Romney-Ryan ticket would take us back by repeating the same, catastrophic mistakes."

Republican county chairs in Ohio's 14th Congressional District have selected Geauga County ProsecutorDavid Joyce to be the GOP's general election nominee. The party was forced to fill the empty slot on the ballot left by Rep. Steven LaTourette, who decided last month that he would retire and not seek reelection.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that Joyce's nomination was unanimous and that he has a close relationship with LaTourette, who was himself a county prosecutor before he joined the House of Representatives. Joyce now becomes a general election favorite without ever having a ballot cast for him for Congress. Though the district doesn't lean very Republican at the presidential level, the Democratic nominee -- multiple-cycle LaTourette opponent Dale Blanchard -- is unviable, so much so that local Democratic leaders tried to push him out when LaTourette retired and it became clear the seat might become a pickup opportunity.

Clayton Luckie Withdraws From Ballot

COLUMBUS -- 

State Rep. Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, withdrew his name as a candidate for re-election this fall to the 39th House District, leaving the Montgomery County Democratic Party just enough time to select a replacement candidate by Monday's deadline.

Luckie and Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien confirmed this week that Luckie is under investigation for something other than bribery but neither would say what.

Members of the party's central committee who live in the 39th House district will meet at 4 p.m. Sunday at Democratic headquarters to vote on a replacement candidate, said Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Owens.

Owens said former state senator Fred Strahorn and former Dayton mayor Rhine McLin have expressed interest. "Both of them have a good history of service to the community," Owens said. "They both could win election and do a good job in Columbus."

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Today, Ohio Secretary of State Husted took a step towards improving voter access by announcing the availability of an online change of address system for existing voter registrations. That's one step, but there is a long way to go to making voting accessible, fair and equal in the state of Ohio.
 
We as voting advocates are dismayed that Secretary Husted and several Boards of Elections have voted to restrict early in person voting opportunities. We are calling upon Secretary Husted and the Boards of Elections in Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lucas, and Summit counties to reconsider the recent decisions to deny in person voting opportunities during evenings and weekends.
 
We all remember the long lines on Election Day 2004.  In counties all across this state voters waited as long as four, five, even six hours in the cold rain for the opportunity to cast their ballot at the polls.  Thankfully, those long lines have been a thing of the past since 2006 when the legislature allowed every Ohio voter the ability to vote absentee without a reason.
 
"Expanded access to early voting opportunities - both by mail and in person - has been hugely successful with voters and reduced lines on Election Day," said Carrie Davis, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio.  "While Secretary Husted is to be commended for expanding access to voting by mail, it is disappointing that the Secretary and several county Boards of Elections have rolled back successful early in-person voting hours in some of the counties hit hardest by long lines in 2004."

State Senator Tavares pictured with representatives from Advantage Capital

COLUMBUS- On August 8th, State Senator Charleta B. Tavares was honored at the 2012 National Conference of State Legislature (NCSL) Legislative Summit in Chicago with a "Champion of Small Business" award from the National Coalition for Capital. Senator Tavares and 33 fellow legislators and officials from across the nation were recognized for their leadership at the annual National Coalition for Capital Awards Ceremony.
 
"This award recognizes Senator Tavares' important work to preserve and create jobs through access to capital policy that helps Ohio small businesses grow and develop," said Michael Votta, President of the National Coalition for Capital. "Senator Tavares has demonstrated she is a champion of small business, and her efforts will have an enduring positive impact on Ohio."

Mitt Romney is trying to restrict voting rights for over 900,000 Ohio veterans (along with every other Ohioan).

We need to fight back, to protect our democracy against this horrific move.

Absolutely unreal!  As detailed in a piece I wrote for ThinkProgress, Mitt Romney is trying to restrict voting rights for over 900,000 Ohio veterans (along with every other Ohioan). This includes military retirees with more than 20 years of service and multiple tours.  We need to fight back, to protect our democracy against this horrific move.
 
Late last week, the Romney campaign came out in defense of a new Ohio law, which would take away early voting rights for Ohio citizens - a law which President Obama is fighting against in court.  That new law, passed by Ohio Republicans, would restrict the incredibly successful early-voting program in the state, and specifically do away with voting the weekend before election day, when many working Ohioans chose to vote early.  In 2008, almost a third of Ohio voters used the early voting program, including veterans.
 
CLICK HERE TO TELL MITT ROMNEY TO STOP TRYING TO TAKE AWAY VOTING RIGHTS FOR VETERANS

'Safety Forces for Sutton' to highlight Sutton's Accomplishments for Police, Fire Fighters
 
PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - Today, representatives from Ohio's safety forces community joined together to endorse Betty Sutton for Congress in the 16th Congressional District of Ohio, and announce the formation of 'Safety Forces for Sutton'.
 
"Our police and fire fighters work hard every day for us, and I am proud to work hard every day for them, and to have their support," said Sutton. "Whether it's ensuring they have the tools they need to keep our neighborhoods safe, or standing up for their rights to defeat Issue 2, I have and will always be there for our safety forces, and I am thankful that they have always been there for me."
 
Sutton earned the endorsements of the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police District 1 and District 8, as well as the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters and the Northern Ohio Fire Fighters Association, through her tireless work defending their rights as working men and women, as well as ensuring they have tools they need to protect our communities.
 
These endorsements come after two polls showing Sutton leading Renacci, and after two months of silence from the Renacci campaign about an FBI investigation of some of their largest donations

Concerns Heightened as OEC has Ongoing Investigation into Pay-to-Play
 
COLUMBUS--State Rep. Debbie Phillips (D-Albany) released the following statement on the Inspector General's investigative report and finding of wrong doing by Ohio Department of Education Superintendent Stan Heffner. Mr. Heffner testified last year before the Senate Finance Committee in favor of legislation that would and did financially benefit Education Testing Services (ETS), whom he had accepted a job with while he was serving as interim-Superintendent. Rep. Phillips requested an investigation by Inspector General Meyer into conflicts of interest and today the findings were released.

"I first want to thank Inspector General Meyer for his thorough investigation and report. Conflicts of interest and misuse of state resources are serious matters and today's findings have shown there are serious issues within the Ohio Department of Education that warrant further scrutiny.  Public officials have a responsibility to safeguard public funds and represent the best interests of Ohioans, and that is why conflict of interest laws are so important.
 
"The findings of this investigation, coupled with a separate pending matter before the Ohio Ethics Commission on the reimbursement of Mr. Heffner and staff for trips, are deeply troubling. At a time when local schools are facing significant cuts in state resources and many are seeking local levies to provide opportunities for our children, we need to ensure that all state funds are being spent wisely and appropriately and we must keep clear oversight of all decision making surrounding the limited resources available."

Related:

State Inspector General: Ohio Schools Superintendent Had Conflict Of Interest, Committed Ethics Violations

On Tuesday, moderate Republican Congressman Steve LaTourette announced he won't seek re-election saying that Republicans must now hand over "your wallet and your voting card" to the extreme Tea Party wing in order to get ahead.

Today he lashed out at Grover Norquist and COngress as a whole:

Steve LaTourette Calls Grover Norquist Tax Views 'Crap,' Congress 'An Alcoholic'

WASHINGTON -- Retiring Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-Ohio) offered scathing assessments Thursday of Congress and of the tax policy pushed on his party by anti-tax hardliner Grover Norquist.

Congress, LaTourette said, is like a drunk who needs to hit bottom in order to straighten out. While Republicans and Democrats share blame for that, he especially singled out the arguments of Norquist and his group Americans for Tax Reform, calling them "crap."

Read The Full Story at the Huffington Post

Columbus, OH - The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law today submitted to the Ohio Supreme Court a "friend of the court" brief asserting that Progress Ohio and other left-wing challengers must be found to have taxpayer and "public interest" standing to challenge the constitutionality of Governor Kasich's JobsOhio legislation.  
 
The 1851 Center's amicus brief argues that if Ohio's high court gives a pass to lower court rulings that Progress Ohio does not possess standing in this case, the Court will essentially bar all Ohioans from enforcing the Ohio Constitution's stringent spending, debt, and "anti-corporate-welfare" provisions, effectively rending these provisions unenforceable.
 
The JobsOhio legislation sets up a special public-private corporation to invest public funds in select private corporations without transparency. The challengers contend (1) these features violate the Ohio Constitution's prohibitions on corporate welfare and state spending and indebtedness (contained in Articles 8 and 13); and (2) the General Assembly has unconstitutionally attempted to insulate JobsOhio from judicial scrutiny by including a provision that essentially prohibits any legal actions from being brought to challenge it. 

Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans, ProgressOhio, Ohio Consumers for Health Care Coverage (OCHC), and UHCAN Ohio held a celebration event at a Columbus Senior Center to celebrate the 47th birthday of Medicare and Medicaid with birthday cake and stories from seniors on how the program works for them.

At the event, The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans released the data from a state based report showing how Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security works for seniors, families and states. 

The report includes Ohio data about the impact of these important programs on Ohio's seniors and families. Also at the event, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage will discuss how the federal health care law, the Affordable Care Act, helps Ohio seniors.

COLUMBUS - Citing the need to have the cloud of constitutionality decided, ProgressOhio, State Rep. Dennis Murray (D-Sandusky) and State Senator Michael Skindell appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court over JobsOhio.

Governor John Kasich's controversial privatization of job development in Ohio was dismissed in both the trial court and on appeal over the issue of standing, that is, where anyone had the right to challenge the State's actions. To date no Ohio Court has actually addressed the Ohio Constitutional provisions which prevent state funds to be used in a private corporation and restrict the use of the State's credit to support the sale of private bonds.

"It is our hope that the Ohio Supreme Court will recognize that citizens should have the right to challenge their government's unconstitutional actions," said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio. "What more compelling standing can citizens have than to simply ask a court to rule on potentially unconstitutional actions. Otherwise, the Constitution of Ohio is essentially defenseless."

Voters First, the non-partisan movement led by the League Of Women Voters, filed 300,904 additional signatures with the Ohio Secretarty of State on Saturday, adding to the previously filed petitions for a total of over 400,000 valid signatures - ensuring placement on the November ballot.

Thanks go out to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to collect signatures and thanks to all the ProgressOhio members who came out to sign the petition.

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Senate Nominee Shorting U.S. Treasury Bonds, Would Profit From Government Default

The Republican nominee in Ohio's Senate race stands to reap a significant financial windfall if the government defaults by not raising the debt ceiling, a move he opposed last year and has indicated he would vote against if elected to the Senate.

According to personal financial disclosure documents examined by ThinkProgress, Josh Mandel's wife owns an undisclosed amount of ProShares UltraShort 20+ Year Treasury exchange-traded fund (ETF). This ETF aggressively "shorts" U.S. Treasury bills, meaning that it bets against U.S. debt and spikes when Treasury bill values drop. If a default were to occur, the desirability of Treasury bills would plummet and Mandel's ETF would skyrocket in value.

That precise scenario could become more likely if Mandel wins his race against Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). One of the top issues Mandel lists on his website is to "Stop increasing the debt ceiling."

Similarly, when Congress was embroiled in the debt ceiling fight last year, he stated that he "would have voted against the debt deal" that narrowly staved off a default.

The very optics of a politician profiting off a default could present problems for Mandel as he tries to convince Ohio voters to send him to Washington next year so he can "stop increasing the debt ceiling."

Read The Full Story At Think Progress

Gun Owners Believe Protecting Second Amendment Goes Hand-in-Hand with Keeping Guns Out of the Hands of Criminals
 
Overwhelming Support for Background Checks for All Buyers; Barring Terror Suspects from Firearm Ownership; and Requiring Reporting of Lost and Stolen Guns - Measures Opposed by the NRA's Washington Office
 
Mayors Against Illegal Guns today released the findings of a survey by GOP pollster Frank Luntz showing that NRA members and gun owners overwhelmingly support a variety of laws designed to keep firearms out of dangerous hands, even as the Washington gun lobby prepares to spend unprecedented millions supporting candidates who pledge to oppose any changes to U.S. gun laws. The poll also dispels the myth among many Washington pundits that there is a lack of public support for common-sense measures that would help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and keep Americans safe.
 
Among the survey's key findings:

• 87 percent of NRA members agree that support for Second Amendment rights goes hand-in-hand with keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.

There is very strong support for criminal background checks among NRA members and gun owners:

• 74 percent of NRA members and 87 percent of non-NRA gun owners support requiring criminal background checks of anyone purchasing a gun.

• 79 percent of NRA members and 80 percent of non-NRA gun owners support requiring gun retailers to perform background checks on all employees - a measure recently endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms industry.

Renacci claims to return contributions in letter to Sutton
 
PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - After weeks of pressure from Betty Sutton has finally forced Congressman Jim Renacci to return over $100,000 in campaign contributions under FBI investigation from Suarez Corporation employees, questions remain about what Renacci knew about the questionable contributions and why he decided to wait over two months since Sutton first called on him to return the potentially illegal funds.
 
"Every day, Ohioans work hard and play by the rules, and they expect their representatives in Washington to do the same," said Sutton. "While some of Renacci's largest contributions are under FBI investigation, Jim Renacci has lied and he has hid the truth about what he knew about these suspect donations, and why he refused to return them. He owes the voters of this district an explanation, and I look forward to hearing all of the facts because voters deserve to know the truth about these shady campaign practices."
 
The questions Ohio voters deserve the answers to include:

1)      When did Jim Renacci first learn about the FBI investigation of Suarez donors?
2)      Did Jim Renacci ask Suarez company executives, including Mr. Suarez, to ask Suarez employees for campaign contributions?
3)      Why did Jim Renacci wait until now to return the donations after knowing about the FBI investigation for several months?

Word of an FBI investigation of donations by employees of the Suarez Company came in May, when information was disclosed that major donations were made by, "employees had never given to federal campaigns before, lived in modest homes, and held job titles such as "copywriter." [Toledo Blade, May 21, 2012].

A longtime leader on improving ethics and transparency in government, Sutton helped sponsor and led the floor fight to pass legislation creating an Office of Congressional Ethics within the House.

COLUMBUS, OH -- Dan Tokaji, Ohio State University law professor and one of the authors of the Voters First Amendment, issued the following statement in regards to the formation of Protect Your Vote Ohio, the PAC led by politicians and their cronies who are opposing the Voters First's redistricting reform movement:

"The voters of Ohio shouldn't be fooled.  Protect Your Vote Ohio is nothing more than an organization created by the same politicians, lobbyists and their political cronies who drew our current, highly controversial, congressional and legislative lines in private.

Their purpose is to preserve a system that exists solely to protect the power of politicians and their own political interests.

Voters First is offering Ohioans a non-partisan, independent citizens commission that will take the power to draw these lines away from politicians and their cronies - and put it in the hands of the people.

The politicians are simply trying to protect a system allows them to pick their voters by drawing lines in secret backrooms.  The current system and the work of those behind this opposition group have been rejected by every newspaper, good government group and hundreds of thousands of Ohioans who every day are signing petitions to restore the power of our voice and our vote.

Leaving the politicians in charge of drawing the lines is like allowing foxes to guard a henhouse."

Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) discusses the urgent need for the Ohio House of Representatives to pass pension reform legislation already passed by the Ohio Senate.

Watch It:

Senator Kearney's comments were echoed by editorials in the Columbus Dispatch and Cleveland Plain Dealer:

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/07/17/fix-the-pensions.html

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2012/05/speedy_ohio_house_passage_for.html

COLUMBUS, OH -- Voters First, the non-partisan redistricting reform effort led by the League of Women Voters, spoke out today against a "by-invitation-only" meeting of lobbyists and political insiders held this morning at a private club in Columbus by a group seeking to oppose the Voters First Amendment.  The meeting was sponsored by Protect Your Vote Ohio, a partisan political action committee led by the same people who drew Ohio's highly controversial partisan legislative and congressional district lines.

"Today's backroom meeting at a private club is yet another example of the broken political system where politicians, lobbyists and insiders rig districts for their own benefit--and exactly why we need this reform," said Catherine Turcer, chair of Voters First.  "The hosts of this meeting are the same people who spent months in a hotel room they called 'the bunker,' drawing political boundaries to benefit themselves. It's no surprise that they'll say or do anything to protect their own power."

A report released late last year on redistricting transparency contained a series of emails--obtained through Ohio's Open Records Law requests--that show how political operatives rigged Ohio's districts to protect politicians and their own party.  Those same powerful political operatives are now actively opposing the Voters First reform, which would take power away from the politicians and create a non-partisan, independent commission of Ohio citizens to oversee redistricting.

"You put the foxes in charge of guarding the henhouse and they simply cannot help themselves," said Ann Henkener of Ohio League of Women Voters.  "This group is not here to protect our vote.  They exist only to protect their own power."

So far over a half a million Ohio voters have signed the Voters First petition to place the redistricting reform amendment on the ballot for voter approval this fall. 

More information on Voters First is available by visiting www.VotersFirstOhio.com.

The Ohio Fraternal Order of Police today endorsed Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown for re-election to the United States Senate.

"Senator Brown was one of our strongest allies in the fight against SB5, Issue 2," said FOP president Jay McDonald, referring to the collective bargaining law that was repealed by voters last November thanks in part to heavy opposition to it from organized labor, including Ohio's first responders.

Brown "is also one of the strongest supporters of law enforcement issues in the United States Senate and our members of the FOP in Ohio are proud to stand with Senator Brown for his re-election," McDonald said.

For the second election in a row, Disciplinary Counsel of Ohio has been directed to stop attempting to silence Judge William O'Neill in his campaign activities. Judge O'Neill is retired from the 11th District Court of Appeals and is the Democratic nominee for Supreme Court of Ohio on the November ballot.
 
"Once again a Court has looked at what is happening here, and once again the Court has sided with free speech and my constitutional right to speak out," Judge O'Neill said. 

During the 2004 campaign for Supreme Court of Ohio, Disciplinary Counsel Jonathan Coughlin attempted to stop Judge O'Neill from identifying himself as a Democrat. Federal Court later ordered the Supreme Court to cease and desist their attempts to limit his First Amendment rights.

COLUMBUS, OH -- Catherine Turcer, Chair of Voters First, responded to the Ohio GOP's press conference held today with the following statement:

"Four alleged incidents out of nearly a half a million signatures is evidence of only one thing -- the desperation of politicians to protect their power.  The real fraud and abuse occurs every time politicians use the redistricting process to rig the system to protect themselves and their political cronies.

When Voters First learned of problems with two circulators it immediately took corrective action and removed the circulators.  When the politicians deny voters a real choice by rigging the redistricting system what do they do, continue the abuse."

Recognized for Leadership in Fight for Workers' Rights

COLUMBUS - The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio presented State Representative Matthew A. Szollosi (D-Toledo) with the Ohio House of Representatives Legislator of the Year award today.  The award was presented to Rep. Szollosi at the 78th Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I am proud to stand with our safety forces because they put themselves in harm's way everyday to keep us safe. Decisions to close stations and reduce staffing levels concern me, especially when statistics show crime is on the rise. We should be giving our safety forces the tools they need to do their jobs safely, so they can go home to their families after each and every shift."

Rep. Szollosi was recognized for his leadership statewide last year in the fight against Senate Bill 5 which would have gutted Ohio's collective bargaining law. Rep. Szollosi fought to ensure that Ohio's safety forces maintained their ability to negotiate fairly for proper staffing levels, necessary safety equipment and job security.

"Senate Bill 5, had it remained law, would have been terrible for workers," said Szollosi. "The Fraternal Order of Police did a great job educating the public about the true intent of the bill."

Senate Bill 5 was overturned by citizen referendum last November by a 61%-35% margin.

COLUMBUS - Mike Skindell is pleased to receive the endorsement of the Ohio AFL-CIO in his bid to be elected to the Ohio Supreme Court.
 
"The AFL-CIO represents 500,000 working men and women across Ohio. Working and middle class families in this state understand we need to restore balance and bring back a common sense approach to all branches of government," Skindell said. "I want to thank each and every hard working member of the AFL-CIO for their endorsement and I respectfully ask them for their vote in November."
 
Tim Burga, Ohio AFL-CIO president, said his organization fights for working families, brings economic justice to the workplace, and works to achieve social justice for all Ohioans.
 
"Mike Skindell has been a strong voice for working and middle class families in this state," Burga said. "The Ohio AFL-CIO endorses Mike Skindell and we ask our members to vote for him because he will be fair, impartial and ensure that everyone has an equal voice before the Ohio Supreme Court.
 
Skindell said he has dedicated his 25 years of public service to fighting injustice.
 
"As an attorney, I fought against injustice. As a legislator in the Ohio House and now in the Ohio Senate, I have been a voice against injustice. And as a member of the Ohio Supreme Court, I will stand up against injustice,' Skindell said.

A super PAC unveiled a new website called VeepMistakes.com which features more than 1,300 pages of opposition research and scores of video clips of possible running mates for Mitt Romney, ABC News reports.

"Political prognosticators can only speculate who is on Romney's short-list, but now we know who the Democrats are preparing to target. The super PAC is shining their spotlight on three of the mostly likely contenders: former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio."

Most interesting: "In addition to the written material, the super PAC, which was formed primarily as a tracking and research organization, is making public large amounts of video footage of the three vice presidential hopefuls. American Bridge trackers have been following Pawlenty since May 2011, Rubio since this February and Portman since May."

Incumbent Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown had a strong fundraising quarter banking $3 million more than in the second quarter.

Brown, who is squaring off against Ohio state treasurer Josh Mandel (R), ended June with $6.5 million cash on hand. The incumbent senator is favored to retain his seat, posting a 50-34 percent lead over Mandel in a Quinnipiac poll released late last month.

Reflecting Sherrod's strong grassroots support from families across Ohio, the campaign now has nearly 70,000 contributors, which contrasts with the $10.6 million that's been spent against Sherrod by secretly funded special interest groups.

"The outpouring of support Sherrod received from Ohioans this quarter will help us continue building grassroots momentum for Sherrod as we discuss his work to save the Ohio auto industry and its 850,000 industry related jobs, fight Chinese currency manipulation, and protect Social Security and Medicare for seniors," Brown spokesperson Sadie Weiner said in a statement. 

"Despite $10.6 million dollars in special interest cash levying more false attacks on Sherrod than any other Senate candidate in the country, Ohio's middle class knows they have a champion in Sherrod Brown who is fighting every day to create jobs and move Ohio's economy forward.

Sutton bill language passed through U.S. Senate and House Agricultural Committee
 
WASHINGTON, DC - An advocate for common sense measures to protect animal welfare and crack down on the inhumane practice of animal fighting, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) today called on Speaker Boehner to bring language introduced by Sutton to the House floor after it was passed this week by the House Agricultural Committee, and in the U.S. Senate on June 21, 2012
 
"This bill would strike a blow against illegal animal fighting and criminal elements that this abhorrent practice supports," said Sutton. "With approval from the Senate and the House Agricultural Committee, the finish line is within sight for ending this practice, and I hope that Speaker Boehner joins me in ending animal fighting by bringing this critical language to the floor immediately."
 
Co-authored by Congressman Tom Marino (R-PA), H.R. 2492, the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, which has 200 bipartisan co-sponsors, will make it a federal misdemeanor to knowingly attend an animal fight, and a federal felony to bring a minor to the same event. Cracking down on animal fight spectators is necessary as spectators drive demand for such fights and often conceal handlers and organizers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After a meeting of the House Agriculture Committee that lasted into the early morning hours, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) is pleased to announce the passage of two amendments to the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2012, known as the Farm Bill. Congresswoman Fudge sponsored the USDA Microloan and the USDA Youth Loan amendments. Both amendments are enormous victories for the 11th Congressional District and national urban agriculture movement.  This was a bipartisan effort supported by Congressman Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska.

As a strong advocate for urban and youth farming, the Congresswoman's legislative accomplishments show her commitment to  improving  federal agricultural credit programs to better meet the needs of small, young, beginning, veteran and urban farmers and ranchers.

Cincinnati - Mayor Mark Mallory is using his connections in Washington DC to have Congressman Steve Chabot's anti-streetcar language removed from the Federal Transportation Bill.  Congressman Chabot inserted the language late in the evening by only a voice vote, without a roll call, in an almost empty House Chamber.  After inserting the language, Representative Chabot still voted against the bill.
 
"This is nothing but a political stunt," Mayor Mark Mallory said.  "The record is clear.  Chabot opposes the Streetcar.  But, the voters told us to move forward on this project.  People are tired of the same old 'we can't' attitude.  That is not how we operate in Cincinnati anymore.  We work on big projects and we get them done."
 
Mayor Mallory is contacting legislative leaders in both the House and Senate and he is making calls to the White House to have the language removed.  The anti-streetcar language is far from law.
 
"Steve Chabot seems determined to stop progress in Cincinnati," Mayor Mark Mallory said.  "He seems determined to make sure that other parts of the Country thrive, while Cincinnati is left in the past.  That is not the kind of leadership that we need in Washington DC."
 
"Representative Chabot says that we should be investing in the Brent Spence Bridge and a new interchange on I-71 at MLK.  I couldn't agree more.  So, where is Steve Chabot's leadership on getting that funding for our community?  It isn't there," Mayor Mark Mallory said.

Columbus - State Senator Edna Brown (D-Toledo) released the following statement today regarding the unnecessary delay in implementing a health insurance exchange for Ohio:

"I was fortunate to be outside the U.S. Supreme Court building last month shortly after the court announced its decision upholding the Affordable Care Act as constitutional.  The landmark ruling signified a turning point in the long struggle to help millions of uninsured Americans gain access to affordable health insurance.
 
"However, the excitement I felt at that moment has been followed by deep disappointment with Governor Kasich and Lt. Governor Taylor for so far stubbornly refusing to establish a health insurance exchange for Ohio. This key component of the Affordable Care Act will create a competitive market place where Ohioans and small business owners can purchase affordable health insurance.
 
"I find it baffling that Lt. Governor Taylor in her role as the Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance does not see the wisdom in giving consumers more and better choices for purchasing health insurance.  This should be a no-brainer.
 
"If we don't set up an exchange the federal government will do it for us.  A plan designed by Ohioans for Ohioans is a better solution because it has a greater opportunity to create Ohio-based jobs.
 
"My colleague, Senator Mike Skindell of Lakewood, has already drafted legislation to establish a health insurance exchange tailored to fit the needs of Ohioans.  As the ranking member on the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor committee, I am ready and willing to help turn this legislation into law.  Its time for the Governor and Lt. Governor to put politics aside and stop dragging their feet on much needed health care reform."

Ohio ballot issues rather ho-hum compared to other swing states

While Ohio didn't have any big-time ballot issues in 2008, it is widely believed that a successful 2004 ballot issue that defined marriage as between a man and a woman was vital to propelling George W. Bush to victory in Ohio.

Ohio Republican Party chief Bob Bennett said he thinks the gay marriage ban is given too much credit for helping Bush win, but does say it mattered.

"It probably helped us galvanize supporters in those rural counties where there were a lot of evangelicals, particularly in Southern Ohio," he said.

Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, a left-leaning policy group, said he thinks ballot issues are overrated as factors that drive turnout in a presidential race.

"It's a presidential year, and the top of the ticket drives turnout and the messaging behind it," he said. "I think the Bush voters helped the gay issue in '04, and not the other way around."

Nonetheless, the 2004 presidential election set a modern day high-water mark, with 72 percent voter turnout in Ohio -- a few points higher than in 2008, when the relatively high turnout was much discussed as a key to Obama's historic victory in the Buckeye State.

While Ohio is plain vanilla for ballot issues this year, that's not the case in several other states that experts expect to be critical in this year's election.

July 6, 2012

Dear Executive and Central Committee,

The Franklin County Democratic Party is in strong shape to take on the election challenges in this most critical year.  We have enjoyed many successes over the past twelve months, including re-electing Mayor Michael B. Coleman to his fourth term and helping to secure his seat as the longest serving Mayor in Columbus history. We re-elected our Columbus City Council incumbents Andy Ginther and Hearcel Craig and have delivered new faces to the Council with Members Michelle Mills and Zach Klein. What's more, we've been successful in our Franklin County suburban elections by electing Mayor Kim Maggard in Whitehall and 45 suburban city council members, mayors, township trustees, and school board members in the surrounding communities. 

It is with this strong show of Democrats serving our County and my belief that the leaders have and will continue to succeed, that I announce my resignation as County Party Chairman so that I can focus all of my energies on re-electing our President Barack Obama. In doing so, I have asked Greg Haas to consider stepping up to the role of Franklin County Democratic Party Chairman.

Greg Haas understands the importance of serving as a State Director during a Presidential campaign because he was President Bill Clinton's State Director here in Ohio in 1992. I have asked Haas to consider taking the role because I believe that he will continue to build upon our successes and work hand-in-hand with all of us in keeping and electing Democrats in Franklin County.

The Executive Committee meeting will be on Monday, July 16, 2012 at 6PM  at the IBEW Hall 23 W. 2nd Avenue, Columbus. Please RSVP to Jennifer at 614.229.5286 or jdillard@fcdp.org.

Sincerely,

Greg Schultz, Chairman
Franklin County Democratic Party

WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

"Supreme Court Justices appointed by presidents of both parties today made an independent legal judgment to uphold the health law. I hope today's ruling will put an end to the partisan bickering so that we can continue our focus on jobs and improving the economy" Brown said. 

"Today's ruling means that more than 1.2 million Ohio seniors will continue to have access to cancer screenings and wellness exams through Medicare. Nearly 97,000 young adults in our state will continue to be able to stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26. Parents of children with pre-existing conditions - like cancer, asthma, or diabetes - will no longer worry that they will be unable to buy health insurance."

Columbus - Ohio Senate Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) released the following statement today after the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

Columbus - Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) released the following statement today after the U. S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act:

Victory for the Middle Class
 
COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act.

"This is a victory for all Ohioans: seniors, kids and young adults; entrepreneurs and working people; and middle class families.  President Obama and Democrats have fought tirelessly to ensure quality, affordable healthcare for all regardless of health status and condition.
 
"I am pleased that Chief Justice Roberts put aside partisan political pressures to uphold precedent and the rule of law.  Now Gov. Kasich and L t. Gov. and Director of the Department of Insurance Mary Taylor must do the same and stop playing politics with the health of Ohioans. They should stop dragging their feet and expeditiously and responsibly put in place the proper health insurance market place for the people of Ohio, before the deadline.  Creating a Health Exchange will allow all Ohioans to obtain affordable health care coverage even if they have pre-existing conditions. Reps. Antonio and Carney have already introduced House Bill 412 which would establish the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency.  "

Columbus - Today the Equality Ohio boards of directors unanimously appointed longtime veteran Kim Welter as the organization's Interim Executive Director. Her appointment comes after the resignation of former Executive Director Ed Mullen, who had been leading Equality Ohio since January 2011.

"Kim is uniquely qualified to hit the ground running and to lead the organization through this period of transition," says Paul Feeney, Chair of the Equality Ohio Education Fund board. "She is willing to step up and take the helm while our board focuses on conducting a thorough search for a permanent Executive Director. She will provide stable and effective leadership and continue to execute according to our strategic plan of bringing about full equality for all Ohioans."

Watch It:

The Brown Campaign:

"Josh Mandel's bizarre attack on a reporter whose only crime was questioning another Mandel lie shows he's clearly in denial about a string of damaging stories from skipping every Board of Deposit meeting his first year in office to hiring unqualified cronies at the taxpayers' expense to being shamed into returning 100k in questionable campaign contributions," Brown campaign spokeswoman Sadie Weiner said in a statement.

"Mandel's refusal to admit he's lying in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary is a stunning example that he's just another politician who can't be trusted."

This evening, the Ohio Democratic Party State Central and Executive Committees will convene to appoint a candidate to be the Democratic nominee in the Supreme Court race against Justice Terrence O'Donnell.

A spokesman for the party said State Senator Michael Skindell, a Democrat from Lakewood has formally requested the party's nomination to run against O'Donnell this fall.

Skindell has been a senator since 2011. He also served four, two-year terms in the Ohio House of Representatives. He has a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Senator Skindell is a plaintiff with ProgressOhio in the lawsuit that challenging the constitutionality of JobsOhio.

Ohio Supreme Court candidate William M. O'Neill formally contacted Justice Robert Cupp Tuesday regarding the appearance of impropriety within his campaign after recently accepting financial contributions from the Ohio electric company First Energy. The Ohio Supreme Court is set to review Energy Usage Rights later this year.

O'Neill alleges that Supreme Court Justice Cupp has  violated the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct:

Canon 1 of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct mandates that "A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary and shall avoid impropriety, and the appearance of impropriety."

O'Neill's letter points out a flagrant disregard toward the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct and recommends a full refund of campaign contributions be made to First Energy immediately to avoid the appearance of impropriety within the Ohio Supreme Court.

The full letter can be read here.

Columbus - Today, legislation introduced by State Senators Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) and Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) was signed by Ohio Governor John Kasich.  Senate Bill 337 is an extensive reform of the collateral sanctions that impose employment restrictions and limitations on over 2 million Ohioans with misdemeanor and felony convictions.
 
This legislation addresses a number of issues that have prevented ex-offenders from gaining successful reentry into society and their communities.  It expands Ohio's records sealing laws by allowing the sealing of one felony and one misdemeanor conviction, or two misdemeanor convictions.  The legislation also creates of a Certificate of Qualification for Employment that lifts automatic disqualification for certain state-issued occupational licenses, and protects employers from negligent hiring lawsuits.
 
Senate Bill 337 also modifies Ohio's Child Support laws by giving courts more discretion in calculating Child Support obligations of incarcerated parents and parents with a felony conviction.  The legislation also allows courts to work with individuals who would otherwise have their drivers' licenses suspended, and it allows the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to create a repayment plan for license reinstatement fees.

View Larger Images

ProgressOhio was proud to receive the Organization of the Year award at Comfest 2012!

View a Slideshow

Congresswoman Fudge and Members of Congress honor 40th anniversary of Title IX with a Resolution
 
WASHINGTON, DC(June 18, 2012) - Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) today  joined Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28), Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4) in issuing a resolution to honor the 40th anniversary of Title IX. Title IX prohibits sex discrimination in education, including sports and other opportunities.

The Resolution is as follows:

Obama Administration awards grants to support ten communities, serve an additional 50,840 patients

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced awards of new grants made possible by the health care law to expand community health centers. In Ohio, a total of $4,989,009 was awarded to ten health centers to help expand access to care for 50,840 additional patients and will create approximately 5,640 jobs nationwide by establishing new health center service delivery sites.
 
"The health care law is making our community health centers stronger and ensuring more Americans get the care they need," said Secretary Sebelius.  

Community health centers work to improve the health of the nation by ensuring access to quality primary health care services. 

As Game Four of the NBA finals tips off Tuesday night, Workers' Voice has released the content of a new advertising campaign that highlights US Senate candidate Josh Mandel and the FBI investigation into contributions to his campaign. 

The ads play off the famous Nike "Witness" ads that featured Lebron James during his tenure as a Cleveland Cavalier.

The ads feature Mandel striking James' famous pose but with cash raining down instead of the Akron native's pre-game chalk ritual.  The ads are slated to begin appearing on the homepages and sports pages of the Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon Journal beginning on Tuesday.

 The ads will be targeted toward people searching on Google and Bing for information on Game 4 and/or Lebron James who, like Josh Mandel, has been accused of being unable to do the job he was hired for in Ohio, and wanted to take his "talents" elsewhere.

The Obama administration will stop deporting and begin giving work permits to younger illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and have since led law-abiding lives:

WASHINGTON-- Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today announced that effective immediately, certain young people who were brought to the United States as young children,  do not present a risk to national security or public safety, and meet several key criteria will be considered for relief from removal from the country or from entering into removal proceedings. Those who demonstrate that they meet the criteria will be eligible to receive deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal, and will be eligible to apply for work authorization.
 
"Our nation's immigration laws must be enforced in a firm and sensible manner," said Secretary Napolitano. "But they are not designed to be blindly enforced without consideration given to the individual circumstances of each case. Nor are they designed to remove productive young people to countries where they may not have lived or even speak the language. Discretion, which is used in so many other areas, is especially justified here."
 
DHS continues to focus its enforcement resources on the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons, and repeat immigration law offenders. Today's action further enhances the Department's ability to focus on these priority removals.
 
Under this directive, individuals who demonstrate that they meet the following criteria will be eligible for an exercise of discretion, specifically deferred action, on a case-by-case basis:
 
1.)    Came to the United States under the age of sixteen;
 
2.)    Have continuously resided in the United States for a least five years preceding the date of this memorandum and are present in the United States on the date of this memorandum;
 
3.)    Are currently in school, have graduated from high school, have obtained a general education development certificate, or are honorably discharged veterans of the Coast Guard or Armed Forces of the United States;
 
4.)    Have not been convicted of a felony offense, a significant misdemeanor offense, multiple misdemeanor offenses, or otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety;
 
5.)    Are not above the age of thirty.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the U.S. Senate debates the 2012 Farm Bill this week, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) outlined how provisions he authored in the 2012 farm bill would save taxpayers $23 billion, while creating jobs and boosting rural development. With more than 16 million American jobs tied to agriculture - and with one in seven Ohio jobs is related to the food and agriculture industry- Brown called on the Senate to swiftly pass the 2012 farm bill.

"This bipartisan bill is a comprehensive agriculture reform bill that saves taxpayers billions of dollars," Brown said. "It is a job creation bill, an economic relief bill, and a bill that affects every American every day. This farm bill is a reform bill that we can be proud of and that helps lay the groundwork for our nation's economic competitiveness for generations to come."

During a news conference call today, Brown outlined how the bipartisan farm bill, the Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2012, would help Ohioans. He released a county-by-county chart of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency loans to farmers and a regional map detailing how programs authorized in the Farm Bill affect Ohio.

Holiday commemorates anniversary of United States' adoption of national flag
 
WASHINGTON, DC - Today, on the 235th anniversary of the United States adopting a national flag, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) released the following statement on the celebration of Flag Day:

"Through peace and war, times of prosperity and turbulence, our flag has remained a symbol of our resilience as a nation and the strength of our people. Every day, men and women wear the flag in service of a grateful nation; from the members of our armed forces, to our firefighters and police officers, these heroes exemplify what it is to be an American.
 
As we work every day to improve the lives of working families, we must never lose sight of what our flag represents and what it takes to defend it. On behalf of the constituents of the 13th Congressional District, I thank those who proudly wear the flag in their service, and urge all Americans to uphold the values found within the stars and stripes."

COLUMBUS- The Human Trafficking Bill, Am. Sub. H.B. 262, sponsored by Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), passed the Ohio House today. The bill increases the severity of Human Trafficking penalties in Ohio, as well as identifying victims so they are able to access services. Rep. Nancy Garland (D-New Albany), Chair of the Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus, praised Rep. Fedor's success on this legislation.

"Human Trafficking is a crime against women and children in Ohio that needs to identified and stopped," said Rep. Garland "This bill will help victims of this heinous crime. Rep. Fedor, a member of the Women's Caucus, worked tirelessly to pass the Human Trafficking Bill and we commend her effort on this monumental legislation."

Am. Sub House Bill 262, as amended in the Senate, will shield juvenile human-trafficking victims from going to jail on prostitution charges and will create a procedure through which a person who is convicted for prostitution can have their record expunged if they are found to have prostituted themselves as a result of being a victim of Human Trafficking. This legislation will also establish a Victims of Human Trafficking Fund with money seized from convicted offenders under forfeiture law to help fund services for victims of Human Trafficking.

"I cannot stress enough the impact this bill will have in the lives of children all over Ohio," Rep. Fedor said. "The goal of this legislation is protection, prevention and prosecution, and we have finally reached that goal."

Am. Sub. HB 262 is now headed to Governor Kasich, who has been helpful in pushing the bill through the legislature, to be signed into law.

Washington, DC - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that the Obama Administration reached a major milestone in its efforts to secure an advanced domestic uranium enrichment capability for national security purposes.  The Energy Department, USEC Inc. and American Centrifuge Demonstration, LLC, have signed a set of agreements that will enable the research, development and demonstration (RD&D) project at the American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) in Piketon, Ohio, to move forward while providing significant taxpayer protections. The RD&D at ACP will be managed under a new enhanced governance structure that strengthens the roles of other project partners such as Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) and Toshiba Corporation, which will provide additional project management support and personnel for the program.
 
"Today, after months of hard work, I am pleased to announce that the Obama Administration has reached a major milestone in our efforts to advance the technology at the American Centrifuge Plant and strengthen U.S. national security," said Secretary Chu.  "Under the new agreement, we will be able to move forward with this critical research, development and demonstration effort while ensuring strong protections for the American taxpayers."
 
Under the cost-shared cooperative agreement with strengthened management structures, the participants will work to build out and test the first cascade and plant support systems at ACP.  ACP is currently the only national initiative to establish an advanced domestic enrichment capability based on U.S.-origin technology, which is necessary to support defense program needs, including supporting tritium production requirements for the U.S. nuclear stockpile.  This latest step builds on the tireless work by the Energy Department and the Obama Administration over several years to advance this important technology. 

Brown Goes to Bat for RG Steel Workers

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, is appealing to the U.S. Labor Department to get the ball rolling on approving benefits for laid-off workers at RG Steel.

Brown, along with senators from Maryland and West Virginia, are sending a letter to the Secretary of Labor asking for quick movement on the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. They also want a thorough review of all the TAA and Health Care Tax Credit applications.

Brown said that with the change of hands in ownership at RG over the years, some eligibility requirements for the training and compensation program may be compromised for some workers. RG filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week, and is idling plants in Warren, West Virginia and Maryland.

More than 1,000 employees are affected at the Warren plant.

"I have offered to the company and union to do whatever they need. We have been involved in these kinds of things before. Sometimes, we can help and we always do if we can. My goal is to put people back to work as quickly as we can," Brown said Thursday in satellite interview.

"We want to make sure these workers, who have been victimized by trade, sometimes foreign trade, that they can keep some semblance of their health care and get some kind of benefits, both for their living expenses and to get some retraining, if that is what is needed."

Columbus - Today, State Senator Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) introduced bipartisan legislation (SB 355) with Senator Mark Wagoner (R-Ottawa Hills) to update Ohio's adult guardianship laws.
 
"As our population continues to age, it becomes increasingly more important to ensure that our laws accommodate families with out-of-state members and guardians in order to provide the protection and guardianship so desperately needed for our most vulnerable population," said Senator Cafaro.
 
Provisions within Senate Bill 355 would allow Ohio's probate courts to communicate and coordinate with other state courts regarding adult guardianship and protective proceedings when applicable.  It will also ensure that the appointed adult guardian is subject to the jurisdiction of the Ohio probate court, and establish rules for Ohio probate courts in deciding how and whether to proceed with a case when a proceeding is also filed in another state.
 
The bill has bipartisan support and awaits committee assignment in the Ohio Senate.
 
Representative Tom Letson (D-Warren) introduced companion legislation (HB 27) in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Sen. Sherrod Brown appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday to warn that the amount of corporate money being spent on politics today is "potentially disastrous for our democracy."

Watch It:

Author Michelle Alexander speaks to 300 leaders from across Ohio
at the AMOS Racial Justice Summit held in early May.

Relief and redemption are on the way for the 1.9 million Ohioans with criminal records.  Parallel reform bills, House Bill 524 and Senate Bill 337, were passed by both chambers aimed at improving the ability of rehabilitated people with old and irrelevant criminal records to get jobs.  

These two bills (HB 524 and SB 337) will improve the ability of people with old and irrelevant criminal records to get jobs. Employers have been prevented from tapping into this available workforce because of well over 600 state statutes (often called 'collateral sanctions') in Ohio blocking applicants from jobs.

The Ohio House passed this bill with a 97-1 margin and the Ohio Senate passed the bill with a 27-4 vote.

The bills' sponsors were Sen. Shirley Smith (D, Cleveland), Sen. Bill Seitz (R, Green Twp.), Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard (D, Columbus), and Rep. Ross McGregor (R, Springfield).

On this day in 1919, Congress approved a woman's suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution and sent it to the states. The House voted 304-89 and the Senate 56-25 in favor of the amendment.

The 19th Amendment, which was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, states: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."

Today in honor of the important date in Women's Suffrage, President Obama urged Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that would enhance the ability of women to claim equal pay for equal work.

"So at a time when we're in a make-or-break moment for the middle class, Congress has to step up and do its job," Obama said during a teleconference on the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Bipartisan effort leads to state-wide public safety law

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) announced today that House Bill 99, of which she is a primary sponsor, has been signed into law.

"I'm pleased that the Governor shares the safety concerns of many Ohioans and signed this bill in to law," Rep. Garland said. "This measure will save lives by deterring drivers from texting behind the wheel. Our roadways are now a safer place for drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. I am glad this issue is finally getting the attention it deserves"

The law will prohibit the use of all electronic communication devices by drivers under the age of 18.  The use of any electronic communication device by a minor will be a primary offense, with the exception of GPS devices. Texting while driving will be considered a secondary offence for drivers over 18. However, municipalities that have stricter laws will not be pre-empted. Thus, communities such as Columbus, Bexley and New Albany that have laws that make texting while driving a primary offense will still be enforced.  After the 6 month grace period, offenders will receive a fine of up to $150 dollars.  Additionally, the law will require the inclusion of the dangers of texting while driving in driver education courses.

When Josh Mandel became Ohio's Treasurer barely a year ago, he was entrusted to act as a responsible steward of the state's funds. Mandel quickly violated that trust by failing to fulfill the responsibilities of his job so he could campaign for a Senate seat instead.

Mandel has also acted irresponsibly by flouting campaign finance rules. Questionable contributions made to his Senate campaign by employees of Suarez Corporation are now under investigation by the FBI. The suspicious nature of the donations was raised by the press to Mandel last year, as it was noted how unusual it was for multiple employees (and their spouses) of the same company, many whom have never before given to federal campaigns, to each make maximum donations to the same candidates. Yet Mandel refused to investigate the donations, and returned them only after the press reported on the existence of an FBI investigation.

And though he has now returned $105,000 in tainted donations, Mandel has yet to come clean. He refuses to identify when he became aware of the FBI investigation, how he learned of the investigation, and how long he waited before returning the donations. This is to say nothing of whether he knew that the contributions were illegal before they were made, and still chose to accept them anyway.

With the FBI investigating these contributions to Mandel's campaign, Ohio voters are asking the same question: what is Josh Mandel hiding?

Watch It:

Learn More:

FBI Investigating Campaign Donations Made To Mandel And Renacci

The U.S. appeals court in Boston became the first such court to strike down as unconstitutional the federal Defense of Marriage Act, ruling Thursday that it unfairly denies equal benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

The ruling is a victory for gay-rights advocates and the Obama administration, which had refused to defend that part of the 1996 law.

The decision sets the stage for a ruling next year by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the law that limits federal recognition of marriage to the union of a man and a woman.

The federal law, known as DOMA, defines marriage as between a man and a woman in reference to federal laws and regulations, limiting the access same-sex couples have to benefits such as Social Security survivor benefits and the ability to file joint taxes.

The seventh annual gathering of the Netroots will be held June 7-10 in Providence, RI. Netroots Nation 2012 will include 70 panels, 30 training sessions, inspiring keynotes (Keith Olbermann is our first confirmed speaker), film screenings and other engaging sessions designed to educate, stimulate and inspire the nation's next generation of progressive leaders.

Each year, thousands of bloggers, newsmakers, social justice advocates, labor and organizational leaders, grassroots organizers and online activists come together to make new connections, hone their organizing skills, share best practices and build stronger relationships with others working on the issues they care most about.

And each year, some of the brightest minds in progressive politics come to Netroots Nation to speak with--and hear from--our community.

WASHINGTON, DC - Former astronaut and former U.S. Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) is presented with a Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Barack Obama during an East Room event May 29, 2012 at the White House in Washington, DC.

The Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, is presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Brown is Working to Improve Graduation Rates, Modify Achievement Measurements, and Increase Autonomy for Local Schools and Districts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that Ohio has received a waiver for key provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law that would increase flexibility for local schools and improve the quality of instruction for Ohio students. In February, Ohio submitted an application to the Obama Administration that would exempt the state from certain NCLB mandates in exchange for the implementation of proposed education reforms.

"This waiver will allow teachers and administrators to focus on providing quality education for our students, rather than just checking the boxes," Brown said. "We must all work together to prepare Ohio's youth for college and career."

Ohio is one of 18 states that will receive flexibility from NCLB because of the state's plan to raise standards and improve accountability. The waiver announced today will:

• Set performance targets based on whether students graduate from high school prepared for the workplace and higher education;
• Design locally-tailored interventions to help students achieve rather than the one-size-fits-all remedies prescribed under NCLB;
• Emphasize student growth and progress using multiple measures instead of relying solely on test scores; and
• Increase flexibility in how they spend federal funds to benefit students.

ProgressOhio and Planned Parenthood, accompanied by other groups and activists were at Rep. John Boehner's Office Thursday to deliver a petition created by Ultra Violet demanding that the U.S. House of Representatives pass the Expanded Violence Against Women Act Now.

View More Images Here

Poll: Brown's lead expanding in Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown's (D-Ohio) lead over Republican Josh Mandel has expanded slightly, and his margin is back into the double digits, according to a poll released Thursday.

Brown leads Mandel by 14 points in the NBC-Marist poll, besting the first-term state treasurer 51-37. Twelve percent were undecided.

When NBC-Marist polled the race in March, Brown had a 10-point advantage on Mandel. But a Quinnipiac University poll in early May and other surveys from both Democratic and Republican firms had showed Mandel narrowing the gap to just a handful of points.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported today that Mandel will return $105,000 in donations from Suarez Corporation Industries employees that are the subject of an FBI investigation.

Related:

Mandel Gets State Pension Assets Wrong By $65 Billion

Columbus - Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D - Columbus) has introduced legislation that would prohibit employers, employment agencies, personnel placement services, and labor organizations from requiring an applicant or existing employee to provide access to private electronic accounts such as Facebook. The bill does not apply to work related electronic accounts. 

This bill is in response to the recent trend both in Ohio and throughout the country of employers requiring current staff and potential employees to provide passwords to various social media sites with which they have a public profile.

"This bill is an effort to correct the invasion of the privacy of individuals who simply want to work. Employees should not have to give the keys to their personal and private information just to gain or maintain employment," stated Senator Charleta B. Tavares.                                               

Although it is well known that employers search for the public profiles of potential employees in order to make judgments about the applicant character and personality; however, requesting access to that individual's personal profile reaches far beyond that scope. Tavares' legislation would also seek to prevent negative repercussions for those who refuse to divulge the information.

From The Huffington Post:

"After blowing off more than a year of billion-dollar investment meetings he is supposed to chair, it's clear that Josh Mandel is so far removed from business at the treasurer's office that he doesn't even know the size of the pension funds his office supposedly oversees," Ohio Democratic Party spokesman Andrew Zucker said.

"Josh Mandel's refusal to do his job and lack of basic knowledge about how Ohio tax dollars are invested is yet another unfortunate example of how he's just another politician Ohioans can't trust."

Watch It:

Comprehensive bill aims to protect minors and strengthen penalties for offenders

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D- Toledo) released the following statement on the passage of Am. Sub. House Bill 262 by a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives.

"I am overwhelmed that this critical legislation has received such broad support.  We have a child sexual abuse crime wave in Ohio.  The passage of HB 262 today is a huge victory for victims of human trafficking.  This is a problem that deserves immediate attention by my colleagues in the Senate.  The time to take action is now, we must protect the victims of these heinous acts of human slavery and stop the individuals that are the benefactors of this underground criminal network," said Rep. Fedor.

PARMA HEIGHTS, OH - Following reports that Congressman Jim Renacci's largest donor and his employees are at the center of an FBI investigation, Betty Sutton today called on Renacci to return more than $100,000 in questionable donations.

"Given the seriousness of the investigation into a pattern of highly irregular contributions to Congressman Renacci, he should return the questionable contributions immediately," said Sutton.  "This FBI investigation raises significant questions about how Congressman Renacci obtained tens of thousands of dollars of highly unusual donations.  He should come clean with Ohioans and return the suspicious contributions."

Suspect donations from employees of the Suarez Corporation to Renacci's campaign first drew speculation last August when employees of moderate means who had no history of political giving suddenly gave the maximum contribution to the Congressman. Renacci admitted yesterday that authorities launched the investigation more than five months ago and that his office had turned over records to investigators.

"Ohioans deserve better, and it is up to Congressman Renacci to do the right thing; He needs to honor the public trust and return these questionable contributions. "

Related:

FBI Investigating Campaign Donations Made To Mandel And Renacci

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) praised yesterday's passage of the Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Human Rights Act of 2012.

The bill, which Brown helped pass through the Senate Banking Committee earlier this year, passed with unanimous bipartisan support. The legislation would put further economic pressure on Iran's leaders to abandon their illicit nuclear program and support for international terrorism.

"As Iran becomes a greater threat to the U.S. and our allies around the world - including Israel, our most important ally in the Middle East - it's critical that we turn up the pressure on this regime," Brown said. "I'm glad Democrats and Republicans came together tonight so that we have a range of strong options to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon and threatening stability in the region and American interests around the globe."

Brown cosponsored The Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Human Rights Act, which authorizes new tools for the President to employ in an effort to pressure Iran into complying with international obligations. The legislation, which passed through the Senate Banking Committee in February, would:

• Broaden the list of available sanctions;
• Require intensified targeting of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps;
• Require firms traded on US stock exchanges to disclose Iran-related activity to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC);
• Sanction energy and uranium mining joint ventures with Iran's government outside of Iran;
• Penalize US parent firms for certain Iran-related activities of their foreign subsidiaries;
• Mandate sanctions for those who supply Iran with weapons and other technologies used to commit human rights abuses; and
• Provide other similar measures designed to increase pressure on Iran's government.   

The FBI is investigating campaign payments made by employees of the Suarez Corporation Industries to Josh Mandel and Jim Renacci. The direct marketing company is owned by Benjamin Suarez, a major Republican donor.

The Toledo Blade reported last August that 17 Suarez Corporation Industries employees and some of their spouses gave a combined $100,000 to the Mandel campaign and $100,000 to the Renacci campaign.

According to The New Republic, some had never given to political campaigns before, lived in modest neighborhoods, and held job titles such as copy writer. raising questions about whose money was being contributed and whether it was an attempt to steer around the $5,000 contribution limit.

I visited the home of Michael Blubaugh, a copywriter at Suarez who had given $5,000 each to Renacci and Mandel last year--and whose wife, Donna, had done the same. They live in a modest subdivision, in a home valued by Zillow at about $142,000. When Donna came to the door, she said she had already been asked about the donations by the FBI. The inquiry had caught her by surprise, she said, "because I didn't know about the rules, so I was like, 'What?'" But she said the $20,000 had been given of her and her husband's free wills. "Our house may not look it, because we're saving for retirement, but my husband makes good money as a copywriter," she said. But why give so much to the candidates? "My husband made the decision, not me," she said.

Giving campaign money in the name of another is illegal.

When asked about the Suarez Contributions last August during an interview that aired on WKYC on September 1, 2011 Josh Mandel completely dodged the question.

Watch It:

COLUMBUS, OH -- Voters First, the non-partisan coalition, led by the League of Women Voters of Ohio, formed to give the people the power to draw congressional and legislative districts instead of politicians, today kicked off a week of campaign activity that includes welcoming  We Are Ohio in the effort to amend the Ohio Constitution to restore voting power to the people by making every vote truly count.

"Voters First is actively collecting signatures to ask voters in November to amend the Ohio Constitution to restore the voting power to the people," said Ann Henkener, Ohio League of Women Voters Director. "We believe voters should choose their elected representatives. Politicians should not pick their voters."

The constitutional amendment would create a non-partisan independent citizens commission responsible for drawing legislative and congressional boundaries in the state. No politicians or lobbyists would be permitted to sit on the citizens' commission.

"We Are Ohio supports Ohio Voters First because it is time for our elected officials to represent us," said Izetta Thomas, a Columbus special needs teacher. "When politicians pick their voters, they go against the will of the people and we end up with extreme legislation like Senate Bill 5.

Ohio Voters First has volunteers collecting the approximately 386,000 valid signatures to put the amendment on the ballot in November.

"We are going to be hitting the streets, going door to door, organizing drive-thru signature collection efforts where people don't even have to get out their cars to sign the petition," said Dave Janiszewski, who works for a Mt. Vernon manufacturer. "The time is now to return the power to the people. We need to take our voice and vote back."

COLUMBUS - State Reps. Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) sent a letter on Friday to the Kasich Administration asking the Governor to rethink his stance on drug testing welfare recipients.

Read The Full Letter Below:

Prosecutors' Cedar Point conference costs taxpayers

Every summer, hundreds of county attorneys and their families from across Ohio assemble at Cedar Point for 5 1/2 hours of legal training and three days of taxpayer-subsidized family fun, a Springfield News-Sun investigation found.

The Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association annual summer conference in June is held at a hotel on Cedar Point's campgrounds near Lake Erie. The conference costs taxpayers twice as much in travel and lodging as other OPAA events while offering half the legal training.

Brian Rothenberg, executive director of the liberal public policy group ProgressOhio, said the event, although on a smaller scale, reminds him of the recent U.S. General Services Administration conference in Las Vegas that led to public outcry of extravagant expenditures.

"Taxpayers have (increasingly) taken a very wary look at these types of perks that are going on with taxpayer money expended," Rothenberg said. "It's a good thing they're getting continuing legal education, and no one would want to criticize anyone for networking with other prosecutors to discuss what prosecutors want to discuss, but I'm not sure it's necessary to do it in that kind of environment."

Read the entire article at the Springfield News-Sun

Amendment restoring funding for Air National Guard Units passes through House

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, an amendment to protect Ohio Air National Guard units and Ohio jobs that was co-sponsored Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) passed through the House of Representatives as part of the larger National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The amendment, passed last week through the House Armed Services Committee, protects Ohio Air National Guard units from being dissolved, saving jobs and preventing an economic disaster in Ohio communities.

"I am encouraged to see this critical amendment to protect Ohio jobs pass through the House, and I hope the Senate follows our lead in ensuring these units and jobs are protected," said Sutton. "These National Guard units are integral parts of our communities, and by supporting them, we are supporting the small businesses and working families that rely on their mission. I will continue to advocate for these protections of our National Guard units, and standby our brave men and women in uniform."

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood) released the following statement praising President Obama for the continued drop in unemployment in Ohio. April's unemployment numbers were released today showing Ohio's unemployment rate dropped from 7.5 percent to 7.4 percent in April.

"Ohio's continued drop in unemployment is proof that President Obama' policies are working.  This is particularly impressive in light of the massive job losses resulting from Governor Kasich's budget cuts and other attacks on middle class workers.

If the Governor and his Republican cohorts in the legislature would put aside their extremist and divisive social agenda, and instead focus on job creation, we could be putting a lot more Ohioans back to work."

The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans is pleased that Representatives Garland and Antonio have introduced HB 551 to end gender discrimination in health insurance. For too long, insurers have cost employers, employees and individual women more in premium charges because of gender discrimination.

With the introduction of this legislation following on the heals of Mothers Day during Women's Health Week, Ohio has the ability to increase affordable access to health care for women outside the debate over the Affordable Care Act. Given the statistics that women earn less than men while doing substantially the same work yet are required to pay more for health insurance, it is no wonder that 11+% of Ohio's population is without a means to finance health care.

With May being Older Americans month, the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans finds this an opportune time for ending this gender discrimination and assisting older Ohio women in maintaining access to health financing.

Recent US House passed changes to Medicare; make it a premium support or limited coverage health insurance. Other changes would reinstitute gender discrimination before the 2014 implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With the cost for pre-Medicare comprehensive coverage for individual older women workers (55-64) health policies ranging in cost from $800 to $1,700/month ($9,600 to $20,400/ year) exclusive of co-pays and deductibles now and the median income of women 65+ in 2010 being $15,072, a voucher or premium supplement of $7000 won't go very far and our daughters and granddaughters will be forced out of the health system as they age.

HB 551 at least sets Ohio women on an equal footing with men for insurance rating and premiums.

Brown's Bill Would Prevent Rate Hike On 382,000 Ohio Students; Mandel Has Repeatedly Refused To Support It

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Today, in response to Josh Mandel's repeated refusals to support Senator Sherrod Brown's bill to prevent interest rates for student loans from doubling on July 1, student leaders from across Ohio sent a letter to Mandel, urging him to publically support Brown's bill and prevent a rate hike on 382,000 Ohio students.

When asked by The Columbus Dispatch where he stood on Sherrod's bill last week, Mandel said that college degrees were unnecessary. Instead of embracing Sherrod's bill, he urged young people to pursue vocational degrees, clearly unaware that Stafford loans are frequently used to pay for vocational and trade schools.

This week he bizarrely went further. In an interview with The Youngstown Vindicator, Mandel took a firm stand in support of school uniforms, hall monitors and policies that would ban students from talking in hallways, but again refused to throw his support behind Sherrod's bill.

An excerpt from the letter:

"We appreciate that you are fighting for reforms that would give us permission to use the bathroom; we only wish that you would stand up and support changes to allow us to afford our time in the classroom.

That's why we're pledging to you now, if you publically support Sherrod's bill to stop student loan interest rates from doubling, we will abide by your wishes and walk silently through the hallways of our schools."

Complete text of the letter urging Mandel to support Sherrod's bill:

Sutton calls on House Republicans to protect all women against violence

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) released the following statement after voting against the House Republican's watered-down extremist version of the Violence Against Women Act:

"I cannot in good conscience vote for a bill that rolls back progress in protecting victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

This is not the Violence Against Some Women Act, or the Violence Against Women with Exceptions Act; this is the Violence Against Women Act, and all victims of domestic violence need to be covered by it.

The extreme Republicans in this House will now have an opportunity to come together with our colleagues in the Senate to move this legislation forward to protect women.

I call on all sides to bring a bill back to this House that strengthens protections for all victims of domestic abuse in this country."

A lifelong leader on women's rights and trailblazer on domestic abuse issues, Congresswoman Sutton first introduced legislation strengthening domestic violence laws in 1993 as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and has been a strong supporter in strengthening and reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act in Congress.

H.R. 4970, the Republican's attempt to weaken the Violence Against Women Act, has been opposed by over 100 different organizations that assist women who have been harmed by domestic violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has stated that this GOP version, "includes damaging provisions that roll back years of progress" and eliminates "important confidentiality protections" for women.

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.

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."

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!

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.

Approximately 350 full-time and nearly 1,000 part-time jobs saved in Mansfield, OH by Sutton-backed Amendment

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) voted today to protect Ohio Air National Guard units from being dissolved, saving jobs and preventing an economic disaster in Ohio communities during the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee.

"The men and women in uniform who serve in our National Guard did not create this recession or put people out of work, they work every day to protect our state and country and we should fight to protect them from harmful cuts," said Sutton. "When we dissolve National Guard units, we are not only hurting those in uniform and their families, we impose a negative impact on local small businesses and institutions. I proudly stood up for Ohio National Guard units to ensure they can continue their mission, and I will continue to fight for them against further attempts to dissolve their mission."

Sutton co-sponsored and worked to pass an amendment which restores cuts to the Air National Guard and prohibits the transfer or retirement of any aircraft by the Air Force in Fiscal Year 2013. This Amendment will directly prevent the termination of the current C-27 mission as part of the 179 Airlift Wing at Mansfield Air National Guard Base in Mansfield, OH. If the C-27 mission was dissolved and other cuts would have taken place, it would have put approximately 350 full-time and nearly a thousand part-time jobs at risk of termination according to the Department of Defense.

In addition to the amendment to protect the Ohio Air National Guard and communities supported by those bases, Sutton authored, introduced, and passed an amendment to allow the Defense Logistics Agency Strategic Materials to strengthen the Department of Defense supply-chain by putting a priority on buying American-made materials, strengthening national security and American manufacturing jobs. The Sutton Amendment passed unanimously via voice vote.

President Obama's campaign released a new video framing his decision to back gay marriage as part of his "Forward" re-election theme.

Key Mitt Romney quote: "Calling it marriage creates a whole host of problems for families, for the law for the practice of religion, for education. Let me say this, 3,000 years of human history shouldn't be discarded so quickly."

Obama tagline: "President Obama is moving us forward. Mitt Romney would take us back."

Watch It:

Josh Mandel Missed Every Single Meeting Of The Billion Dollar State Board Of Deposit During First Year In Office, Including Skipping For A D.C. Fundraiser

COLUMBUS, OHIO - With Josh Mandel's special interest friends pouring $6.2 million in out of state money to fund negative attack ads lying about Sherrod Brown's record, the Brown campaign today released a new TV ad, "Meetings."

The ad highlights how Mandel irresponsibly skipped every single meeting of the powerful Board of Deposit that controls billions of Ohio taxpayer dollars during his first year in office, and instead spent his time jetting around the country to raise cash for his Senate campaign.

Watch It:

"The $6.2 million in misleading negative attack ads against Sherrod Brown by Josh Mandel's special interest friends can't hide the fact that Josh Mandel's record of missing every single meeting of the Board of Deposit during his first year in office, even to attend a fundraiser, is yet another sign that he's just another politician who can't be trusted," said Sadie Weiner, spokesperson for Friends of Sherrod Brown.

"This is a major turning point in the history of American civil rights.

No American president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the American people - and I have no doubt that this will be no exception.

The march of freedom that has sustained our country since the Revolution of 1776 continues, and no matter what setbacks may occur in a given state, freedom will triumph over fear and equality will prevail over exclusion.

Today's announcement is a testament to the President's convictions, and it builds on the courageous stands that so many Americans have taken over the years on behalf of equal rights for gay and lesbian Americans, stretching back to the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village."  ~ Mike Bloomberg

Student Loan Interest Will Rise July 1 without Action

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Debbie Phillips (D- Albany) and Michael Stinziano (D- Columbus) will introduce a resolution urging Congress to act immediately and pass S. 2343. Without action federal student loan interest rates are set to double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

"A strong educational system is at the very foundation of economic success and prosperity for individuals, communities, and our nation. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for  young people to attend institutes of higher education, not due to a lack of academic proficiency but rather, the increasing burden placed on students stemming from tuition hikes and debt from their student loans," said Rep. Phillips who represents Ohio University.  "I am deeply troubled by the debate in Washington because it is not about whether we must work to keep interest rates low, but rather is bogged down by who should pay; big corporations or the middle class."

S. 2343, co-sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, would stop student loan interest rate hikes that will be effective July 1.  This legislation would offset an interest rate hike by closing a corporate tax loophole. Republican refusal to close tax loopholes for corporations and desire to take funding from preventative healthcare is a further demonstration of a lack of concern for Ohio's working and middle class families.  Yesterday U.S. Senate Republicans filibustered the Democratic proposal.  If action is not taken rates will automatically rise July 1st of this year.  

COLUMBUS--State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) issued the following statement today regarding the approval by the House or Representatives of Senate Bill 295, legislation that will repeal HB 194:

"It is a truly sad day for the people of Ohio.  Not only have their lawmakers plainly circumvented their will and rendered the pending referendum on HB 194 moot, they have passed legislation that clearly conflicts with provisions of the Ohio Constitution.

"HB 194 was an historic step backwards in the struggle for voting rights because it made it harder for voters' voices to be heard.  Senate Bill 295 is an equally negligent blunder in that it disregards the voters altogether--300,000 of which signed petitions to vote upon HB 194 this November.  Moreover, SB 295 still bans early voting the three days immediately preceding an election, perennially the busiest time period of early voting.

"Instead of working to address the hardships faced by the long-term unemployed, putting more teachers in the classroom, or investing in the infrastructure of tomorrow, majority Republicans have made it their mission to help Jim Crow move north, keep women in the kitchen, and restrict workers' rights."

26 Programs Nationwide Will Save Estimated $254 Million, Improve Health Care

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the first batch of organizations for Health Care Innovation awards, among them University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital which, along with partners that include Ohio Medicaid, four community mental health agencies, Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland Schools, and Head Start, and others, is receiving $12.8 million to provide care to approximately 65,000 children with Medicaid who would otherwise be treated in an emergency room.

Made possible by the health care law - the Affordable Care Act - the awards will support 26 innovative projects nationwide that will save money, deliver high quality medical care and enhance the health care workforce.  The preliminary awardees announced today expect to reduce health spending by $254 million over the next 3 years.

"We can't wait to support innovative projects that will save money and make our health care system stronger," said Secretary Sebelius. "It's yet another way we are supporting local communities now in their efforts to provide better care and lower cost."

Today the College Democrats of Ohio are applauding Senator Sherrod Brown for his hard work to stop the student interest rate hike that will take place on July 1 if Republicans don't join Democrats in passing Senator Brown's bill.

For weeks, Sen. Brown has demonstrated his commitment to Ohio's students by traveling across Ohio, visiting college campuses including The Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati and Wright State University to discuss his bill, which would freeze interest rates for federal Stafford Loans that 382,000 Ohioans rely on to attend college at the current 3.4 percent level.

If Republicans don't join Democrats to pass Sen. Brown's bill, student loan repayments will increase by an average of $1,000 per loan. In Ohio alone, the new rate increase will affect 382,000 students. Sherrod Brown knows that's not acceptable - that's why he's fighting to make college more affordable.

Bill Also Aimed at Stopping Voter Referendum

COLUMBUS - The Ohio House of Representatives this afternoon once again approved legislation that will make it harder for citizens to vote.  State Representative Matthew A. Szollosi (D-Toledo) voted against Senate Bill 295 and issued the following statement:

The election law changes created in Senate Bill 295 serves only to create more voter confusion and further chaos, complicating the process in November.  It is another blatant attempt by the Republican majority to make it difficult for the citizens of Ohio to exercise their right to vote.  The bill has been described as the repeal of House Bill 194, another bad piece of legislation which they passed earlier in the year.   It put the obstacles in place to undermine the effort to make sure all votes are counted and that everyone would have ample opportunity to have their voice heard.  Unfortunately, that obstacle -- the elimination of the last three days of early voting before Election Day-- remains in place in Senate Bill 295.

"Senate Bill 295 presents an unprecedented legislative action that has never been taken in the Ohio General Assembly's 209-year history - a pre-emptive legislative repeal to a law that has been certified for a citizen's referendum. This bill undermines the right of referendum that is enshrined in our constitution and I believe it will be met with a serious and credible constitutional challenge.

"Once again, this legislation is a means to reduce turnout in densely populated urban areas by severely restricting successful early vote initiatives. These changes will disenfranchise minorities, young people, the elderly, and those on the lower end of the socio-economic scale.  It has no place in Ohio law."

Urges Republicans to Stop Pursuing Elections Laws and Legal Actions that Harm Voters

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement on the passage of Senate Bill 295, an unprecedented partial legislative repeal of HB 194, which is subject to voter referendum.   SB 295 is an unconstitutional effort to undermine voters' rights to challenge the terms of a bad law at the ballot box.

"It is time to end the tricks, and end the attacks on Ohioans most basic rights-- whether it's the right to referendum, which is enshrined in Ohio's constitution, or the very right to vote.  SB 295 is not a straight repeal of House Bill 194, the voter suppression bill that's been certified for a citizen's referendum.  In fact, it brings back one of the most harmful provisions of HB 194-- the elimination of the three busiest days of early voting.

"I'm not optimistic, but I will try to remain hopeful that talks on this serious matter can continue, and a compromise on this unprecedented legislative repeal can be reached.  SB 295 in its current form should not be signed into law."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -Former Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, Rep. Michael Stinziano, criticized House passage of the Senate bill to repeal HB 194 as a political tactic to subvert the will of Ohio voters. The passage of SB 295 is a legislative attempt to end early voting the final days before Election Day.

"I am disappointed with the Majority's decision to reject bi-partisan compromise and instead move ahead with Senate Bill 295 in an attempt to repeal HB 194 before voters can decide on it this November," Rep. Stinziano said.

However, the legislation is not a "clean" repeal and includes provisions that would end early voting prior to the final days before the election.

"As someone who signed the referendum petition to address, among other things, the taking away of local control to set voting hours, I am disheartened by this partisan maneuver," Rep. Stinziano added. "Today I offered a common sense amendment to restore early voting to the close of business the day before Election Day, restoring Ohio's voting laws to what they were prior to HB 194 and HB 224. It was rejected along partisan lines. If the goal today was to truly reset and return election law to what it was during the 2010 elections, then corrective changes are needed to address all legislative changes to remove the final few days of voting. This is exactly what my amendment would have accomplished."

The Plain Dealer Reports:

The Ohio House of Representatives has passed a bill to repeal a controversial election law up for a referendum on Nov. 6.

The vote early Tuesday afternoon was 54-42. The bill now goes to Gov. John Kasich for approval; he is expected to sign it.

Democrats strongly objected to the repeal because it does not restore in-person absentee voting the weekend before an election -- a provision in the bill up for referendum and duplicated in a later bill.

Democrats also said the repeal violates the people's right to referendum.

Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood) said, "Senate Bill 295 constitutes an admission by Republican lawmakers that they violated voters' rights last year when they passed HB 194 to suppress Ohioans constitutional right to vote.  

But SB 295 is deceptive; it is not a clean or complete repeal.  Instead it is another attempt to disenfranchise voters by enabling one of the most harmful provisions of HB 194 - the elimination of the last three days of early voting before Election Day.  

Cutting off in-person early voting on the three busiest voting days makes it harder for working Ohioans to exercise their right to vote. SB 295 also undermines citizens' constitutional right to challenge a bad law through the referendum process.

Must find better ways to work together and build prosperity from bottom up, Says Boyce

COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democrats announced today the appointment of former Ohio Treasurer of State Kevin Boyce to the 27th Ohio House District in Franklin County.  Boyce returns to public life after serving as the Managing Director at Rice Financial where he specialized in municipal bonds.

"I'm thrilled at the opportunity to return to public life and I'm honored to represent my community in the Ohio House," said Kevin Boyce. "This is a critical moment for working and middle class families in the 27th House District," he added.  "We have both great challenges and great opportunities ahead, but we must find better ways to work together and build broad-based prosperity from the bottom up."

Boyce has a long history of public service having previously served as a statewide officeholder from 2009 to 2011.  He also served as a Columbus City Councilman for eight years, holding the position as Chairman of Finance and Appropriations Committee.  During that time, Boyce also worked at KnowledgeWorks Foundation.  Throughout his career Boyce has received over fifty awards for leadership in public finance, public service and community service throughout his professional endeavors.

Obama up 7 in Ohio

Barack Obama continues to have the upper hand in Ohio, even if Mitt Romney puts one of the Buckeye State's leading politicians on his ticket.

Obama leads Romney 50-43. That 7 point margin is unchanged from late January when he was ahead by a 49-42 spread. Obama also led 50-41 when PPP polled the state in early November so this makes three polls in a row over the span of six months with him leading by 7-9 points. Obama certainly looks like the favorite in Ohio at this point.

Big backlash from the GOP's War on Women:

The GOP's struggles with women and young voters really show themselves in Ohio. Obama's up 55-36 with women and has a 62-30 advantage with those under 30. If you extend the definition of 'young' voters to those under 45 Obama still holds a massive advantage at 56-35. Romney's winning seniors 49-45 but he needs a much bigger lead than that to make up for his weakness with young people.

The Obama campaign's newest television ad is a sixty second spot that begins with a flashback to the economic crisis and financial meltdown of 2008 and ends with the message that America is coming back and that we must continue moving forward.

The ad is entirely positive: it does not mention of President Obama's opponent nor does it make any reference to the Republican Party. And contrary to GOP predictions that the president will not run on his record, the ad proudly touts his accomplishments, citing the rescue of the auto industry, the end of the war in Iraq, the death of bin Laden ("our greatest enemy brought to justice by our greatest heroes," the ad says), and 4.2 million private jobs created over the last 26 months.

Despite those accomplishments, the ad does not declare mission accomplished. "We're not there yet," it says. But, it concludes, we are on our way back, and must continue moving forward.

According to the campaign, the ad will run in nine states: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, New Hampshire, Iowa, North Carolina, Florida and Colorado.

Watch It:

Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, chaired a field hearing today examining the impact of Ohio's new voting law, HB 194, which restricts early voting, eliminates the requirement that poll workers direct voters to the proper precinct, and makes it harder to vote absentee. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown joined Durbin at the hearing.

"If the goal of Ohio's new voting law is to drive down turnout by causing confusion and erecting barriers to the ballot, than the law will undoubtedly be a success," Durbin said. "Cutting back on early voting, making it difficult for voters to find their polling place and hurting the ability for voters to vote absentee could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters. Regardless of how clever or innocuous a new voting law may seem, if it makes it harder or impossible for citizens to cast a ballot, we must speak out and work to get that law modified, repealed, or invalidated by a court of law. And that's why we're here in Ohio today."

"H.B. 194 is a solution in search of a problem. It will repeal a number of common-sense measures that assist Ohioans in voting. For instance, this law eliminates early voting on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday prior to the election, the three busiest days of early voting. This reduction was made despite the fact that in 2008, up to 19 percent of Ohio voters cast their ballots on the weekend prior to the election," Brown said. "Not only that, but under H.B. 194,  ballot workers will be prohibited from directing voters--who may be their friends, colleagues, or parishioners--to the correct polling location. Rather than protecting the right to vote, HB 194 is a brazen attempt to undermine it. This bill will disenfranchise more Ohioans of their right to vote, and that's wrong. Our citizens deserve better."

Bishop Timothy J. Clarke, the visionary leader and Senior Pastor of First Church of God in Columbus gives a statement encouraging Ohio lawmakers not to block access to the polls by way of legislation.

Watch It:

HB 99 passes Ohio Senate

COLUMBUS - State Representative Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) announced the passage of House Bill 99 was passed in Senate session today, May 3, 2012 with a vote of 25-8.  This bi-partisan bill, which calls for a statewide texting while driving ban, is co-sponsored by Rep. Damschroder (R-Fremont) and was passed in House session on June 28, 2011 by a vote of 88-10.

In the Highways and Transportation Committee, a sub-bill was offered that amended H.B. 99 to prohibit the use of all electronic communication devices by drivers under the age of 18.  The use of any electronic communication device by a minor will be a primary offense, with the exception of GPS devices. The sub-bill changed texting while driving to a secondary offence for drivers over 18. However, municipalities that have stricter laws will not be pre-empted. Thus, communities such as Columbus, Bexley and New Albany that have laws that make texting while driving a primary offense will still be enforced.  Offenders would receive a fine of up to $150 dollars.  The bill also establishes a 6-month grace period to educate drivers and ease the transition, as well as requiring the inclusion of the dangers of texting while driving in driver education courses.

The Obama campaign issues a new ad on Mitt Romney and his stance on Women's issues.

Watch It:

Has the line between 'left and right' or 'fair and unjust' ever been as clear and well defined as it is now.

The Columbus Dispatch reports:

President Tom Niehaus says he won't pass legislation essentially outlaw abortion in Ohio.

House Bill 125, the so-called heartbeat bill, triggered an unprecedented split in Ohio's anti-abortion community, which disagreed about whether it was a good legal strategy to enact legislation almost certain to be declared unconstitutional.

In a strongly worded letter to "fellow pro-life Ohioan(s)," Niehaus said the bill was flawed and slammed supporters for questioning the commitment of majority Republicans in the Senate to ending abortion.

Read The Full Letter Below:

Sutton co-sponsors legislation to reauthorize critical, life-saving program

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) released the following statement calling on Congress to pass H.R. 4271, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012:

"For nearly two decades the Violence Against Women Act has given women the peace of mind of knowing that there are laws in place that ensure their safety and security; we must work to reauthorize this law and do so immediately.

This is a law that works, not only for women who have fallen victim to violence, but for every American who strives to live in a more just, safer world. For all of our differences, we should come together and show the next generation of Americans that we will always agree that violence against women is wrong, and we should support every effort to fight it."

A lifelong leader on women's rights and trailblazer on domestic abuse issues, Congresswoman Sutton first introduced legislation strengthening domestic violence laws in 1993 as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and has been a strong supporter in strengthening and extending the Violence Against Women Act in Congress.

Statehouse Republicans continue to put Guns before the safety of our Kids and Communities

COLUMBUS - State Reps. Ted Celeste (D-Columbus) and Tracy Maxwell Heard (D-Columbus) held a press conference today highlighting the litany of current and pending gun-related bills under consideration in the General Assembly that put public safety and law enforcement officers in harms way.  They were joined by Toby Hoover, Executive Director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence; Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of Progress Ohio; and Rev. Tim Ahrens of the First Congregational Church.

Under the backdrop of a "Machine Gun Social" fundraiser flyer sent out by State Rep. Margaret Conditt in which supporters are invited to shoot automatic firearms - including an M60 machine gun - Rep. Celeste expressed his concern over the message conveyed by the flyer so soon after three students were killed by an armed gunman in Chardon High School.  This was the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. since 2005.

The speakers have signed onto a letter they plan to send to Rep. Conditt requesting that she cancel the event.  The letter will also be sent to Governor John Kasich, House Speaker William Batchelder, and Ohio Republican Party Chair Bob Bennett.

"In this General Assembly alone, we've seen at least nine separate bills that pose a danger to public safety," said Rep. Celeste.  "To parade about a fundraiser where supporters can shoot semi-automatic weapons for pleasure is distasteful and offensive to the memory of those students who were senselessly killed."

Rep. Heard echoed his statements, and spoke to House Bill 263, legislation she's introduced that would close a "gun show loophole" that allows criminals to purchase firearms at gun shows without undergoing a background check.

Columbus - Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) completed his 107-mile walk to bring awareness to childhood hunger in the state of Ohio. 

According to the USDA, over 16 million children lived in households with little access to food. Ohio ranked higher than the national average with 16.4% homes in the state suffering from food insecurity.

US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, yesterday announced a field hearing examining the impact of Ohio's new voting law, HB 194, which restricts early voting, eliminates the requirement that poll workers direct voters to the proper precinct, and makes it harder to vote absentee.  The hearing will be held on Monday, May 7th, at the Carl B. Stokes United States Court House in Cleveland, Ohio.  Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) will join Durbin at the hearing.

Ohio's new law reduces the number of early voting days from 35 to 17, eliminates voting on the weekend before an election, removes the requirement that poll workers direct voters to their proper precinct and prohibits county boards of elections from mailing unsolicited absentee ballots.  HB 194 will be subject to a ballot repeal measure in November.  Witnesses will be announced at a later date.

COLUMBUS - FreedomOhio CEO Mary Jo Kilroy applauded Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today for asking the Ohio Supreme Court to dismiss a legal challenge seeking to stop the Freedom To Marry movement from trying to end marriage discrimination in Ohio.

'The Ohio Attorney General and the Ohio Ballot Board unanimously approved our petition language to give two loving adults the freedom to marry in Ohio," Kilroy said. "While a few extremists are filing frivolous lawsuits, thousands of our volunteers are going directly to the people to collect signatures for marriage equality."

"Our supporters are going to our website, www.freedomOhio.com, where they can follow a few simple steps to signup to volunteer and download a petition to put a freedom to marry amendment before voters in November, 2013," Kilroy said.

Lawyers for Freedom To Marry Ohio will also file a dismiss and expedite motion with the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Obama campaign released a seven-minute long web video on Monday highlighting the president's first term accomplishments, contrasting them with the challenges he inherited from the prior administration.

The video teases a new campaign slogan: "Forward," and outlines the challenges America faced as President Obama took office at the height of the worst recession in almost a century and details the progress that has been made reclaiming the security of the middle class and building an economy that's meant to last, where hard work pays and responsibility is rewarded.

Watch It:

On Saturday, May 5th, the President and First Lady are holding the first public rallies of the campaign starting right here in Columbus, Ohio.

President Obama's campaign is using Bill Clinton to show Mitt Romney would not have launched the raid to capture Osama bin Laden last year.

The argument is being made to coincide with the one-year anniversary of bin Laden's death.

Watch It:

President Barack Obama announced today that former Ohio Sen. John Glenn will be among 13 people, both living and dead, to whom he'll award the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The awards will be presented at the White House in late spring.

Tries to Amend to Protect Maumee River

COLUMBUS - The House of Representatives approved HB 473 today, a bill that outlines procedures for withdrawing water from Lake Erie, one of the largest supplies of fresh water in the world.  This bill breaks the Great Lakes Compact by not protecting tributaries, such as the Maumee River, that lead into Lake Erie.  This bill is opposed by many groups including former Governors Voinovich and Taft.  State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D- Toledo) released the following statement:

"It is very unfortunate that this bill falls short and does not protect our waters to be swimmable, fishable, and drinkable," said Rep. Fedor. "I had hoped my amendment would be able to at least shield the Maumee - which is particularly vulnerable because of algal blooms."

"Four main issues have been raised by experts and scientists and these issues have not been adequately addressed."

"First, tributaries of Lake Erie are not adequately protected.  Second, water quality is not adequately protected because a 90-day average for establishing permit thresholds allows water quality to be significantly altered.  Third, the average citizen who would like to defend his recreational rights to the Lake is not adequately protected.  Lastly, experimental permits create a huge loophole that leaves the whole Lake Erie basin inadequately protected.

WASHINGTON -- Offering riffs on Mick Jagger and reflections on race, President Barack Obama is capping a week devoted to courting young votes with a Rolling Stone magazine cover interview that segues from presidential musings on politics to foreign policy to pop culture.

Sounding an election-year theme, Obama tells the magazine that Mitt Romney can't disavow the conservative views he embraced as candidate during the Republican presidential primaries. At the same time, he acknowledges that he, too, is struggling against public skepticism because of the slow economic recovery.

For Obama, the magazine interview and its cover portrait come as he reaches out to young voters with a two-day tour of three college campuses in key election swing states and an appearance last night on NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

President Obama "slow jams" the news with Jimmy Fallon.

Watch It:

Bengals players to help kick off 107-mile walk for childhood hunger 

Columbus - Today, Minority Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) announced that he will lace up his shoes and walk 107-miles to bring awareness to childhood hunger in the state of Ohio.  Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy and defensive end Michael Johnson as well as local radio personalities from Radio One Cincinnati, the Avondale Running Club, Childhood Food Solutions and more will join Senator Kearney and walkers as they embark on the 6th Annual Walk for Children's Health at the official kick off celebration on Friday, April 27th at 8:00 AM at Pleasant Ridge Montessori School (5945 Montgomery Road Cincinnati, OH 45213).

According to the USDA, over 16 million children lived in households with little access to food. Ohio ranked higher than the national average with 16.4% homes in the state suffering from food insecurity.  

"In my own community the only meal that children may get a day is during school. Once they get home, they must worry about what they are going to eat," said Senator Kearney.

COLUMBUS-State Rep. Michael Stinziano (D-Columbus), former Director of the Franklin County Board of Elections, released the following statement regarding the lawsuit filed by Majority leaders yesterday against Secretary of State Jon Husted:

"I am disappointed in the misguided suit brought against the Secretary of State yesterday by leaders in the Majority. The decree this suit seeks to reverse was a result of the many serious legal issues that arose from the 2004 election under Secretary of State Ken Blackwell. The suit ignores the circumstances and the embarrassment that many Ohioans suffered during the 2004 election and I am disappointed by the Majority's imprudent lawsuit that would prevent some qualified voters from having their properly cast ballot counted. If the goal is to return to the disastrous election process Ohioans saw in 2004, then this lawsuit will take us there.

Honored by the Columbus Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society

COLUMBUS- State Representative Kathleen Clyde received the inaugural Progressive Young Leadership Award from the Columbus lawyer chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS) last night at their annual reception.  The Progressive Young Leadership Award is bestowed upon an individual, "whose early commitment to upholding the fundamental values of the Constitution as an example to all that follow."

"In the short time that she has been in the legislature, Representative Clyde has done an outstanding job representing her constituents and standing up for the people of Ohio," said Rob Krummen, President of the Columbus Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society and attorney with a Columbus law firm.  "ACS can think of no person more deserving to give this award."

"Patchwork"changes would further add to internal inconsistencies, voter confusion

Citing voter confusion and critical timing issues, a group of voter advocates including the League of Women Voters of Ohio and Common Cause Ohio today called on the Ohio General Assembly to halt further voting legislation until 2013.

"Voters are already confused due to all the voting legislation proposed in 2011 and 2012," said Carrie Davis, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "Did voter ID change? Is early voting the same as 2010? Why does early voting end the Friday before the election when HB 194 was blocked by the referendum?

"Enough already!" said Davis. "Legislating in a hurry is a bad way to do business, especially when it comes to election law. When the election code is changed in a patchwork fashion, it creates internal inconsistencies and voter confusion."

McDonald's, it turns out, isn't the only fast-food giant to have cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council, the corporate-funded organization that writes up model bills for thousands of state lawmakers nationwide.

Wendy's said on its official Twitter feed on Tuesday night that it, too, had left ALEC. "We decided late 2011 and never renewed this year. It didn't fit our business needs," the company tweeted. Wendy's is currently not a member of ALEC, it stressed.

Wendy's joins a quickly growing list of large corporations and other institutions that pulled their support and funding from ALEC, a conservative organization that has helped draft controversial voter ID bills in dozens of states.

Coca Cola, Pepsi Co, Intuit, Kraft, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wendy's fellow fast-food giant McDonalds all previously announced that they would drop ALEC as well.

HT: Mother Jones and Think Progress

President Barack Obama's re-election campaign marked the conclusion of the Republican primary - and the beginning of the general election campaign today - with a nearly two-minute Web video splicing together clips of Mitt Romney's most memorable statements from the trail.

Watch It:

Update: And the Romney memories just keep on coming . . .

Asked today on a conference call if Mitt Romney supports the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act -- a landmark law passed in 2009 that empowers women to seek restitution for pay discrimination -- the presumed GOP nominee's campaign officials told reporters, "We'll get back to you on that."

The law, the first signed by President Obama after he took office, was killed by Republicans in 2008 and is named after a woman who discovered she was being paid less than her male counterparts for doing the exact same work.

Sutton's Record of Fighting for Middle Class Families and Ohio Workers Inspires Grassroots Fundraising Momentum with More than $450,000 First Quarter

Copley, OH - Overwhelming grassroots support for Congresswoman Betty Sutton's record of standing up for Ohio middle class families helped set a new campaign record and propelled Sutton to outraise her opponent, millionaire tax evader Congressman Jim Renacci. Sutton's campaign announced today more than $450,000 raised in the first quarter of 2012 from more than 2,800 individual donors. The campaign will also report over $750,000 cash on hand.

Sutton's first quarter fundraising is the most any Democratic congressional candidate has raised in Ohio history.

"This overwhelming support shows that people are ready to choose a leader in Betty Sutton who will fight to create jobs for working families, while rejecting millionaire Jim Renacci's priorities of cutting critical benefits for seniors and protecting billionaires," said Scott Eggleston, Sutton's Campaign Manager. "No matter how much money Washington Republicans throw at voters, we will prove that our grassroots support will put us on top in November."

COLUMBUS - GetEQUAL Ohio, a group of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and straight Ohioans, today declared its support and endorsed the Freedom To Marry movement.

Tom Morgan, GetEQUAL Ohio state director, said the time is right to ask voters to end marriage discrimination by giving two consenting adults the Freedom To Marry.

"There is a growing awareness in Ohio and the United States that everyone should have the same right to marry. It's only fair," Morgan said. "GetEQUAL Ohio is ready to join the Freedom To Marry movement because the time is right to ask voters to support two people committed to spending their lives together."

"This is a common sense and fair-minded amendment to the Ohio Constitution," Morgan said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - It's not the best mix for quality, according to a new report: More children making their way into state-funded pre-kindergarten classrooms, but a lot less money to support early education.

Dr. Steve Barnett directs the nonpartisan National Institute for Early Education Research, and his group says national per-child spending dropped by $145 last year, and over the past decade by $700 per child.

Dr. Barnett says Ohio bounced up and down in terms of pre-K over the past decade.

"Most recently it's down, only 2 percent of children in Ohio are enrolled in state-funded pre-K, and when it comes to quality it meets only two of our 10 benchmarks for quality standards. That's the worst in the country."

Read More at Public News Service

COLUMBUS Jennifer Brunner, the former Ohio Secretary of State, has thrown her support behind the Freedom To Marry movement.

"I am proud to be publicly counted among those who support the Freedom To Marry constitutional amendment effort in Ohio," Brunner said.

"This proposed amendment is straightforward, fair and well-reasoned. In a democracy where equality is a bedrock, establishing the Freedom to Marry allows the legal rights of marriage to be recognized regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity of the individuals in the relationship. Two consenting adults will be given the Freedom To Marry, and at the same time religious institutions will be guaranteed the freedom to choose to recognize or not recognize these marriages."

Lawmakers point to life without the possibility of parole as viable alternative
 
COLUMBUS-State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D - Lakewood) and Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights) are raising fervent opposition to the reinstatement of the death penalty by U.S. District Court Judge Gregory L. Frost following a four month moratorium.  They have sponsored House Bill 160, the Execute Justice bill to replace the death penalty with life without parole.  The lawmakers cite the recent vote by Connecticut's State Senate to abolish the death penalty as an example Ohio should follow.

Connecticut is the latest example showing that support for the death penalty is rapidly declining in the United States. Following this morning's 20-16 vote in the state senate, Connecticut is poised to become the 17th state - and the 5th in five years - to abolish capital punishment.

"Moving forward with executions is a step backward for Ohio," Rep. Antonio said. "Now is the time for Ohio to join policy leaders throughout the country and move to life without parole."
 
"Connecticut will soon be the fifth state in the past five years to abolish this barbaric, outdated form of punishment.  Public opinion is clearly changing with regard to capital punishment, and I am hopeful that Ohio will soon be able to capitalize on this momentum as well," said Rep. Celeste.

Voters First Cleared to Circulate Petitions for Citizen Redistricting Amendment
 
COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Ballot Board today gave Voters First the green light to begin their effort to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot, which will take the power to draw Ohio's legislative and congressional districts out of the hands of politicians and political elites and put it in the hands of a nonpartisan citizen's commission. 
 
"It's time to end 'fox in the henhouse' politics and give voters a real voice in our government," explained Ann Henkener, spokesperson for Voters First and a board member of the League of Women Voters of Ohio.
 
The group's proposed constitutional amendment comes after a highly controversial redistricting process where the State's district maps -- drawn by politicians and their national political party --received criticism from editorial boards of major newspapers across the state.

COLUMBUS - The Freedom To Marry movement will gear up to hit the streets, clipboards and petitions in hand, to start collecting signatures after the Ohio Ballot Board approved language today to end marriage discrimination in Ohio.

"Now that the ballot language has been approved, we are moving forward to gather the signatures to place the issue on the ballot so that all loving couples in Ohio who want to take wedding vows and share their lives and love will be have their marriage recognized under our laws, while respecting the freedom of churches to perform or recognize the marriages,' said Mary Jo Kilroy, FreedomOhio CEO.

FreedomOhio will prepare the petition for circulation across Ohio by involving more than 1,500 volunteers. To be on the ballot, the movement will need 385,245 valid signatures.

PepsiCo, the world's second largest beverage company, has ended its partnership with ALEC, the controversial right-wing group that lobbies for voter suppression efforts. Pepsi's move, which actually came in January but was first reported this morning by NPR, may also have had a role in compelling Coca-Cola to drop its support for ALEC.

Yesterday, progressive advocacy group Color of Change announced a boycott effort targeting several other corporations that are still members of the group, which for years has partnered with elected officials at a state level to draft and pass controversial, far-right legislation.

Just a few hours later, Coke announced that they too are severing ties with the ALEC.

(Columbus) -Today State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) joined State Senator Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) and State Representative Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) in the introduction of legislation that would enact Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson's plan to transform the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

"We have a moral obligation to confront the challenges plaguing our school district and to resolve to do what is in its students' best interest," said Senator Turner. "Doing nothing is unacceptable, and this plan is a bold step towards creating the conditions for success for our children, our city, and our future."

Senate Bill 325 builds off of Mayor Jackson's original proposal, but reflects many of the compromises reached though negotiations between the mayor, the district, and the Cleveland Teachers Union. These include provisions that would preserve teacher tenure, increase the transparency of the newly-created Transformation Alliance, and allow for teacher hiring to be done at the building level instead by the central office. The contentious "fresh start" language remains, but only until the details of its replacement can be agreed upon.

From The Cleveland Plain Dealer:

It's done. Ohio's Consumer Sales Practices Act is now one of the weakest consumer laws in the country.

Gov. John Kasich signed HB 275 into law Monday.

With the scratch of a pen, Kasich granted companies that cheat Ohioans a "right to cure," which lets wayward businesses dodge consequences for using deception as a sales tool.

Supporters of the change clung to the rationalization that it would speed up resolution of court cases. It hastens the disposition of cases, all right, but it does nothing to speed justice.

The cure gives a business sued for cheating a customer the right to offer the victim his money back and a nominal amount - capped at $2,500 - toward attorneys' fees in exchange for dropping the suit.

On one hand, Kasich rams through drastic cuts to Education and local budgets while handing out corporate welfare paid for by Ohio's taxpayers across the state like it's halloween candy, now he and his republican allies in the legislature have made cheating consumers a no fault proposition.

Ohio's consumer law is now one of the weakest unfair and deceptive practices statutes in the country.

COLUMBUS - The Freedom To Marry movement announced today they have been given the green light to end marriage discrimination by asking voters to amend the Ohio Constitution to allow two consenting adults to marry one another.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine approved the summary language for the ballot today after Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted reported Freedom To Marry had exceeded the 1,000 signatures needed by turning in 1,574 valid signatures.

The proposed amendment, which now goes to the Ohio Ballot Board for review, would recognize the freedom of two individuals to marry regardless of gender, and the freedom of religious organizations to refuse to perform or recognize same gender marriage.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today certified the petition for the proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution which would repeal and replace the definition of marriage in the Ohio Constitution.

On March 26, 2012, the Ohio Attorney General's Office received a written petition to add and repeal language to the Ohio Constitution from the committee to represent the petitioners.   The submission was certified today as containing both the necessary 1,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters and a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposed amendment.

Washington DC - Ohio Senate candidate Josh Mandel has amassed a long trail of maliciously misleading and inaccurate statements - which is bad enough - but he did have one moment of brutal honesty lately. When confronted with his penchant for dishonesty, Mandel vowed to repeat his lies "again and again," seeing no downside as reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

President Obama holds a double-digit lead nationally over the two GOP presidential front-runners, according to a CNN/ORC poll released on Wednesday.

Obama leads Mitt Romney 54 percent to 43 percent, and leads Rick Santorum 56 percent to 40 percent.

Columbus - State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) was pleased to see his Substitute Senate Bill 109 pass the Ohio Senate this week by a unanimous vote of 33-0.  The bill will make it easier for citizens to clean up blighted properties in their neighborhoods by updating Ohio's criminal trespassing laws.  The change in law will exclude persons who enter abandoned or blighted property for the purpose of remediation from being charged with trespassing.

"Members of community groups in the Mahoning Valley expressed concerns about the possibility of being charged with trespassing when cleaning up blighted land around the city," said Senator Schiavoni.  "That law just didn't make sense to me, and obviously with the bipartisan support the bill received it didn't make sense to anyone else either."

Senator Schiavoni has been working on this legislation since its introduction last April. The bill that passed the Senate this week was an updated version of the original bill.

I'm sure Mitt Romney is thrilled that Paul Ryan endorsed him this morning, but nobody is happier than the Obama re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

To celebrate, the DNC put out this new web video, featuring a new version of "That's Amore" tailored especially to Romney, Ryan, and their plan to end Medicare as we know it.

Watch It:

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today certified the petition for the proposed legislative redistricting amendment to the Ohio Constitution.

On March 19, 2012, the Ohio Attorney General's Office received a written petition to add and repeal language to the Ohio Constitution from the committee to represent the petitioners. The submission was certified today as containing both the necessary 1,000 valid signatures from registered Ohio voters and a "fair and truthful" summary of the proposed amendment.

Rep. Fedor to introduce companion legislation to Gov. Kasich's Executive Order

COLUMBUS -State Representative Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) has been working with the Governor's office over the last several months and is honored to be a part of the new task force to end human trafficking that will be implemented as part of an Executive Order signed today.  Rep. Fedor will also be introducing Sub. HB 262 as companion legislation to the Executive Order in the near future.

"Responding appropriately is the key to combating the human rights issue of our lifetime. I am hopeful that the task force can work together and coordinate resources to best combat this problem that has destroyed the lives of so many young girls and women. This will never be a quick fix, but today marks an enormous leap of progress for Ohio." said Rep. Fedor.

The Governor's Executive Order creates a task force of state agencies already working with human trafficking victims including the departments of Health Transformation, Medicaid, Job and Family Services, Health, Mental Health, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Youth Services, Education, Agriculture, Public Safety, and the Board of Cosmetology.  The goal of the task force is to creatively coordinate and utilize resources to attack human trafficking from all angles, and ensure that victims receive the best possible help to start a new life.

Earlier this month, Governor John Kasich issued a challenge to the taxpayers of Ohio by saying, "You got any more loopholes you want closed, bring 'em to us." In response, One Ohio Now and Fight for a Fair Economy Ohio partnered for a Rally for Taxpayer Fairness call on Gov. Kasich to close the loopholes.

"Great public services lead to stronger communities.  But right now, we're making massive cuts to education and other vital services while loopholes exist for luxury jets, race car teams, and recreational vehicles purchased out-of-state," said Gavin DeVore Leonard, State Director of One Ohio Now.

"These loopholes benefit a small minority at the expense of the majority of Ohioans.  Big corporations and rich Ohioans need to pay their fair share.  Many of these loopholes are out-of-date and should have been closed long ago. Now is the time to cut these wasteful tax breaks."

With a commanding lead among women, Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Democratic incumbent, leads Republican challenger Josh Mandel 46 - 36 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

This compares to a 48 - 35 percent Brown lead in a February 15 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University.

In today's survey, the Democrat leads 48 - 31 percent among women while men are tied with 43 percent for Brown and 42 percent for Mandel. Independent voters go with the Democrat 46 - 28 percent.

"Sen. Sherrod Brown retains his double-digit lead in the Ohio U.S. Senate race. As is the case with President Barack Obama's lead in the White House race, the Democratic margin is made up almost completely of the votes of women," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "At this point, Josh Mandel is not very well known and he can take some solace in the fact that Brown is not over the magic 50 percent threshold. There are seven months until Election Day, but Mandel needs to show some signs of life if he is going to make the Senate race competitive."

From March 20 - 26, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,246 Ohio voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

"Once again the Republican-controlled Senate continues to play games with the voting rights of Ohio voters. Instead of taking the opportunity to pass a true repeal of both HB 194 and the provisions of HB 224 that eliminated weekend voting, the Senate chose instead to codify this prohibition with the passage of HB 295. By voting down Democratic sponsored amendments in committee and on the Senate Floor they missed the chance to fully repeal HB 194 and restore the full early voting rights to Ohio voters.

The passage of SB 295 will return Ohio's elections to the days of long lines on Election Day and voter confusion. Most importantly SB 295 is an attempt by the legislature to remove the referendum from the ballot and take away an important constitutional right of voters to have the final say on the issue this November.

Voting rights and the right to vote on constitutional referenda are not pawns in a chess game. Both H.B. 194 and now SB 295 as passed by the Senate are harmful laws that curtail and not expand Ohioans' voting rights. We urge the House to reject this approach and restore the full voting rights to voters when they take this bill up in the coming weeks.

H.B. 194 has been out of the hands of the legislature since the governor signed it in July 2011. It has been certified by the Secretary of State for a November 6th referendum vote for more than three months. It is discouraging to watch our state legislature waste the public's time and money debating how it can prevent Ohio voters from having their say on H.B. 194.

The failure of the legislature in S.B. 295 to restore Ohio's election laws to what they were before the passage of H.B. 194 demonstrates a motive that rests more in politics than in policy. If the legislature is truly interested in restoring voting rights, it would repeal the provisions of H.B. 224 that were adopted to correct parts of H.B. 194 related to weekend voting."

Senator works with Attorney General to establish regulations on internet cafés

COLUMBUS -- State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) is introducing legislation today that will license and regulate sweepstakes terminal devices within the State of Ohio.

Unlike gambling activities and skill-based amusement machines which are regulated under Ohio law, sweepstakes operations at internet cafes are currently unregulated.  The effort to regulate these machines began in the Ohio House of Representatives, after Rep. Nan Baker and Rep. Marlene Anielski introduced similar legislation on this issue.

"I decided to take on this effort here in the Senate, and with the support of the Attorney General's office I think we have put together a very balanced and comprehensive piece of legislation," said Senator Schiavoni.  "With the introduction of casinos, racinos and internet cafes to our state, it is important to make sure that every form of gaming is regulated in order to provide our citizens with an understanding of the odds of the games they choose to play."

Bill calls for criminal background checks of coaches, officials

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) introduced legislation earlier this week to protect children from possible predators who seek positions of trust, such as recreational league coaches and game officials.

"Our greatest responsibility is to our most vulnerable citizens," said Rep. Fedor. "We know that pedophiles will find ways to be near children.  We need to protect our youth who trust their coaches and referees.  Sex offenders should not have unsupervised access to children."

The bill requires volunteer and paid coaches and referees to submit to criminal background checks before they are hired or otherwise utilized by an athletics organization. The bill would also require periodic checks after they begin work as coaches and referees.

New Interactive, User-Friendly Database Answers Consumers' Questions in Plain Language

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched Ask CFPB, an interactive online tool that will help consumers find clear, unbiased answers to their financial questions.

"Financial markets can be complex and confusing, and consumers need information they can count on," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "Ask CFPB gives consumers answers in plain language so they can make sound financial decisions. But today's launch is just the beginning - we will continue to grow and improve this dynamic tool with the invaluable public feedback we receive."

Health care, jobs among top concerns for Ohio's paralyzed veterans' community

WASHINGTON, DC - Working to support Ohio veterans, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) met with members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America Buckeye Chapter, today, to discuss important issues within the disabled veterans' community, including increased access to quality health care and jobs.

"For generations, men and women across Ohio have answered the call to serve, and they have served and protected our country with honor and valor," said Sutton. "It is up to those of us who benefit from their sacrifice to work every day to honor their service and advocate on their behalf. I am proud to support the work these great Ohioans do every day on behalf of our paralyzed veterans."

The Paralyzed Veterans of America's Buckeye Chapter is one of 34 chapters of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) nationwide, and was established in 1972. Led by President and National Director Carl Harris, the PVA works to empower catastrophically disabled veterans to live full and productive lives.

Recently introduced bills will advance rights and opportunities for all women

COLUMBUS - The Ohio House Democratic Women's Caucus today held a press conference to discuss several pieces of legislation focused on advancing rights and opportunities in all aspects of women's lives.

"Women are a majority of the population and can make a difference when we unite behind legislation that will improve lives of women and families," said State Representative Nancy Garland (D-New Albany), Chair of the Women's Caucus. "Women's History Month is a great time to refocus our attention on common-sense policies designed to support, benefit and encourage the advancement of women here in Ohio."

Several bills recently introduced by members of the Women's Caucus help ensure all women have access to quality healthcare, including HB 419, the CARE Act; HB 281, the Prevention First Act; and HB 412, to establish health insurance exchanges in Ohio. All three bills were introduced by State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood).

Over 200 activists from across the state took part in the Freedom of Choice Ohio Storm the Statehouse Emergency Lobby Day today. FOCO is a statewide coalition that supports safe, accessible reproductive health care and comprehensive safe sex education.

View Slideshow:

View Larger Images Here

Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement today in response to Republican efforts to repeal House Bill 194 before Ohioans have a chance to reject the voter suppression legislation through a statewide referendum:

All of us -- men and women -- deserve the same quality health care that Members of Congress get.

Twenty million women with private insurance have already taken advantage of the health care law's prevention benefits. Now millions will get no-cost mammograms, contraception, and health check-ups starting this summer.

Yet, Republicans in Congress want to take away these protections. If it was up to them, insurance companies would be allowed to keep charging women more than men and denying them coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" like pregnancy or having been a victim of domestic violence.

Do Republicans in Congress really think their health care is good enough for them, but too good for women who've had children or been victims of domestic violence?

Coalition of Leading Non-partisan Groups Submits Initial Petitions to Attorney General

COLUMBUS, OH -- Vowing to put citizens, not politicians, in charge of drawing fair political districts a coalition of leading non-partisan organizations in Ohio (including the League of Women Voters of Ohio, Common Cause and many others) filed over 1,700 signatures today with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.  After the state's latest redistricting and reapportionment process, which was widely criticized by leaders and major newspapers across the state, the Coalition determined the effort was vital to ensuring that Ohio government represents all Ohioans.

"Ohio's Constitution is being abused by politicians to protect their partisan interests," said Sam Gresham of Common Cause/Ohio. "The politicians have created maps that attack the fundamentals of representative democracy.  That's not going to work.  Every Ohioan must have a voice."  Gresham's comments follow the implementation of Ohio's highly-controversial congressional and general assembly maps that were crafted by politicians in a backroom they, themselves, called 'The Bunker.'

The Voters First measure updates Ohio's Constitution in order to protect voters from politicians that manipulate district lines for their own political interests rather than those of their constituents.  The proposed measure takes redistricting out of the hands of elected officials, special interests, lobbyists and political hacks and puts it back in the hands of Ohio voters with a non-partisan citizen commission.  The commission is designed to restore citizen input, fairness and protect against political elites gaming the system to their own advantage.

With this week being the 2nd anniversary of the Affordable Care Act law, today the Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans calls upon Lt Governor Mary Taylor in her capacity as Director of the Ohio Department of Insurance to execute the duty of her office and move forward on the development of the Ohio Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace.

The Ohio Alliance calls upon the leadership of the General Assembly to take up SB 277 and HB 412 to create the necessary legislative authority to implement the exchange. Ohioans deserve a free and fair market from which to purchase health insurance.

The Lt Governor's resistance to change what is and the insistence on doing nothing for whatever her intent is harmful to the citizens of Ohio. The spiraling cost of the health system will not go away simply by starving the system of customers without insurance.

Tell Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor It's Time To Stop Playing Politics With Our Health Care!

Almost 4 million seniors saved about $2.16 billion through discounts for their prescription medications in 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to announce today.

This, administrators say, should help keep costs to the government down in the future.

"Before, many beneficiaries were forced to stop taking the drugs," said Jonathan Blum, director of the Center for Medicare. "This reduces costs through better management."

When Medicare recipients are able to take their medications, Blum said, they are hospitalized less often for heart attacks, low blood sugar and asthma attacks. So far, he added, available data don't reflect savings for those hospitalizations to Medicare.

The 2010 health care law required a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the so-called doughnut hole, or the gap between traditional and catastrophic coverage in the Medicare drug benefit, also known as Part D. In 2012, the coverage gap is $2,930.

The Affordable Care Act eliminates the doughnut hole by 2020.

A 17-minute documentary promoting President Obama's re-election casts his first term as a story "about determination and progress."

Narrated by Tom Hanks, the film is called The Road We've Traveled and appears to be built around the president's responses to the meltdown of the financial system, the near-collapse of the auto industry, and the political challenges of health care. There is also a segment on the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

Watch It:

In the past four days, three Ohio elected officials have made national headlines for taking lobbyist-fueled exotic trips on behalf of the finance industry.

The latest is Rep. Jim Renacci who was caught on undercover video "manning a golf cart" at an exclusive Key Largo resort event for lobbyists. CBS News released the footage this morning, which featured "braised baby octopus" served at a resort with "52 holes of championship golf". Event organizers would not disclose the names of the lobbyists, who paid between $10,000 and $46,200 to attend the fundraiser. Renacci serves on the House Financial Services Committee and CBS determined at least of the attendees on the list is a bank lobbyist.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Tuesday that Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel recently flew to the Bahamas to host a fundraiser at a conference for payday lenders. Prior to becoming treasurer, then-State Rep. Mandel voted against closing loopholes for payday lenders. ProgressOhio has previously called on Mandel to return this money.

Finally, State Rep. Carlton Weddington was indicted for bribery for taking all-expense-paid trips to Napa Valley and Miami, as well accepting cash and campaign contributions. The FBI investigation that led to the charges was sparked by allegations of impropriety relating to payday lending.

ProgressOhio Executive Director Brian Rothenberg has this to say:

"The good news is the financial industry has apparently recovered enough to fly to exotic resorts to write big checks to Josh Mandel and Jim Renacci.

The bad news is families in Ohio are still fighting to keep their homes after big banks caused our economy to collapse.

In the wake of the resignation and indictment of Carlton Weddington, Treasurer Mandel and Rep. Renacci should seriously consider returning this money. Failing that, they owe their constituents more than dodging reporter questions and adhering to minimum disclosure laws.

I think most people would be surprised by how thin the line is between what gets you four years in jail and what can buy you four years in office."

For too long, too many hardworking Americans paid the price for policies that handed free rein to insurance companies and put barriers between patients and their doctors. The Affordable Care Act gives hardworking families in Ohio the security they deserve. The new health care law forces insurance companies to play by the rules, prohibiting them from dropping your coverage if you get sick, billing you into bankruptcy because of an annual or lifetime limit, or, soon, discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition.

All Americans will have the security of knowing that they don't have to worry about losing coverage if they're laid off or change jobs.  And insurance companies now have to cover your preventive care like mammograms and other cancer screenings.  The new law also makes a significant investment in State and community-based efforts that promote public health, prevent disease and protect against public health emergencies.

Health reform is already making a difference for the people of Ohio by:

Learn more about the Breakthrough Institute's investigation into the history of government support for shale gas fracking. This support included investments in R&D, pilot demonstration, and key mapping techniques that developed horizontal drilling in shale, microseismic imaging, and modern hydraulic fracturing techniques.

The history behind the shale gas boom remained relatively unknown until late 2011, when researchers at the Breakthrough Institute conducted an extensive investigation revealing the role that federal agencies like the Department of Energy and the National Laboratories played in supporting gas industry experimentation with shale fracking.

Featured in the Washington Post and the President's 2012 State of the Union, this Breakthrough investigation enunciates - again - the crucial role that the federal government has always played in technological innovation.

Learn More:

New Investigation Finds Decades of Government Funding Behind Shale Revolution

US Government Role in Shale Gas Fracking History: An Overview and Response to Our Critics

LIUNA--the Laborers' International Union of North America--is the most progressive, aggressive and fastest-growing union of construction workers, and one of the most diverse and effective unions representing public service employees.

LIUNA applauds the Senate for coming together today to pass a Highway Bill that fully invests in America's transportation systems and protects good jobs. After nearly three years of temporary extensions, this legislation is desperately needed to keep our economy moving in the right direction.

And while the Senate's actions are encouraging, we're not out of the woods yet. The House must now follow suit and pass a jobs-protecting Highway Bill too. So far, all we've seen from House Republicans is partisan politics - even as one-in-four bridges in America have been deemed structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

That's why, this past week LIUNA dramatically dialed up the pressure on House Speaker John Boehner, launching a multi-media campaign in his home state of Ohio. The initiative includes a powerful radio ad - "Russian Roulette" - which warns motorists that until Congress passes a Highway Bill, they're being forced to play Russian roulette every time they cross an unsafe bridge.

The Department of Labor is reporting that there were 351,000 initial claims for unemployment last week, dropping 14,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 365,000. This ties a four-year low reached last month and continues the trend of unemployment claims falling below the 375,000 threshold signaling sustained job gains. The four-week moving average, a measure which reduces volatility, was unchanged at 355,750.

Statement prepared by activists arrested for trying to enter ODNR to meet with public officials.  They were arrested before even making it into the Ohio Department of Natural Resources public grounds

We are sitting in today because John Kasich's Division of Natural Resources (ODNR) is selling out the land and people of Ohio to the gas industry.

We are sitting in because ODNR has failed to protect our friends and neighbors whose water, air, and soil have been poisoned by hydraulic fracturing.

We are sitting in because ODNR has refused to test the toxic fracking wastewater that is being injected into over 170 wells throughout the state, even when explicitly requested to do so.

We are sitting in because we are from Youngstown, where injection wells have shaken our earth.

We are sitting in because we are from Warren, where toxic fracking wastewater has invaded our municipal water supply.

We are sitting in because we live in Cuyahoga County, where gas wells threaten the health and safety of our neighbors.

We are sitting in because we are not expendable, and we will not allow Ohio to remain a dumping ground for toxic fracking wastewater.

We are sitting in because wastewater is the Achilles' heel of the fracking industry, and shutting down Ohio's poisonous injection wells will slow down hydraulic fracturing operations across the Marcellus and Utica shales.

We are sitting in because we are inspired by the Lakota people who have stood up and taken direct action to stop the tar sands pipeline from destroying their land

We are sitting in because we are inspired by those West Virginians who have stood up to the coal industry put their bodies on the line to stop the blasting of the Appalachian mountains.

We are sitting in because we are inspired by our friends from Ohio and our allies from the Blood Tribe who have blockaded fracking trucks and physically resisted operations of the gas industry across the continent.

We are sitting in because we are inspired by a worldwide tradition of resistance to the destruction of extractive industries.

We are sitting in because we envision a world where corporate rule is put to rest, and communities are empowered to make those decisions that directly affect their lives.

We are sitting in because we will not be silent and we will not be bought.

We are sitting in because we can't drink money.

We are sitting in because if we don't, we don't know who else will.

-John Williams, Jonathan Sidney, Derrian Lamar-Mitchell

COLUMBUS, OHIO - Today, Sherrod Brown's campaign launched Women for Sherrod Brown, a group of Ohioans supporting Sherrod Brown for his proven track record of standing up for Ohio's women. Coordinated by Co-Chairs Rhine McLin and Mary Boyle, the group will play a critical advisory role on women's' issues and work to get Ohio women involved in the campaign.

Co-Chairs Rhine McLin, the former State Senate Minority Leader of Ohio and Dayton Mayor, and Mary Boyle, the first female Majority Whip in the Ohio House of Representatives  announced their endorsement of Senator Brown today in the below statement:

"Senator Sherrod Brown is working everyday in the Senate to beat back the constant attacks against women's rights and women's healthcare and there's no doubt he's on the side of Ohio's women. Sen. Brown championed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to erase workplace discrimination,  supported legislation to assist victims of sexual assault, extended the amount of time our children could be covered on their parents healthcare plans, and stood with women in our fight against the Heartbeat Bill.

"Now more than ever women across the state need a champion for women's rights in the U.S. Senate and they have one in Sherrod Brown. We must do all we can to ensure he can continue fighting for us in the years to come."

ProgressOhio today called on State Treasurer Josh Mandel to return any money he gained from an out-of-country fundraiser he held at a payday lending conference.

"Josh Mandel could have spent Friday earning an honest paycheck doing the job Ohio elected him to do. Instead, he spent it in the Bahamas courting money from the payday industry, which profits from exploiting the working poor," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director at ProgressOhio.

ProgressOhio has been a long-time critic of the industry and helped lead the statewide ballot issue that capped payday interest rates in 2008. The Ohio voting public sided against the payday industry by a 27 point margin. Josh Mandel subsequently voted against closing loopholes in the law while serving in the Ohio House.

"Friday is payday for most working people. But for those caught up in the payday lending game, they'll hand money over to payday lenders before they even see it. For Ohio's treasurer to spend Friday soliciting money from payday lenders at a luxury resort is an insult. It's particularly insulting to the 64% of Ohioans who voted to institute the rate cap the industry has spent the last three years trying to subvert. Josh Mandel needs to give the money back now," concluded Rothenberg.

ProgressOhio has also called for Mandel to return funds he received from a Nazi reenactor. Mandel's fundraiser came just days before State Rep. Carlton Weddington was indicted for the results of an investigation which stemmed from unethical behavior during the payday loan debate.

The Humane Society of the United States submitted a shareholder proposal encouraging Columbus, Ohio-based Bob Evans Farms restaurant chain and food manufacturer to develop a plan that would ensure its sausage, bacon and other pork products no longer come from pigs bred using gestation crates -- cages used to virtually immobilize breeding pigs for nearly their entire lives. This practice is one of the most cruel and inhumane abuses in the agriculture industry. 
 
In the pork industry, most breeding pigs are confined day and night during their four-month pregnancy in gestation crates, then are placed into another crate to give birth. They are re-impregnated and put back into a gestation crate, pregnancy after pregnancy, until they are slaughtered. These crates are barely larger than the pigs' own bodies.
 
"Consumers are opposed to confining pigs in cages so small they can't even turn around," said Josh Balk, director of corporate policy for The HSUS' farm animal protection division. "For too long Bob Evans has been out of step with consumers by supporting extreme confinement of farm animals. It's unconscionable, and puts this company way behind its competition."

The Columbus Dispatch is reporting:

Columbus Rep. W. Carlton Weddington will surrender to the FBI today and resign his seat in the state legislature as he faces indictment on three charges, including bribery.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said the charges relate to an undercover FBI operation that included Weddington accepting trips to California and Florida, allegedly in exchange for services.

O'Brien said the investigation began around the time The Dispatch reported in April 2010 that Weddington had told an official with the Center for Responsible Lending that he wanted a $2,500 payment made to the Legislative Black Caucus before the group of lawmakers would agree to talk with him about payday lending.

Weddington was indicted by the Franklin County grand jury for Bribery, a third degree felony, Election Falsification, a fifth degree felony, and filing a False Ethics Disclosure statement, a first degree misdemeanor. The charges in the current indictment carry a maximum penalty of 4 ½ years in prison. Dependent on the course of the investigation, other charges may be forthcoming against Weddington.

At the time of the Payday Lending incident in 2010, Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio publicly commented:

"I think the Black Caucus, as it was first conceived and has developed, has been one of the more effective advocacy organizations for African-Americans in the country," said Brian Rothenberg, executive director of ProgressOhio, a statewide liberal advocacy group. "But it got into this really loose, gray area when the foundation was created."

The way the foundation works, Rothenberg said, "has the potential to influence a legislator and has the potential to avoid transparency. I think that is very troubling."

Update: ABC6onyourside

FBI agents approached Representative Weddington after the false financial disclosure report was filed in February 2012.  Following consultation with counsel, Representative Weddington agreed to cooperate with the FBI and O'Brien's office.  The first step in that cooperation was an agreement to resign his elected position in the Ohio General Assembly, which he has submitted today. That resignation was sought because the legislature is returning from a recess and was to resume legislative sessions. It was agreed Weddington should not participate.  Also, Weddington will withdraw his candidacy for re-election and request that his name be removed from the November ballot.

Weddington Bribery Case No. 12 CR 1313

Could Senate Bill 5 be making a comeback?  Some union leaders say yes and it all has to do with proposed education reform in Cleveland to fix their broken schools.

It's called "The Cleveland Plan" and it has mandates within it that were part of the overwhelmingly defeated SB5.  Not only that, but Gov. Kasich says it is the model for his education reform.

Watch this report from NBC4i.com

COLUMBUS - We Are Ohio announced Monday the coalition representing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans will actively fight misguided and deceptive attacks on worker or voter rights in 2012.

"We are Ohio will be actively engaged throughout 2012.  We will stand to protect our middle class neighbors and working families. Too often extremist politics enters the fray and Ohioans recognize that it truly hurts us all," said Doug Stern, a Cincinnati firefighter. "The 2.1 million voters who vetoed Senate Bill 5, the 1.3 million Ohioans who signed the petition and the more than 17,000 volunteers are here to stay. Together, We Are Ohio!."

Today, EMILY's List, the nation's largest resource for women in politics, announced that it is fully recommending Joyce Beatty, a candidate for Congress in Ohio's third congressional district.

"Now more than ever, we need strong Democratic women in Washington - and Joyce Beatty is ready to get to work on what matters for Ohio families," said Stephanie Schriock, President of EMILY's List. "She's a smart businesswoman and a strong voice for women. Joyce isn't afraid to stand up to the misplaced priorities of the right in order to help build a more progressive America. The EMILY's List community now numbers more than one million - and we're thrilled to be able to help send Joyce Beatty to Congress."

The daughter of a brick maker turned small business owner, Joyce Beatty learned the value of small businesses at an early age. She started small businesses of her own, and went on to develop organizations to support other female entrepreneurs. Beatty carried her passion for her community and small business ownership into the Ohio House, where she served as the first woman to hold her state house seat, the first African American woman Assistant Minority Leader, and the first female Democratic Minority Leader in Ohio history. While in office, she fought to ensure that poor and uninsured women had access to cancer screenings and secured $400 million to help improve Ohio's schools. She currently serves as the Ohio State University's first female African American Senior Vice President.

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown) released the following statement in response to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources release of a preliminary report on the Youngstown area seismic activity and suggested new regulations for injection wells and brine disposal:

"Although we are glad to hear the Kasich administration say they are going to develop more stringent laws for the disposal of toxic drilling waste, it is disappointing that it took so long to address Ohio's lax regulations. This gives our group of concerned legislators some hope that our repeated calls for hearings on pressing legislation will no longer be ignored by Republican leadership in our state. We need real leadership on this issue, not a reactionary approach to industry mishaps. It's clear now that earthquakes in Youngstown could have been prevented if the Governor really did want to work in a bipartisan way."

Recently a group of Ohio legislators announced the creation of a caucus comprised of Senate and House members who are promoting legislation to strengthen relatively weak laws surrounding shale oil and gas exploration in the state.

The caucus membership includes:

Representatives: Antonio, Driehaus, Fedor, Foley, Goyal, R. Hagan, Heard, Murray, Okey, Winburn

Senators: Skindell, Tavares

In the wake of today's jobs report showing 227,000 jobs were added to the economy in February and that growth in December and January was even stronger than originally believed, it's important to remember:

• The economy just had its best 12 months of job growth in more than five years.
• Durable goods manufacturing jobs up 444k since January 2010. Longest and deepest period of manufacturing jobs growth since 1993-5.

HT: Daily Kos

Report recommends central role for combined heat and power in Ohio

The use of combined heat and power technologies in Ohio could save billions of dollars currently lost in the state's inefficient electric system, according to a report released today by Policy Matters Ohio.

Combined heat and power, also known as cogeneration, produces power by capturing and recycling heat that would otherwise be wasted. Ohio's electric power industry, the biggest source of the state's energy waste, squanders nearly one-third of all energy consumed in the state.

"This is a waste of both scarce resources and money, and results in large amounts of unnecessary toxic and carbon emissions," said Amanda Woodrum, Policy Matters researcher and report co-author. "Ohio lags behind other states in the bang it gets from its energy bucks. New York state gets more than twice as much output from the energy it consumes."

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has rightly made CHP one of the ten pillars in his energy policy, the full details of which are likely to be released next week.

A strong role for CHP makes sense. Ohio has the potential to generate a quarter of its electricity from CHP, but current CHP generation is less than 2 percent of capacity, according to the report, Capturing energy waste in Ohio: Using combined heat and power to upgrade electric system. A 10 percent increase in CHP's share of total electric power capacity (a boost of 3.6 gigawatts), would create $1.3 billion in annual energy savings while reducing emissions by 13 million metric tons - the equivalent of taking 2.3 million cars off the road, nearly 30 percent of passenger vehicles registered in Ohio.

Will allow state to operate budget more like a household

COLUMBUS--State Representatives Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) and Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) officially introduced legislation to establish a Local Government Job Fund.  This legislation was originally discussed during the announcement of House Democrats priorities for 2012 and builds on the Compact with the Middle Class.

During tough economic times, the Local Government Job Fund would divert any surplus revenues the state receives to local governments to create and retain jobs and maintain essential community services, such as police and fire protection, when the state's unemployment rate is above 6 percent.   Because of the proposed method of funding, there will be no new burden to the taxpayers.

"This bill allows our state to operate more like a family," Rep. Ramos said.  "In a family, during tough times if you come up with a little extra and you're behind on your essentials, you tend to take care of those essentials.  This bill allows us to do just that."

Bill is part of bipartisan effort to make fracking industry safer

COLUMBUS - State Representative Jay P. Goyal (D-Mansfield) introduced legislation today that will make changes to current injection well laws.  Injection wells are used for the disposal of waste fluids from hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking."

"Given that the production of shale oil and gas will soon be booming in Ohio and has the potential to bring many new jobs to our state, it is essential that we require companies to maintain practices that keep the public and our environment safe," Rep. Goyal said.  "Current regulations on the shale gas and oil industry are not strong enough and have branded Ohio as one of the weakest states in the nation on this issue."

As part of the fracking process, a significant portion of fluids containing water, brine, sand, and toxic chemicals comes back to the surface along with the oil or gas.  Rep. Goyal's legislation aims to ensure that the waste water produced from fracking be safely disposed of.

Among other provisions, key parts of the legislation would give local communities more control and increase public notice requirements.  Local governments would be given the ability to veto a permit for the construction of a new injection well if they passed an ordinance or resolution in opposition.  Additionally, well operators would be required to conduct tests of the waste water to help make communities better aware of the chemicals that could potentially seep into ground and drinking water.

Joe the Plumber blows it in his first interview since winning an Ohio Republican congressional primary this week:

Watch It:

Wurzelbacher, who became widely known as "Joe the Plumber" during the 2008 election, will face Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) in November. The Human Rights Campaign rated (PDF) the incumbent congresswomen at 83 percent in 2010 for her support of LGBT rights. She supported the repeal of the military's ban on gay and lesbian service members, but has also voted in favor of the federal ban on same sex marriage.

Kaptur has defeated every Republican challenger in her district since 1983.

The Obama campaign has released the trailer of a 17-minute documentary-style video about the president's first three years in office that aides said would be unveiled in full next week.

The two-minute clip, titled "The Road We've Traveled," paints Obama as facing a number of crises, including financial and auto industry meltdowns, upon assuming office and having to make tough decisions. It aims to have viewers consider Obama's record over time, rather than the day-to-day political debates in Washington.

The video is directed by Davis Guggenheim, who also shot the Academy Award-winning "An Inconvenient Truth" that features former vice president Al Gore discussing climate change .

Watch It:

A video has surfaced of a young Barack Obama -- back when he was president of the Harvard Law Review, not the president of the United States.

The footage shows him speaking on behalf of Derrick Bell, the first tenured African-American professor of law at Harvard University, who was in the middle of a protest for diversity.

Buzzfeed licensed the video, which it says came from a Massachusetts television station.

Watch It:

Federal observers will be present at polling locations on Tuesday

COLUMBUS - State Representative Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement applauding the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to place federal observers at polling locations for Tuesday's primary.

"Ohio has a provisional ballot crisis.  We capture too many ballots in a dangerous maze never to be counted.  With a 2010 Hamilton County judges race still unresolved 16 months later and Republican officials fighting every step of the way to throw out votes, we needed to do everything possible to restore the integrity of the democratic voting process. It is imperative that voters are assured that when they exercise their right to vote, their vote is actually counted.  There was no improvement in our provisional ballot problem in this state from 2010 to the 2011 election and we had no choice but to ask for help.

"Additionally, given the extreme problems other states have had counting their votes in Republican caucuses and primaries, it will be a welcome added protection to have elections experts here protecting the voting rights of Ohioans of all political parties." 

Rep. Reece wrote to United States Attorney General Eric Holder in January, requesting that the Department of Justice send federal election observers to Hamilton County for the 2012 election. The letter raised concerns over the procedure for counting provisional ballots miscast due to poll worker error and cites the unresolved 2010 Hamilton County Juvenile Court race as evidence that federal assistance is needed.

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Nancy Garland (D- New Albany), Chair of the Ohio House Democratic Women's Caucus, released the following statement on yesterday's defeat of the federal Blunt Amendment:

"I applaud the United States Senate for rejecting the 'Blunt Amendment,' which would have severely limited a women's access to preventative healthcare and contraception. It is unfortunate, however, that Ohio House Republicans voted unanimously to urge passage of this very same measure just a few weeks ago.
 
"In passing HCR 35, House Republicans asserted their belief that employers should be allowed to deny women access to preventative healthcare and contraception for any proclaimed moral or religious reason.  That same day, House Bill 284 was voted out of committee with a provision that would change current law to prohibit physician assistants from inserting our removing IUDs, further limiting women's access to contraception.

"These attacks on women must stop.  They only serve to move our nation backwards and undermine the great progress we have made on equal rights. The U.S. Senate made the right decision in shielding women's rights from further attacks. It is time for Ohio to do the same."

Multiple-choice Mitt is at it again. For someone who lies so much, you'd think Mitt Romney would be better at it.

On Wednesday, the news that Mitt Romney had come out in opposition to the Blunt/Rubio Amendment--a bill that will let employers deny coverage for birth control if they find it morally objectionable--caused shockwaves, both on the Left, who couldn't believe he was starting his lurch back to the center so soon and from the Right, who have always been suspicious of his anti-choice credentials:

ROMNEY: I'm not for the bill, but look, the idea of presidential candidates getting into questions about contraception within a relationship between a man and a women, husband and wife, I'm not going there.

Watch It:

Voices against Mitt Romney's proposals for the 1% including his recent proposal to raise the Medicare Eligibility Age outside his Townhall in Columbus, Ohio today.

View Slideshow:

View and Download Larger Images

Bill will also create permanent fund to assist communities impacted by fracking

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Robert Hagan (D-Youngstown) and Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) announced legislation today that would make adjustments to the severance tax, to ensure that Ohioans are receiving a fair share of profits from drilling.  In addition, it would establish the Local Impact Protection Fund, a permanent fund to ensure the local communities impacted by hydraulic fracturing will have a continued source of sustainable financial resources once the wells have dried up.

STEUBENVILLE, OH - A dozen anti-fracking Ohio and Pennsylvania residents were escorted from today's congressional field hearing on natural gas after interrupting the proceedings and attempting to present members of the committee with a $3 million check representing the money spent by industry just on members of the hearing.

Held by the Congressional Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, today's event was the latest in a series of field hearings designed to promote hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. "fracking") as a solution to the economic and energy crises.

Residents pointed out that Chairman Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), and Bill Johnson (R-OH), have collectively received a total of at least $267,084 in campaign contributions from oil and gas corporations and therefore clearly have a conflict of interest that makes them unfit for reviewing the human health, environmental, and economic impacts of fracking.

Citizens from across the state came together at the  6th Annual Rootcamp Ohio this Saturday in Westerville.

RootsCamps are participant driven, using the unconference or open format that is born from the desire for activists, organizers, leaders and politicians to share and learn in a productive, fast-paced, open environment. RootsCamp is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants.

Initiated by the New Organizing Institute and based on the phenomenally successful BarCamp model, RootsCamps are self-organized. This open format never fails to yield an astounding exchange of information, spin-off projects, and cross-pollination among unexpected partners.

Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join.

View Slideshow:

View and Download Larger Images Here

Today is a great day for America's and Ohio's middle class and those who aspire to get there. Cooper Tire, who locked out over 1,000 United Steelworker Local 207L members finally agreed to be civil to those who create their profits by bringing a proposal to the table that is fair to the workers and the community of Findlay.

According to USW District 1 Director Dave McCall, a tentative agreement was reached late this afternoon which could end the lockout. Members will get to vote on the proposal Monday.

"We want to thank all the unions and activists that stood with Local 207L members during this tough lockout. Just like the fight to save collective bargaining in 2011, labor showed once again when we stand together, all of the middle class and those who aspire to be there become stronger," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga.

Because of this great news, the events at local NTB stores scheduled for this Saturday, Feb. 25 and the Journey for Justice tour scheduled for Monday, Feb. 27 have been cancelled.

"We are so glad this Cooper Tire lockout has an end in sight and the 1000-plus workers can get back to work and providing for their families. But we cannot forget this new strategy of the greedy 1% and their corporations," said Burga.

"Machinists in Sandusky, Ohio have suffered through this union-busting strategy and we know we will see more of these in the future. But when we stand together as one, in solidarity, we will continue to win for all of the 99%!

Thank you again for all your support in this effort and in working to win for Ohio's 99%."

Husted sided along party lines, breaking a tie vote to appeal a federal court decision to count provisional ballots

COLUMBUS- State Representatives Kathleen Clyde (D- Kent) and Alicia Reece (D- Cincinnati) expressed disappointment in Secretary of State Husted's decision to appeal the federal court ruling to count provisional ballots in the undecided Hamilton County Juvenile judge race.

"I am incredibly disappointed in Secretary Husted's decision to continue to drag out this voting debacle by once again appealing the federal court ruling to count the votes. The continued delay in resolving this case will cost citizens more of their hard earned tax dollars and further undermines confidence in Ohio's election process" said Rep. Reece. "Every citizen deserves to have their vote counted, and we will continue to fight for what is right and just."

Last week, the Hamilton County Board of Elections came to a tie vote on whether to pursue yet another appeal of the federal court's decision in favor of counting the provisional ballots.  Siding with the GOP board members, Secretary Husted voted late yesterday to appeal the decision.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched an inquiry into checking account overdraft programs to determine how these practices are impacting consumers.  As part of that inquiry, the CFPB is seeking public input on a sample "penalty fee box" - a disclosure on a consumer's checking account statement that would highlight the amount overdrawn and total overdraft fees charged.

"With today's technologies, consumers have more opportunities to access their checking accounts and cause overdrafts," said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. "But overdraft practices have the capacity to inflict serious economic harm on the people who can least afford it. We want to learn how consumers are affected, and how well they are able to anticipate and avoid paying penalty fees."
 
An overdraft occurs when a consumer spends or withdraws more money than is available in his or her checking account and the financial institution advances funds on the consumer's behalf.  Banks generally charge an overdraft fee for each transaction that they choose to cover.  For point-of-sale debit card and ATM transactions, regulations by the Federal Reserve Board prohibit a bank from charging the overdraft fee unless the consumer has opted-in.  For check and online bill payments, as well as recurring debits, banks can charge an overdraft fee without any affirmative request from the consumer. 
 
According to various industry sources, the average overdraft fee ranged from $30-$35 in 2011 and has increased by 17 percent over the past five years.  A study by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation published in 2008 found that consumers who overdrew 20 or more times per year paid an average of $1,610 in overdraft fees annually.
 
The CFPB is launching an inquiry today through a data request that is being sent to a number of banks and a Notice and Request for Information that will seek broad input from the public.

COLUMBUS, OH - Leaders from Fair Elections Ohio and Bob Meadow Ph.d., Partner at Lake Research Partners held a press call on Tuesday morning to discuss the latest poll results from recent statewide polling on the HB194 referendum.  

Greg Moore, Campaign Director for Fair Elections Ohio, said, "Today's polling data released by the Lake Research Partners clearly shows that the vast majority of voters from across the state in every region and demographic group are showing their support for our repeal efforts by 54-31%.  Even among Republicans across the state the support for repeal is evenly split 43% for repeal and 44% against --a strong showing considering its passage along partisan lines last year.

This support mirrors the level of support Fair Elections Ohio and our allies discovered last summer during our petition drive that was carried out in every region of the state.

The support of the voters across the state was evident in both urban and rural counties. Clearly this is an issue that cuts across partisan lines. The voices of the voters are clear. They want the restoration of their full voting rights and they are prepared to repeal HB 194 at the ballot box this fall."

Greg Moore added, "Ohioans elected our legislators to create a better future for our families and communities, not limit our constitutional right to participate in government.   If the legislature and the Secretary of State choose to engage in politics and fight the will of the people, we are ready hit the streets and will have the strong support of voters across the state and across political parties."

A complete copy of the Polling Memo from Lake Research Partners can be found here:   http://www.scribd.com/doc/82301422/LRP-Memo-on-HB194-Repeal

COLUMBUS - Today women leaders including Ohio House Democratic Women's Caucus Chair and Representative Nancy Garland (D-New Albany), State Senator Charleta Tavares (D-Columbus), President and CEO of the Betty's Family of Restaurants Elizabeth Lessner, Raising Women's Voices Ohio Regional Coordinator Nancy Pitts and Ohio Democratic Women's Caucus Director Lauren Harmon denounced recent attacks on women's health by Republicans at the state and national levels.

During a press conference at Ohio Democratic Party headquarters, the leaders voiced their strong support for President Obama and Senator Sherrod Brown's records on women's health and their leadership in ensuring that all women have access to contraceptives.

Columbus - State Senator Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard) issued the following statement today after being appointed to the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission, as created in Ohio House Bill 188 of the 129th Ohio General Assembly:

"I am proud to announce my appointment to such an important legislative commission as I hold such reverence for the Ohio Constitution as a governing document in this great state.

I look forward to serious dialogue regarding the Ohio Constitution as it stands today and hearing public input from across the state. I encourage my constituents to reach out to our office if they have any suggestions or concerns regarding changes to this fundamental document."

The Commission is comprised of a total of 32 members, 12 from within the Ohio General Assembly and 20 appointed from the general public. These members are tasked with making recommendations for changes to the Ohio Constitution, as well as with making recommendations as to organizing a state constitutional convention. The Commission is required to make its first report to the Ohio General Assembly no later than January 1, 2013 and requires biennial reports thereafter as well as completion of all work by July 1, 2021. The last time a study of the Ohio Constitution of this size was conducted was during the Ohio Constitutional Revision Commission in 1970.

COLUMBUS- State Representatives Kathleen Clyde (D- Kent) and Alicia Reece (D- Cincinnati) called on Secretary of State Husted to vote 'NO' on appealing the federal court order to count provisional ballots in the undecided Hamilton County Juvenile judge race.

"This has gone on long enough. I am calling on Secretary of State Husted to vote 'NO' on the Hamilton County Board of Elections' appeal and bring an end to this voting debacle that has gone on for 15 months," said Rep. Reece.  "Secretary Husted claims he wants to put an end to voter confusion, but voting with the Republican board members to continue to appeal this decision will only further the very confusion he claims to want to avoid."

Earlier this week the Hamilton County Board of Elections came to a tie vote on whether to pursue yet another appeal of the federal courts decision, thus leaving the final vote to Secretary Husted.  Last year, at an earlier stage of the 15 month long litigation, Secretary Husted voted with the Hamilton County Board of Elections to appeal an earlier order from the federal district court to count the provisional ballots.  The United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals then said that Ohio's provisional ballot laws operate in a way that is "fundamentally unfair to the voters of Ohio, in abrogation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process of law" and refused to overturn the district court's decision to count the votes.  Likewise, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the 6th Circuit's ruling.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on Wednesday evening recognizing the 50^th anniversary of former Ohio Senator John Glenn's historic orbit around the Earth. Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth on February 20, 1962. Born in Cambridge, Ohio and raised in New Concord, Ohio, Glenn is a veteran of World War II and served as Ohio's senator for 24 years.

"So many Ohioans are familiar with John Glenn's remarkable story: in his 90 years, John has been a Marine aviator, an astronaut, a United States Senator, and a noted educator. But those of us fortunate to know him well know that there is so much to his life: his devotion for his wife Annie, his fierce advocacy of science, technology, and NASA; and finally, his deep patriotism and love for his country," Brown said. "Fifty years ago, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. He reawakened in an entire generation a love for scientific discovery, and later on, represented Ohio with honor here in the Senate. It is a privilege to recognize him and his accomplishments in the Senate today.

Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney and the members of the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus today welcomed Silvan Shalom, the Vice Prime Minister of Israel, to the Ohio Statehouse.  During his visit, Mr. Shalom spoke to a special joint session of the General Assembly.

"We are honored to have such a high ranking member of the Israeli government speak to the General Assembly," said Senator Kearney.  "I value the enduring friendship between Israel and the United States.  Our two great countries have many things in common including a strong commitment to democracy."

Mr. Shalom has served as Israel's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development since March 2009.  He has also served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance in previous Israeli governments.

State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and State Representative Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) discuss the CARE Act on Ohio in Focus.

The CARE Act would require that all hospital emergency rooms provide sexual assault survivors with treatment that can prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, if the survivor wishes to use them.

Watch It:

Columbus, OH --- As executives from some of Ohio's largest and most profitable banks gathered today for their annual Economic Summit--featuring a keynote address by Governor John Kasich--Columbus janitors and community activists held a mock wedding outside between Governor Kasich and "Corporate Greed."

Two protestors dressed as a bride and groom professed their "vows" to each other by holding up placards with facts about the devastating effects the partnership between politicians and banks has had on Ohio communities. A crowd of about 20 protestors--including Columbus janitors, OSU students, and members of Occupy Columbus--participated in the mock ceremony.

Bobby Copley, who works as a janitor at Huntington Bank Plaza, says the janitors organized the protest to call attention to rising inequality. "I clean the offices of one of the richest banks in the state," he says. "I live paycheck to paycheck but I still pay a higher percentage in taxes than these rich bank CEOs do. That's not right."

Introduce Buy Ohio, Hire Ohio and Keep Jobs in Ohio legislation

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Denise Driehaus (D- Cincinnati); Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery); Roland Winburn (D- Harrison Township) and Kenny Yuko (D-Richmond Heights) held a press conference today building upon House Democrats' Compact with the Middle Class and recently introduced legislative priorities for 2012 focused on jobs, communities, rights and opportunities for all Ohioans.  The bills discussed today include Buy Ohio, Hire Ohio and a Keep Jobs in Ohio Act that will work to support and protect Ohio jobs.

 "Rep. Pillich and I recently introduced our Hire Ohio legislation that would limit outsourcing for state funded projects," said Rep. Driehaus. "By doing so we will encourage projects to be located in Ohio, utilizing Ohio workers, and create new jobs that will work to rebuild communities and strengthen working and middle class families."

Reps. Reece & Clyde say enough taxpayer dollars have been spent trying to prevent votes from being counted

COLUMBUS - Representatives Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) and Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) released the following statement today in response to the Hamilton County Board of Elections' tie vote on whether to appeal a federal court's order to count provisional ballots in a still-unresolved 2010 juvenile court judge race.

"I am extremely disappointed in the Hamilton County Board of Elections' tie vote today to appeal Judge Dlott's decision. The continued delay in resolving this race will cost Hamilton County citizens more of their hard earned tax dollars and will further undermine confidence in Ohio's election process. I am calling on Secretary of State Husted to vote 'NO' on the board of elections' appeal and bring an end to this voting debacle that has left Hamilton County without a Juvenile Court judge for fifteen months," said Rep. Reece.

Rep. Clyde said, "The Board's action is quite regrettable.  All this time and money is being wasted to keep registered voters' ballots from being counted.  These voters have waited long enough.  Secretary Husted should vote against appealing this decision to count the provisional ballots, and he must take immediate action to make sure there is a statewide process in place to easily identify poll worker error so this doesn't happen again.  Thousands of other voters in Ohio have been deprived of their voting rights over simple mistakes just like the voters of Hamilton County."

Last year at an earlier stage of litigation, Secretary Husted voted with the Hamilton County Board to appeal an earlier order from the federal district court to count the provisional ballots.  The United States 6th Circuit Court of Appeals then said that Ohio's provisional ballot laws operate in a way that is "fundamentally unfair to the voters of Ohio, in abrogation of the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantee of due process of law" and refused to overturn the district court's decision.  Likewise, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the 6th Circuit's ruling. 

As we observe Black History Month, there is no better time to stop and recognize that the struggle of many Americans to exercise their right to vote is not confined to the past. A disturbing new chapter of that struggle is playing out now. In 1870, African-Americans were given the right to vote through the 15th amendment, yet for nearly 90 years, many were prevented from exercising this very right. Voter qualifying tests, dis criminatory enforcement of registration rules, poll taxes, and outright racial gerrymandering were just some of the devices standing between African-Americans and their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote.

Fast forward to now. In October of last year, the state of Tennessee denied Dorothy Cooper, a 96-year-old African-American, the voter ID she is now required to produce to vote at her polling place. They cited her inability to produce her marriage certificate. Ms. Cooper has voted in every election but one since she became eligible to vote, including many during the Jim Crow Era. In the last year, we've seen 34 states propose or pass voter ID bills; twenty-five percent of African-Americans do not possess an ID these states have established as acceptable. We've seen 19 states pass laws that restrict access to voting by shortening early and absentee voting periods, eliminating same-day voter registration and limiting registration processes, as well as making it harder to restore voting rights to citizens with past felony convictions. Republican legislatures have attempted to eliminate Sunday voting entirely, because historically this is a common day for minority voters to cast their ballot. In 2008, in Florida, 33 percent of black voters took advantage of voting on the Sunday before Election Day. Twenty-three percent of Hispanic voters did the same. These new laws could make it significantly harder for more than 5 million people to vote in 2012. The excuse provided by many Republicans is that they are attempting to weed out fraud, but it doesn't hold up. In 2004, Ohio had a fraud rate of 0.00004 percent, that's four fraudulent votes of the 9,078,728 votes cast.

While Ohioans struggle, Gov. Kasich has rewarded Wall Street Buddies

COLUMBUS- State Representatives Denise Driehaus (D- Cincinnati) and Mike Foley (D- Cleveland) released the following statement in support of the announcement today that the federal government and 49 states reached a landmark agreement of at least $25 billion with the five largest mortgage servicers--Bank of America, JP Morgan, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial.

"President Obama along with others, such as former Ohio Attorney General and head of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Rich Cordray, have stood up for working families and middle class Ohioans against Wall Street giants and today they won. This historic settlement will give relief to homeowners who have been hit hard by the mortgage crisis and it will establish new homeowner protections for the future," said Rep. Foley.

"While Governor Kasich has been busy rewarding his Wall Street buddies with jobs, lavish benefits, and massive tax cuts; Ohioans have been suffering.  Tuesday, during his State of the State address, the Governor never made mention to what he has accomplished to help struggling homeowners, rather he lectured about the need for bi-partisanship.  Democrats have taken action to protect Ohioans against the abusive practices that created this mess and we will continue to fight for Ohio's working families.  Rep. Foley and I have introduced House Bill 187 which would work to protect consumers and homeowners, but this bill has been sitting for months yet to receive committee hearings," said Rep. Driehaus.

Columbus - Senate Democratic Leader Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statement today in response to an announcement by Senate Republicans that they have introduced legislation to repeal HB 194, the controversial voter suppression bill:

"More than 300,000 people signed petitions calling for a referendum on House bill 194 to give Ohioans the chance to speak through the ballot box.   We think the referendum process is a fundamental right in Ohio's constitution and should not be circumvented.

"Senate Democrats are diametrically opposed to any form of voter suppression and we will fight to ensure all Ohioans have the right to vote.  Clearly, HB 194 was an example of voter suppression.

"Let's not forget Republicans in the General Assembly passed this voter suppression bill despite strong objections from Democrats and voting rights advocates.  Now that HB 194 is subject to referendum, and likely to be overturned by voters in November, they suddenly have had a change of heart.

"If Senate Republicans are sincere about reaching bipartisan consensus, they should postpone any further discussion of changing Ohio's voting laws until the next General Assembly.  We must respect the referendum process and the right of Ohioans to have the final say on controversial legislation."

Related:

Fair Elections Ohio Pledges to Fight Any Attempt to "Repeal and Replace" HB194

Will Take Action to Stop End-Run Around Citizen Referendum  

COLUMBUS, OH - Greg Moore, Campaign Director of Fair Elections Ohio, issued the following points at a Press Conference this morning: 

• Fair Elections Ohio supports the call by Secretary of State Husted for the legislature to repeal HB194 but strongly opposes any attempt to re-enact any provisions of HB194 without the people voting first. 
• Our repeal effort has achieved consistent election procedures for Ohioans in 2012, allowing voters to utilize nearly the same rules as were in place in the last presidential election.  
• If the legislature repeals and replaces HB194 with any new voting rules, especially regarding absentee and provisional voting, Ohioans would be voting under different rules in the Primary and General, inevitably leading to greater voter confusion and disenfranchisement.
• For 2012, the time for legislative changes to our voting laws is over, and election officials and Ohio voters deserve to know the rules well in advance to promote access to fair elections. 
• Any attempt to put the provisions of HB194 in place before this year's general election is nothing more than a "sleight of hand" to thwart the state constitutional referendum process and silence the voices of half a million voters who signed the HB194 Citizen Veto petition. 
• Stopping HB194 with a Citizens Veto has already preserved our ability to vote.  Ohioans are currently voting early for the March 6 primary.  If HB194 was in effect, these Ohioans would not be able to exercise the choice to vote early until next week, diminishing access to voting and creating the potential for long lines at the polls, especially in this year's contested Republican Presidential primary election. 
• Fair Elections Ohio's efforts are and will continue to be focused on access to fair elections for every eligible voter, improving participation and protecting the rights of Ohio voters to exercise their constitutional right to a citizens' veto.
• Fair Elections Ohio believes no election laws should change at this time, and HB 194 should remain a question for the voters to decide.
• If the legislature chooses to re-enact the provisions of HB194 before the 2012 election, Fair Elections Ohio and our allies across the state are prepared to collect enough signatures to once again stop this attempt to limit voting in Ohio.
• In 2011, Fair Elections Ohio collected half a million signatures to repeal HB194 at the height of the SB5/Issue 2 battle.  This time, we will not only have our original coalition of faith, civil rights and communty based organizations.  Additionally, we will have the full support and focus of a labor movement fresh off its victory in defeating SB5/issue 2.
• There is an energized base that will act with purpose and intention to protect Ohioans from political maneuvers to prohibit their right to determine by what laws they will be governed, a right reserved to them by our state constitution.

COLUMBUS - State Representative Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) released the following statement after a federal court in Cincinnati ordered many uncounted votes to be counted in the 2010 Hamilton County juvenile court judge's race.  The dispute over the decision to count or throw out provisional ballots miscast due to poll worker error has been ongoing for 14 months.

Election Night in 2010 ended in a cloud of confusion on who really won the Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge's race.  The unofficial result had John Williams ahead of Tracie Hunter by 23 votes.  But over 800 ballots were left uncounted.  Election officials had counted some provisional ballots where a voter was given the wrong precinct's ballot in error but not others.  Standards were inconsistently applied and the rules were made up in the middle of the game.  The cloud of confusion has persisted these last 14 months as Tracie Hunter has had to wait with no certainty about when she could start her job serving the people.

"Today is a victory for the voters of Hamilton County and for voters' rights across this state.  After 14 months, a court is ordering the last of the votes in the 2010 Hamilton County juvenile court judge race to finally be counted," said Rep. Reece.  "I now call on Secretary of State Husted to implement the provisional ballot process laid out in House Bill 76 immediately, or at the speed of business, so that Ohio will have a statewide uniform standard for counting provisional ballots that will comply with the federal court order.  This shameful ordeal should never happen again in Ohio. We must restore the integrity of the voting process in my district and in the state."

After a little over a year on the job, Ohioans appear to be having voter's remorse over the election of Republican John Kasich as Governor. Kasich holds a 53% job disapproval rating compared to just 33% approval. Independents disapprove by a 38-47 rate, just 9% of Democrats approve compared to 80% who do not, and 25% of Republicans disapprove while only 58% approve. When asked who they would vote for if they could do last fall's election for Governor over again, Ted Strickland leads by 20 points, with 56% of voters say they would vote for him and just 36% for Kasich..

"Ohio voters sent John Kasich a strong message in November by repealing Senate Bill 5 and his numbers haven't improved any since then," said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. "He remains one of the least popular Governors in the country and that could help Democratic prospects in the state this fall."

Stefanie Penn Spear reads Josh Fox's statement at Gov. John Kasich's State of the State address in Steubenville, Ohio.

Watch It:

Steubenville, OH - Education. Environment. Voting Rights. Workers' Rights. Attack after attack - Kasich and his allies are working for their corporate special interests, continuing to ignore the will of the people.  After the beating Kasich took on Issue 2, he knows the people are against him. So instead of having the State of the State at the Statehouse in Columbus, Kasich is breaking 200 years of tradition and running away to a small venue in hopes that no one will make the effort to travel there.

Over 200 did!

View Slideshow

View Larger Images Here

A research brief released today by Policy Matters Ohio analyzes a proposal that would reinstitute the state income-tax rate of 7.5 percent on income over $250,000 and implement a new, 8.5 percent rate on income over $500,000. This combination would generate about $650 million annually, according to an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a national research institute with a sophisticated model of state and federal taxation system

That would allow the state to reverse nearly half the cuts made to public schools and local governments in the current two-year budget. Those cuts are hitting Ohio's schools and communities hard, prompting teacher layoffs, undercutting public health and leaving some local governments struggling to maintain their police levels.

New Report Documents Influence of American Legislative Exchange Council in Columbus
 
COLUMBUS, OH - A new report released today by People For the American Way Foundation, Common Cause, the Center for Media and Democracy and ProgressOhio reveals the deep ties between the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Ohio's legislature.

Through a side-by-side comparison of ALEC legislative models and actual Ohio bills, the report shows how Ohio's legislators are working in tandem with corporate leaders to deregulate key industries, privatize education and dismantle unions.
 
The report, ALEC in Ohio: The Corporate Special Interests that Help Write Ohio's Laws, is available here.

Komen for the Cure just released the following statement from Nancy Brinker and the Susan G. Komen Board of Director

We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives.

The events of this week have been deeply unsettling for our supporters, partners and friends and all of us at Susan G. Komen. We have been distressed at the presumption that the changes made to our funding criteria were done for political reasons or to specifically penalize Planned Parenthood. They were not.

Our original desire was to fulfill our fiduciary duty to our donors by not funding grant applications made by organizations under investigation. We will amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political. That is what is right and fair.

Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.

It is our hope and we believe it is time for everyone involved to pause, slow down and reflect on how grants can most effectively and directly be administered without controversies that hurt the cause of women. We urge everyone who has participated in this conversation across the country over the last few days to help us move past this issue. We do not want our mission marred or affected by politics - anyone's politics.

Starting this afternoon, we will have calls with our network and key supporters to refocus our attention on our mission and get back to doing our work. We ask for the public's understanding and patience as we gather our Komen affiliates from around the country to determine how to move forward in the best interests of the women and people we serve.

We extend our deepest thanks for the outpouring of support we have received from so many in the past few days and we sincerely hope that these changes will be welcomed by those who have expressed their concern.

Ohio's oil and gas resources have caught the attention of drillers, investors and political leaders alike. Thanks to a process known as hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), substantial reserves of oil and gas trapped deep under the surface can be extracted and brought to market, with a potential value of hundreds of billions of dollars.

Innovation Ohio has released a report, "Fracking, Fairness and the Future," in which they call on Governor Kasich and state lawmakers to ensure that Ohio workers, landowners and taxpayers receive a fair share and a fair shake if the state decides to allow expanded drilling for oil and gas.

"Though a shale boom potentially could bring tens of thousands of jobs to Ohio, environmental concerns have raised doubts about whether fracking and its associated processes are safe. However, environmental issues are not the primary focus of our report. Because creating jobs will do little good if we poison our people and destroy our state, we believe it is self-evident that fracking should be halted if threats to public health and safety cannot be resolved. But if fracking does go forward, we believe that the economic benefits should be shared fairly with ALL Ohioans, not transferred out of state or allowed to flow down a one-way street in the direction of Big Oil."

IO's recommendations include: charging industry a reasonable severance tax and sharing the revenue with local governments hit hard by budget cuts and poised to deal with the local impacts of increased drilling; establishing a landowner's bill of rights; and creating a "Hire Ohio" policy to ensure new jobs go primarily to the Ohioans who need them.