ProgressOhio

Stop this Radical Threat to Workers' Rights Today!

2012-02-03T18:01:41Z

The rights of the men and women who work at airlines and railroads are in jeopardy.

Over 75 years ago, Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft the Railway Labor Act to resolve labor disputes in the airline and railroad industries. Under the Act, the National Mediation Board administers union representation elections in the industry.

Until today.

Radical anti-union members of Congress are attempting to rewrite this important labor law and change the role of the National Mediation Board without debate or discussion. They have included drastic changes to the law in the FAA Reauthorization bill.

Click here to write Congress today and make sure that these changes are removed from the FAA Reauthorization bill.

The changes these radicals are seeking would:

Make it much harder for airline and railroad workers to hold union representation elections.

Threaten airline and railroad workers' right to a secret ballot during union representation campaigns, allowing for management intimidation and retaliation.

Allow airline and railroad management to decertify unions without an election in a merger.

The FAA Reauthorization bill is an important piece of legislation that must be passed to ensure safe, efficient air travel. It is not the place to make drastic changes to rules that protect the rights of workers to join labor unions.

We must stand together to let Congress know that unrelated, controversial changes to labor law have no place in this bill.

Watch the video then use this form to write your Senators today and make sure that these changes are removed from the FAA Reauthorization bill. Or text FAA to 69866 to connect to your Senators' offices.

Watch It:

Komen Apologizes For 'Recent Decisions,' Pledges To Continue Funding Planned Parenthood

2012-02-03T17:12:13Z

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.

Lawmakers Announce Formation of "Responsible Shale Energy Development" Caucus

2012-02-03T17:02:46Z

Group to Address Lack of Responsible Policies on Hydraulic Fracturing in the State

COLUMBUS - 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.

"I think we looked around and kind of realized that a strong group of legislators are all working on legislation to bring about substantive and thoughtful laws for a practice that has been given pretty wide latitude by the Kasich administration. I also think that some of us are a little irritated that the Governor is saying 'we have to do this right,' yet no one in his administration has proposed to deal with the gross violation of private property laws that exist, the blatant discrepancy in seeking a fair revenue for the state, or the serious concerns about public and environmental health," Hagan said.

Responsible Shale Energy Development Caucus (RSED) members have introduced legislation that directly addresses some of these issues, and some members are currently working on legislation to bring greater accountability and responsibility to Ohio's oil and gas extraction laws.

]]> "We have a good collection of existing bills to address various components of shale energy development in the state, but there has been talk about doing a comprehensive bill that would promote a landowner's bill of rights, increase the severance tax on shale oil and gas extraction, and ensure Ohioans are given preferential hiring over folks from Pennsylvania and Texas. Of course, members are already championing these causes in separate bills, but a single bill might give us greater leverage to get some semblance of responsible public policy in place sooner," said Rep Hagan.

The caucus membership includes:

Representatives: Antonio, Driehaus, Fedor, Foley, Goyal, R. Hagan, Heard, Murray, Okey, Winburn

Senators: Skindell, Tavares

ProgressOhio Statement on Fracking and Future Revenue

2012-02-02T20:54:23Z

The following statement can be attributed in whole or in part to Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio:

"ProgressOhio believes first and foremost the health and safety of Ohioans should take precedence over any discussion of revenue generated from fracking. ProgressOhio stands firmly with the 72% of Ohioans who are in favor of a moratorium on fracking until issues such as environmental impact, water quality, disclosure of chemicals and waste disposal issues are resolved.

While the aim of generating more revenue for our local communities is valid, we believe that Ohio should be examining and eliminating some of the over $7 billion in tax loopholes and expenditures, including tax breaks for private jets, that leaders on all part of the political spectrum agree are wasteful and ineffective.

What is the State's cost to replace an entire aquifer that has been contaminated by toxic chemicals and unregulated drilling? What is the State's cost to replace infrastructure and repair damage after earthquakes caused by wastewater injection? More importantly, what is the cost to the people of Ohio, our health, our children, and our communities when the short term profits of big oil and gas are put before our property rights and our rights to clean water and air?

Until we can have a moratorium in place and the science proves our communities are safe, the environment is unharmed and earthquake ramifications are understood, talking about splitting up the spoils of fracking money is premature. The State of Ohio needs to put our people before corporate profits."

Attn: Cleveland, Youngstown and Columbus: FREE BUS to Protest Kasich at State of the State!

2012-02-02T18:46:37Z

John Kasich is on the run but we need your help to fight his extreme corporate agenda.

The annual State of the State address is scheduled for February 7th but for the first time in the history of the State of Ohio, its not going to be at the Statehouse.

After the beating Kasich took on Issue 2, he knows the people are against him. So 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.

Will you join us to protest the State of the State? Can you grab a FREE BUS from Youngstown to/from Steubenville on Feb 7th and stand up for the 99%? Click here to RSVP for the FREE BUS FROM CLEVELAND. YOUNGSTOWN or COLUMBUS.

Why are we protesting the State of the State? Why are we rallying for the 99%?

Because Gov. Kasich isn't standing up for us and someone needs to be fighting for our future and our communities.

We are at a make or break moment in Ohio. While our citizens continue to struggle, John Kasich is giving away the state to his biggest campaign contributors.

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.

Can we count on you to stand up for regular Ohioans and stand up against Kasich's bus at the State of the 99% Protest? We can send a message for the 99% but we need your help. Click here to RSVP and get more information on the protest.

On February 7th, we will prove him wrong. Citizens from across Ohio are going to come together and protest Kasich's fire-sale of Ohio to his corporate friends. We will show him that the 99% won't sit back while he rewards his 1% campaign contributors.

John Kasich has the wrong vision for Ohio. It's time for Kasich and the rest of the politicians to do the right thing. The days of rewarding campaign contributors with Ohio's tax dollars are over.

The corporate takeover of Ohio stops here.

Join us in Steubenville on the 7th. Make your voice heard. We have a free bus but you must CLICK HERE to RSVP and get more information.

Innovation Ohio Report: Fairness, Fracking and the Future

2012-02-02T17:56:04Z

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.

February 25th is Rootscamp Ohio 2012! Get Your Free Tickets Today!

2012-02-02T00:35:10Z

Rootscamp Ohio is the one event a year where it doesn't matter whether you're a blogger, an elected official or a super-volunteer that had never been politically active before SB5 - if you're a progressive and have something to share, we want to hear from you.

Please join us on Saturday, February 25^th for Rootscamp Ohio 2012, a unique chance to network, share and learn from your peers across the state.

Tickets are free and space is limited so make sure you can attend by RSVP'ing today!

What: Rootscamp Ohio 2012

Who: Progressives from across the state.

When: Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Sign-in starts at 8:30 AM and the opening session is at 9:30 AM.

Where: Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA)

390 Worthington Rd. Ste. A

Westerville, OH 43082-8329 [map]

Sen. Brown's 'Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012' Would Require Members of Congress to Divest Themselves from Stock Holdings or Separate Themselves from Buying, Selling

2012-02-01T19:34:14Z

The Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012 Would Build on STOCK Act by Setting Strict Firewall to Prevent Any Conflicts of Interests that Could Arise by Members of Congress Owning Stock Affected by their Official Duties

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) on Wednesday, offered an amendment that he said would strengthen the pending STOCK Act by requiring senators and their senior staff to divest from individual stock holdings in companies that could be affected by their work.

"Members of the House and Senate should focus on serving their constituents, not their stock portfolios," said Brown, speaking from the floor early Wednesday afternoon. "While the STOCK Act is an important step, we can draw an even clearer line by preventing our colleagues from voting on issues that affect their financial investments...There's no reason they need to be in the business of buying or selling stocks that could be influenced by their actions."

The Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012, which is being sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), technically prohibit members of the Senate and staff from owning individual stock in areas affected by their congressional work but does allow investment in broad-based funds such as mutual funds and allows for assets to be placed in blind trust.

Obama Leads Battered Republican Field in Ohio

2012-02-01T17:21:29Z

Public Policy Polling

Things are looking up for Barack Obama in the crucial swing state of Ohio. His opponents are unpopular, his own numbers are on the rise, and as a result he holds a healthy lead over the entire Republican field of candidates.

Obama has broken even with Ohio voters. 48% now approve of him with an equal 48% disapproving. His net approval has increased 8 points from 41/49 when PPP last polled the state in early November. The most important thing that's happened since then is Obama's base rallying around him. He's gone from a 73% approval rating with Democrats to 82%. And although he remains unpopular with independents he's still seen a 13 point net improvement with them from -26 (30/56) to -13 (40/53).

While Obama's becoming more popular, his opponents are moving backward. Only 28% of Ohioans have a favorable opinion of Mitt Romney to 56% with a negative one. Independents (30/53) and Democrats (14/73) pretty universally dislike him and he's not that hot with Republicans (43/36) either. Ron Paul (27/57) and Newt Gingrich (25/59) are even more unpopular. Rick Santorum actually has the 'best' numbers of the Republicans in Ohio at 35/48.

Santorum also, in contrast to most of our polling, comes the closest to Obama in Ohio. He trails by 6 points at 48-42. Romney's down 7 at 49-42, Paul's down 10 at 48-38, and Gingrich trails by 12 at 51-39.

Full Results Here

Kasich Announces Public Lottery For State Of The State Tickets

2012-02-01T14:39:42Z

COLUMBUS - Today Gov. John R. Kasich announced that a block of tickets to his 2012 State of the State address on Tuesday, February 7, in Steubenville will be distributed to the public via an internet lottery. Interested individuals can register for the ticket lottery at: http://governor.ohio.gov/tickets/

The governor's State of the State address is historically delivered in the Ohio House of Representatives chamber at the Statehouse in Columbus, where public seating is limited. This year's address--the first delivered by a governor outside of the Statehouse--will be delivered to a special joint session of the General Assembly convened at Wells Academy, the top-performing public elementary school in Ohio and part of Steubenville City Schools. Wells shares a spacious auditorium with the Steubenville High School which allows for more Ohioans to attend.

Names will be collected until 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, and individuals selected for tickets by random lottery will be notified via e-mail by noon on Friday, February 3.

State Of The 99% Ohio:
Protest and Rally At State Of The State!

Senate Democratic Caucus New Leadership Team Officially Sworn In

2012-01-31T23:10:11Z

Cincinnati's Eric Kearney takes over as Minority Leader

Columbus - The Senate Democratic Caucus has a new leadership team after an official swearing-in ceremony today in the Ohio Senate. Senator Eric H. Kearney (D-Cincinnati), an attorney, businessman and lifelong resident of Cincinnati, was elected Minority Leader. He is joined on the Caucus leadership team by Assistant Minority Leader Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield), Minority Whip Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and Assistant Minority Whip Edna Brown (D-Toledo).

"I am honored to have three dedicated and hard working Senators join me in leadership," said Senator Kearney. "We are a Caucus of big ideas and I look forward to putting those ideas into action to improve the lives of all Ohioans."

Senator Kearney has served in the Ohio Senate since December 2005. He represents the 9th Senate District which includes Cincinnati, Norwood, Deer Park, Silverton, Springfield Township, Golf Manor, St. Bernard, Elmwood Place, Cheviot, Addyston, North Bend, Columbia Township and Cleves.

Ohio Mayors Join Freedom to Marry Campaign

2012-01-31T16:55:15Z

Columbus, OH -- Six Ohio Mayors are among a growing list of local officials who have joined Freedom to Marry's "Mayors for the Freedom to Marry" campaign, which supports marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The Ohio Mayors who have signed the pledge to date are:

Frank Jackson of Cleveland

Mark Mallory of Cincinnati

Don Plusquellic of Akron

Edward Kelly of Cleveland Heights

David Berger of Lima

Sara Drew of Stow

]]> At the 80th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. this month, a bipartisan group of Mayors from around the country announced their support for the Freedom to Marry campaign. The group includes Mayors from large and small cities and towns alike, each with diverse backgrounds and constituencies.

Mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York, Antonio Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, Rahm Emanuel of Chicago and Annise Parker of Houston were some of the big city Mayors from around the country supporting the initiative.

The group released the following statement that read in part:

"As mayors of great American cities, we proudly stand together in support of the freedom of same-sex couples to marry. We personally know many gay and lesbian people living in our cities who are in committed, loving relationships, who are active participants in the civic life of our communities, and who deserve to be able to marry the person with whom they share their life...Our cities derive great strength from their diversity, and gay and lesbian families are a crucial part. Studies have shown what we know through our hands-on experience--that cities that celebrate and cultivate diversity are the places where creativity and ideas thrive."

Equality Ohio will continue working with local communities to encourage their Mayors to sign the Freedom to Marry pledge. To encourage your Mayor to sign on to the Freedom to Marry campaign go to http://www.freedomtomarry.org/

House Democrats Outline 2012 Priorities to Strengthen Middle Class

2012-01-31T16:19:41Z

Initiatives focus on Jobs, Communities, Rights and Opportunities

COLUMBUS - Ohio House Democrats announced the beginning of their legislative agenda for 2012 to strengthen working and middle class families. The priorities build upon the Compact with the Middle Class announced last year and focus specifically on four categories - jobs, communities, rights and opportunities.

"While Statehouse Republicans continue their overreaching partisan priorities, House Democrats are committed to common-sense solutions that put working and middle class families first," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood). "We will place a renewed focus this year on creating jobs, rebuilding Ohio communities, protecting the rights of Ohioans and improving education and workforce training opportunities."

]]> The legislative initiatives are a mix of new proposals and several bills that have already been introduced by House Democrats. The new bills include a Local Government Jobs Fund, a Community Foreclosure Protection Fund, a Voter's Bill of Rights and the Ohioans Back to Work Program. House Democrats will be introducing additional legislation in the coming weeks focused on putting working and middle class families first.

"For the last year, Statehouse Republicans have been turning over state assets to private companies and giving away state tax dollars to special interest friends," said Minority Whip Tracy Heard. "Instead of leaving behind working families and hurting local communities, our priorities will help Ohioans restore the American Dream."

Creating jobs continues to be a top priority for House Democrats. The Community Jobs Protection Fund will help communities return cops and firefighters to the streets by dedicating every new dollar of state revenue back to local communities. House Democrats have also developed the JobsOhio Accountability Act to ensure oversight and accountability of taxpayer dollars going to companies seeking state support.

"Rather than balancing the budget on the backs of local communities and taking away workers' rights, women's rights and voters' rights, our priorities will restore some balance in Ohio between Republican special interests and middle class families," said Assistant Minority Leader Matt Szollosi (D-Oregon).

Additionally, House Democrats have also proposed a new Ohio Voter's Bill of Rights, improvements to help workers and new protections for healthcare patients against rate increases and claim denials. Greater protections for education funding are addressed through increased accountability measures and a new workforce training program has also been proposed.

"These priorities represent a continuation of our efforts to stand up for working and middle class families throughout Ohio," said State Rep. Debbie Phillips.

Rep. Pillich Introduces Legislation to Make State Watchdog More Accountable

2012-01-30T20:20:30Z

Questions raised about performance, integrity and accountability of IG Meyer

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) introduced legislation today to create greater accountability and oversight for the office of the Inspector General by requiring a bipartisan appointing process through the four legislative leaders. This legislation will ensure the state's top watchdog maintains the necessary distance from partisan political activities.

"Recent activities have brought attention to the need for greater distance from political partisanship by the state's top watchdog. The Inspector General is charged with the responsibility of investigating wrongdoing in state government and protecting taxpayers from waste, fraud and abuse within the executive branch. Under no circumstance should Inspector General participate in any activity that could raise questions about the integrity and independence of the office," said Rep. Pillich.

]]> Serious questions about Inspector General Randy Meyer's ability to objectively investigate wrongdoing in state government have been raised by his lack of judgment, and a report by the Columbus Dispatch that Mr. Meyer has only conducted 12 investigative reports, the fewest from the IG's office since 2007. And most recently the Cleveland Plain Dealer uncovered the hiring of Mr. Meyer's son by ODOT, an agency overseen by a deputy Inspector General for ODOT, whom is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of Mr. Meyer.

"At a time when the people of Ohio feel Columbus and government are out of touch and unaccountable, the role of an independent Ohio Inspector General is more important than ever," said Rep. Pillich. "While similar bills have been introduced in past General Assemblies it is now evidently clear that legislative action is needed to ensure the Inspector General be independent, and maintain an independent appearance so that investigations and recommendations will be impartial and viewed by others as impartial."

This legislation will provide the necessary distance from political activities to ensure the Inspector General can effectively and objectively investigate potential wrong doing by state officials. It will do so by taking the appointing authority away from the governor and giving it to the four legislative leaders. The appointment must be approved with 3 out of the 4 votes of these bipartisan leaders. This bill will also adopt the same restrictions on political activity for all employees of the IG and the IG as followed by other legislative and administrative employees. The IG would serve a six year term subject to removal by the Senate for gross neglect, misconduct, and/ or dereliction of duty.

Reps. Sutton and Hoyer Tour NASA Glenn Research Center

2012-01-30T18:46:06Z

Congresswoman Sutton and Congressman Hoyer
listen to presentation at NASA's Flywheel Laboratory

Sutton and Hoyer discuss importance of center to jobs and research in NE Ohio

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) and House Democratic Whip Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05) toured NASA's Glenn Research Center, where they spoke with officials about scientific and economic impact the center has on Northeast Ohio.

"The work these men and women do here at NASA Glenn not only helps to keep our country on the forefront of aerospace research, but provides good-paying jobs at a time when Ohioans need them most," said Sutton. "I want to thank Congressman Hoyer for his visit to our state and for taking time to see firsthand why it is important that we continue to support the work done here at this critical research center."

]]> Meeting with top officials and employees, Sutton and Hoyer were briefed on the history of the research facility, which has contributed to such important missions as the Apollo program and Skylab, as well as potential future projects. Sutton and Hoyer also visited the Ohio Aerospace Institute, where they spoke with leaders there about their efforts to bolster the aerospace industry in our state.

"I was pleased to join Congresswoman Sutton today at NASA Glenn to meet with officials, tour their world-class facilities, and learn about the role this research facility plays in keeping our nation at the forefront of science and innovation," said Hoyer. "NASA Glenn and other NASA programs around the country are critical to our economic competitiveness, and Democrats are committed to making investments in these programs so that we can out-innovate our competitors around the world and create jobs here at home."

Since 1941, NASA Glenn Research Center (originally named the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) has been a leader in aerospace research and design. There are currently over 3,400 employees at the facility which is located on 350 acres of land and contains more than 150 buildings.

Fair Elections Ohio Statement on Possible 'Repeal and Replace' of HB194 by the Ohio Legislature

2012-01-30T17:58:35Z

"The recent suggestion of Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted that the Ohio General Assembly should repeal House Bill 194 has ignited several debates including whether it can actually be done while a referendum on the measure is pending.

While Fair Elections Ohio appreciates Secretary Husted's suggestion that HB 194 should be repealed, the apparent result seems to be a desire by some members of the legislature to substitute other changes before the November 2012 general election. This will create more confusion than good.

Fair Elections Ohio urges no changes to Ohio's election laws in 2012, especially between the primary and the general elections. 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.

While the Ohio House and the Senate agreed to previous compromises with the assistance of former Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner in 2010, they failed to become law when there was time to implement them. For 2012, the time for compromise has passed, and election officials and Ohio voters deserve to know the rules well in advance.

Fair Elections Ohio respectfully suggests the best thing for the Secretary to do is to execute his duties to educate the public about the current rules governing elections. The law specifically requires that he "Conduct voter education outlining voter identification, absent voters ballot, provisional ballot, and other voting requirements." (R.C. 3501.05(Z)

Fair Elections Ohio's efforts are and will continue to be focused on increasing voter participation and to protect the rights of every Ohio voter to access and fair elections. For this reason Fair Elections Ohio believes no election laws should change at this time, and HB 194 should remain a question for the voters to decide.

Press Pass: Consumer Watchdog Richard Cordray

2012-01-29T17:09:16Z

Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection bureau, believes the new organization can "make the markets work better."

"We can drive out the fraudulent practices, we can make prices and risks clearer for consumers and the other thing is, we can focus a little more on financial literacy and helping people understand the things they need to do to be responsible citizens so they can do a better job," Cordray said.

When pressed on charges from Republicans that his appointment is a 'power grab,' Cordray said his bureau will be judged based on results.

"If we can get these markets to work better," he said, "we can get things simpler and clearer for consumers to make more informed choices it's a good thing. Everybody recognizes that."

Watch Meet The Press' entire conversation with Director Cordray above to hear more about the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the story of his experience as a contestant on Jeopardy.

Watch It:

State Of The 99% Ohio: Protest and Rally At State Of The State!

2012-01-27T23:27:04Z

Visit State Of The 99.com for more information!

Sign-up using FaceBook

Becky Williams Elected As National SEIU Vice President

2012-01-27T19:05:45Z

Congratulations to Becky Williams, President of SEIU1199 WV,KY,OH on her election as a vice president for SEIU International!

The Columbus Dispatch Reports:

Becky Williams, the president of Service Employees International Union District 1199, has been elected a vice president for SEIU International. She will continue to serve in her local position.

The union said Williams "will expand the voice of our local," working with SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and the board to "improve the lives of working people and their families and to achieve greater social and economic justice."

SEIU is the second-largest state employee union. It is comprised mainly of professional and health-care employees.

In addition to this new role, President Williams continues to serve as a national leader on the SEIU International Executive Board (IEB) and is a member of IEB Health Care Council, the Midwest Area Leadership Council, and the International Member Strength Committee.

Lawmakers Propose Common Sense Solution to Controversial HB 194

2012-01-27T18:34:17Z

Legislation will ensure all votes are counted and rules are evenly applied

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Kathleen Clyde (D- Kent), Tracy Maxwell Heard (D- Columbus) and Alicia Reece (D- Cincinnati) announced today a common sense legislative solution to increase voter access, establish a more accurate voter database, and improve that ballot counting process. This week, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted called for the repeal of the controversial House Bill 194, which is currently facing a voter referendum in the fall.

Democrat's election law reforms would restore the requirement that poll workers direct voters to the correct polling place. It would ensure early voting lasts thru the Monday before Election Day and it would restore less burdensome vote-counting rules.

"In response to the colossal failure in legislative leadership by the Republicans, we again are saying work with us. Here are our priorities for creating better elections in Ohio that promote more participation in our elections, and ensure that more ballots are counted. We were shut out of the process last time, but we hope that the Republicans learn from their mistakes and work with us," said Rep. Clyde.

]]> This bill will fix Ohio's provisional ballot problem by reducing the number of reasons for making voters cast provisional ballots, and it will make it clear that election officials will be held responsible for mistakes instead of blaming and tripping up voters. Votes will be counted unless there is clear evidence that a vote is invalid, and it will add college ID's and passport to the acceptable voter ID list.

"Our proposal will trust Boards of Election to determine a voter's clear intent where a candidate's name is written in and possibly spelled wrong. If a bipartisan board can determine the voter's clear intent, that vote will count. We will not allow literacy tests to be part of Ohio law," said Rep. Heard. "Our bill will apply the same rules for all voters."

"This week, I called for federal elections monitors in Cincinnati due to a still unresolved 2010 Hamilton County Juvenile Court race. This bill will ensure situations such as this do not continue to happen," said Rep. Reece. "Our proposal will ensure all votes are counted, and it will reduce the number of provisional ballots due to poll worker error or change of address."

The proposed legislation will also ensure Motor Voter compliance - Currently, Ohio is not meeting its obligation to update voter registrations when voters change their address with the BMV. There is no excuse for this; by not complying we risk losing federal Help America Vote Act funds by failing to meet the conditions to receive the funds. The BMV and Secretary of State must work together to make Ohio complaint now.

Climate Activists Call Foul at Rep. Boehner's Office over Keystone Pipeline and Campaign Cash from Big Oil

2012-01-27T17:42:25Z

Activists in Striped Referee Uniforms "blew the whistle" on Rep. Boehner's Big Oil Campaign Donations and Agenda to Force through Keystone XL Pipeline

Cincinnati, OH- Climate activists fed up with the influence of corporate money on Congress stormed Spk. Boehner's office today in striped ref uniforms to "blow the whistle" on congressional corruption. Activists in uniform blew literal whistles and threw penalty flags to draw attention to the corruption of Congress by corporations and Big Oil, as evidenced by the ongoing campaign to force through the pipeline.

"I'm a writer, and I would never accept money from someone to bias any of my articles. That's why I'm sick of Congress saying the millions they get from Big Oil hasn't affected their votes on Keystone XL. Shame on John Boehner for vowing to continue his campaign to force this pipeline," said Andrew Culp, writer and teacher.

Rep. Boehner accepted $1.1 million from the fossil fuel industry before voting to expedite the Keystone XL "Tar Sands" Pipeline in December, according to OpenSecrets.org.

"I travelled to Washington, DC to stop this pipeline. Meanwhile, Speaker Boehner has sold us out for $1.1 million. I don't trust his agenda to force through this pipeline any more than I trust the corporations backing the project." Said Amanda Morgan, student at University of Cincinnati.

]]>
The 234 members of Congress who voted for the pipeline have collectively taken $42 million from the fossil fuel industry, according to OpenSecrets.org. On average, each of them received 500% more cash from big oil than members who voted against the pipeline.

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org comments: "Look, I'm a Patriots fan, but if Bill Belichick was caught paying off the refs for the Super Bowl I'd be outraged and so would everyone else. So why, really, is it okay that members of Congress take huge sums from companies and then vote on their interests?"

Today's event was held in solidarity with a rally outside the US Capitol Tuesday, where 500 people answered Bill McKibben's call for Americans to step up as citizen referees in response to the growing influence of corporations on Congress. Congressional leaders meanwhile have vowed a continued fight against the pipeline prompting ongoing grassroots protests.

Ohio AFL-CIO Files Objection To RTW Summary

2012-01-27T04:37:55Z

As Indiana was passing Right To Work (For Less) out of their state House of Representatives yesterday, the Ohio AFL-CIO was submitting a challenge to the Ohio Attorney General over the submission of petition language that could put Right To Work (For Less) on the ballot as early as this November.

You can download and read the Ohio AFL-CIO objection here.

Ohio Governor John Kasich spoke today about Right To Work (For Less) and agrees this is not the time to start trying to destroy what is left of Ohio's private-sector middle class

Watch It:

"The preponderance of evidence gathered from extensive independent research shows that the so called 'right to work for less' policies are in fact damaging to local economies as they lower wages and often create an environment that is conducive to job flight instead of fulfilling the promises of their proponents," said Tim Burga, Ohio AFL-CIO President. "We will continue to fight every day to ensure every worker has the dignity and protections they deserve at work to raise their families."

VIDEO: AWOL Mandel

2012-01-27T04:07:28Z

Mandel caught on tape raising money from lobbyists while neglecting his job in Ohio

WASHINGTON, DC - Only one day after the Associated Press reported that Ohio Treasurer and Senate candidate Josh Mandel has never attended a Board of Deposit meeting, he skipped yet another one to attend a high-dollar fundraiser in Washington, DC. American Bridge trackers caught Mandel on his way to the fundraiser in DC, as well as his absence from the Board of Deposit meeting.

"I don't know how Josh Mandel can look Ohio voters in the eye and claim to be 100% dedicated to his job, instead of running for Senate. I suppose he had a lot of practice keeping a straight face from all the times he told voters he planned to serve a full 4-year term," said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century.

Watch It:

Fair Elections Ohio Statement On SOS Husted Calling For HB194 Repeal

2012-01-26T20:04:39Z

The following statement was issued by Fair Elections Ohio Campaign Director, Greg Moore:

"Fair Elections Ohio welcomes the comments of Secretary of State Jon Husted and legislative leaders in calling for the repeal of HB 194. They join the growing chorus of citizens across the state of Ohio who signed over half a million petitions that successfully placed this issue on the November 2012 ballot. We will support any and all measures that will ensure that HB 194 never becomes the law of the land in Ohio.

Fair Elections Ohio and our broad based coalition will continue our work to build a strong grassroots statewide campaign that will ensure that HB 194 is defeated at the polls this fall. We hope the Secretary, the legislature and the Governor will all take this opportunity to expand and not suppress the voting rights of any Ohio voter."

See Related:

Senate President not happy about Husted's call for repeal | The Columbus Dispatch http://bit.ly/wrRgLi

Video: http://bit.ly/wNKGCS

Rep. Szollosi Denounces Passage of Bill that Weakens Protections for Asbestos Victims

2012-01-26T14:33:35Z

Questions why this legislation is necessary, will only add to pain of families and victims

COLUMBUS - Assistant Minority of the Ohio House of Representatives Matthew A. Szollosi (D. Toledo) released the following statement after the passage of House Bill 380 this afternoon.

]]>

"Today, I ask what are we doing? Asbestosis and Mesothelioma cases have already been reduced in the State of Ohio by close to 90 percent since 2004. These victims and their families are enduring unspeakable pain and suffering - why are we adding to their almost insurmountable challenges with this bill? What is the pressing public policy argument that requires this first in the country approach? What did the factory workers, construction workers and auto mechanics do to deserve to have their rights compromised like this?"

"I've seen firsthand how debilitating and painful these terminal occupational diseases can be. I've seen and heard about the impact not just on the injured worker, but particularly on their loved ones. Most Mesothelioma victims die within 12 months of diagnosis - it's a sad situation when you hear accounts setting forth that 12 months is too long," said Rep. Szollosi. "Despite arguments that this bill is about "transparency," it tilts the scale almost completely to the side of corporations and insurers by giving defense counsel egregious advantages in the few cases that remain in the State of Ohio after passage of HB 292 in 2004."

House Bill 380 establishes that the trial court shall stay the case if a defendant files a motion stating that the defendant "in good faith" believes that the claimant may make an asbestos bankruptcy trust claim. Under HB 380 defense counsel will have the ability to file an unlimited number of these motions at any time in the litigation, which will postpone the trial date in these cases indefinitely. "Given the 12 month window of life these victims have, most will never live to see their day in court as defendants simply run out the clock on them," said Szollosi.

Rep. Nicholas Celebrezze Sworn in to Ohio House

2012-01-26T14:25:23Z

Appointed to vacant 15th House District seat

COLUMBUS - Former Parma City Councilman Nicholas J. Celebrezze has been called on to represent the 15th House District following State Rep. Timothy DeGeeter's election as Parma City Mayor.

Rep. Celebrezze has spent his career as a public servant. He served six years as a city councilman and has worked as a Cuyahoga County Adult Probation Officer and Assistant County Prosecutor; he is excited to be returning to public service representing the people of the 15th District in the legislator. Rep. Celebrezze was officially sworn into the Ohio House during today's session.

"It is a true honor to be representing the great community of Parma in the Ohio House of Representatives," Rep. Celebrezze said. "I look forward to serving the people of the 15th District and fighting for Ohio's working families. I will do everything I can to make sure my constituents' voices are heard in Columbus."

]]> The youngest of three children Rep. Celebrezze comes from a family of public servants his mother, Daria Y. Celebrezze, a former school teacher, and his father, Judge James P. Celebrezze has been in public service for six decades, and has had the opportunity to be elected to every branch of government. His older sister Leslie Ann is currently serving as a Judge on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, and his older brother Jim is a Physician and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Rep. Celebrezze is a graduate of the University of Akron, where he received a Bachelor's Degree With Honors from the Bliss Institute of American Politics, and Cleveland Marshall College of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctorate. He was admitted into the practice of law in May of 2004 and presently owns and operates a small family-owned law firm in Parma.

AP: Ohio Treasurer Is A No-Show At Deposit Board

2012-01-25T19:59:44Z

COLUMBUS: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel hasn't attended a single monthly meeting of the powerful but mundane state board that decides which banks will hold billions in state deposits.

Ohio Treasurer Is A No-Show At Deposit Board

It's common to send a designee to most meetings, but the total absence of Mandel, a first-term Republican, makes him unique among modern-era treasurers.

Meeting minutes, news clippings, and interviews by The Associated Press show every state treasurer since at least the early 1980s has some record of attending the Board of Deposit in person. The treasurer serves as chair.

]]> One of these meetings was held on November 29th, 2011, and while our friends at American Bridge had a representative there, Mandel was, of course, nowhere to be seen.

So when we found out that he was actually attending a series of lobbyist fundraisers in Washington DC the next day, American Bridge decided to send someone to ask if he was neglecting his duties in Ohio while raising cash in DC. Mandel had nothing to say.

Watch It:

Ballot Board Decides Medical Marijuana Amendment is Single Issue

2012-01-25T19:30:02Z

COLUMBUS - The Ohio Ballot Board, chaired by Secretary of State Jon Husted, today determined that a proposed amendment concerning medical marijuana consist of one issue.

Petitioners will need to collect 385,253 signatures, which is equal to 10 percent of the total vote cast for Governor in 2010. As part of the total number of signatures needed to place the measure on the ballot, petitioners must also collect signatures from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties, and within each of those counties, collect enough signatures equal to five percent of the total vote cast for governor in the most recent gubernatorial election, 2010.

Members of the Ballot Board include: Secretary Husted, Chair; Fred Strahorn, Vice Chair; State Senator Keith Faber; Mark Griffin; and William N. Morgan. Ballot Board meetings are open to the public.

Additional Information

Ballot Board Certification Letter

Procedure for a Citizen Initiated Constitutional Amendment

Your Chance to Personally Help Rewrite Ohio's Constitution

2012-01-25T18:04:06Z

We all want to make a difference in Ohio, but opportunities like this don't come along often.

Ohio legislators are seeking twenty Ohio citizens to join them on the first ever Ohio Constitutional Modernization Committee. The committee will review the state constitution and can make recommendations on important issues facing our state like redistricting, school funding and judicial elections.

If you'd like to be considered, you must submit a cover letter and a resume to the committee co-chairs at the addresses listed below before February 1st:

    Speaker William G. Batchelder
    77 S. High Street
    14th Floor
    Columbus, OH 43215

    State Rep. Vernon Sykes
    77 S. High Street
    10th Floor
    Columbus, OH 43215

For more information, you can read news coverage on the committee here.

Rep. Carney Passes Bi-Partisan Business Legislation

2012-01-25T16:31:06Z

Legislation improves state's ability to attract and retain businesses

COLUMBUS- The Ohio House of Representatives yesterday enacted legislation sponsored by State Rep. John Patrick Carney (D-Clintonville) to modernize Ohio's laws governing corporations. House Bill 48 was passed by a margin of 72-20.

House Bill 48 brings Ohio's corporate law into line with modern business practices, and passed with bipartisan support. Rep. Carney stated, "House Bill 48 improves the corporate laws of Ohio and makes it a more inviting state for entrepreneurs to form and establish their businesses."

Rep. Carney's legislation marks the first major revision of Ohio corporation law since 1970. With House Bill 48, Ohio's corporation law will now be at the forefront with other major commercial states.

HB 48 now awaits the signature of the governor.

State Representative Alicia Reece Calls for Federal Election Monitors

2012-01-25T15:00:52Z

Letter to Attorney General Highlights Concerns over Provisional Voting

COLUMBUS - State Representative Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) has written to United States Attorney General Eric Holder, requesting that the Department of Justice send federal election monitors to Hamilton County for the 2012 election. The letter, mailed to the Attorney General this week, raises 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.

"We are not heading in the right direction on provisional ballots and efforts to correct the problem are being ignored," said Rep. Alicia Reece in her letter to the Attorney General. "Federal monitors will help restore confidence in the democratic process among voters."

]]> Ohio currently does not have a uniform standard for counting provisional ballots when there is poll worker error. The decision to count or toss out a provisional ballot when a poll worker makes a mistake is instead determined by each county Board of Elections. In the 2010 race for Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge, discrepancies in counting provisional ballots miscast due to poll worker error led to the outcome being tied up in a lawsuit. Still without a verdict fourteen months later, Hamilton County is missing a juvenile court judge and many voters have been left disenfranchised.

In addition to requesting federal monitors, Representative Reece is working to improve Ohio law concerning the counting of provisional ballots. House Bill 76, introduced by Representative Reece, will require poll workers to complete a verification checklist for each individual voting provisionally, ensuring that poll workers direct voters to their correct voting precinct. House Bill 76 currently awaits a second hearing in the House State Government and Elections Committee.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled for a visit to Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center later this week.

A copy of the letter can be viewed here.

Rep. Alicia Reece represents the 33rd Ohio House District. The district includes a large part of Cincinnati, as well as Deer Park, Elmwood, Golf Manor, Norwood, Silverton, St. Bernard and parts of Columbia, Springfield, and Sycamore Townships.

Word Cloud Of The 2012 State of the Union Address

2012-01-25T02:20:08Z

Word Cloud of The 2012 State of the Union Address

Watch the State of the Union Tonight With ProgressOhio and USAction

2012-01-24T21:05:34Z

Tune in right here tonight to hear Barack Obama's last State of the Union Address before the election.

We'll be live-blogging the speech starting at 8:30pm. with an expert panel that includes USAction staff, leaders from around the country including Progressohio Executive Director, Biran Rothenberg and real Americans who've been impacted by Congress and the President's decisions.

Leader Budish Questions How Gov. Kasich will Fill Budget Gap Created by JobsOhio

2012-01-24T18:55:08Z

State will lose hundreds of millions in liquor profits

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) released the following statement in response to yesterday's announcement that JobsOhio is set to take control of Ohio's liquor profits for a onetime payment of $500 million. State liquor operations bring in tens of millions a year to the general revenue fund.

"I could have supported the lease of our liquor profits if two simple conditions had been met: the deal was fair to the people of Ohio, and it would not blow a hole in the budget. Unfortunately, the deal is not fair. Gov. Kasich is turning millions of dollars over to a few of his big business buddies at JobsOhio and getting little in return. Equally important, the deal takes approximately $150 million a year away from the general revenue fund for education, police, fire and critical social services, creating a structural budget deficit over the next 25 years," said Leader Budish.

]]> "Mr. Keen's comment that "this was not about maximizing resources" is irresponsible. In these difficult economic times it should be our top priority to maximize state resources and utilize them to the best of our ability. I ask Gov. Kasich how he plans to ensure Ohio is not left with a massive budget gap in the future?"

Ohio Budget Director Tim Keen was quoted in the Cleveland Plain Dealer as saying, "this thing was not about maximizing resources to the state... We take these liquor profits, we put a little bit aside for economic development and then the rest we put in the general revenue fund and spend it wherever."

Senator Tavares Introduces Reproductive Rights Resolution

2012-01-24T15:13:28Z

Calls on General Assembly to stop assault on women's rights

Columbus - State Senator Charleta B. Tavares (D-Columbus) announced today that she is introducing a resolution in the Ohio Senate to designate the week of January 22-29, 2012 as "Reproductive Rights Awareness Week." The announcement coincides with the 39th anniversary of the U. S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

As of June this year, states enacted 162 new provisions related to reproductive health, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based policy and research center. Of those new laws, 49 percent seek to restrict access to abortion, a near doubling of 26 percent in 2010. Eighty abortion restrictions were enacted this year, more than triple enacted in 2010 and double the previous record of 34 abortion restrictions enacted in 2005.

"This flurry of restrictive access to a legal medical procedure is negatively impacting the health and welfare of women throughout the Nation," stated Senator Tavares. "This resolution was developed by women to bring education, awareness and action to protect women's health and safety and to ensure reproductive rights under the federal law."

Senator Tavares is one of 18 legislators from throughout the U.S. who participated in the July 15-17 2011 Strategic Action Convening on Reproductive Rights and Justice sponsored by the Center for Women's Studies. The group of female lawmakers pledged to introduce a resolution in their 15 states designating a week in January for awareness of reproductive rights. They hope the resolutions will provide a rallying cry to pro-choice advocates nationwide.

]]> State Representative Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) plans to introduce a companion resolution in the Ohio House of Representatives.

"Access to contraceptives and comprehensive reproductive health education and information is a human rights issue that requires our support to ensure the health and wellness of women across Ohio," said Rep. Antonio.

Senator Tavares and Rep. Antonio were joined at a Statehouse news conference by representatives of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio and NARAL. The pro-choice organizations have strongly endorsed the resolution.

"The truth is, no matter what they call themselves or where they align politically, a majority of Americans respect the decision each woman must make about her own pregnancy and oppose efforts to overturn Roe," said Gary Dougherty of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of Ohio.

"As we celebrate the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Ohio is making headlines for all the wrong reasons," added Jamie Miracle, State Policy Director for NARAL. "Governor Kasich and his anti-choice allies passed more restrictions on access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in the last six months than where passed in the last 8 years. Politicians should leave personal, private decisions about abortion to women and their doctors, and instead focus on keeping their campaign promises to create jobs and fix the economy."

Senator Tavares has also introduced SCR 13, which urges the U.S. Department of Health and Human services to classify birth control as preventive care, requiring insurance companies to cover birth control. HHS adopted policy guidelines in August 2011 that include contraceptives as preventive health in insurance plans.

Senator Tavares is both the first Democrat woman and African American woman to serve in the House and Senate from Central Ohio.

Rep. Antonio Introduces Resolution on Reproductive Rights Awareness Week

2012-01-24T14:45:12Z

Resolution proclaims the week of Jan. 22-28 as Reproductive Rights Awareness Week

COLUMBUS -State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) along with Senator Tavares (D-Columbus) today introduced companion resolutions to proclaim the week of Jan 22-28 "Reproductive Rights Awareness Week" to encourage public awareness, conversation, and support for reproductive rights and justice.

"Access to contraceptives and comprehensive reproductive health education and information is a human rights issue that requires our support to ensure the health and wellness of women across Ohio," said Rep. Antonio.

The resolution states that contraception enables women to better prevent unintended pregnancies and plan for pregnancy when they do want to have a child, and that publicly funded contraceptive services and supplies prevent nearly two million unintended pregnancies each year in the United States. The resolution also states that racial disparities exist with regard to sexual health care and medically accurate sex education. Legislators throughout the country are introducing this resolution in uniting and reaffirming reproductive rights and justice.

]]> The announcement coincides with the 39th anniversary of the U. S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. As of June this year, states enacted 162 new provisions related to reproductive health, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based policy and research center. Of those new laws, 49 percent seek to restrict access to abortion, a near doubling of 26 percent in 2010. 80 abortion restrictions were enacted this year, more than triple enacted in 2010 and double the previous record of 34 abortion restrictions enacted in 2005.

"This flurry of restrictive access to a legal medical procedure is negatively impacting the health and welfare of women throughout the nation," stated Senator Tavares. "This resolution was developed by women to bring education, awareness and action to protect women's health and safety and to ensure reproductive rights under the federal law."

The resolutions will be assigned to a committee for hearings.

Reps. Celeste and Foley introduce the Ohio Fair Employment Act

2012-01-24T14:35:51Z

Bill would give out-of-work Ohioans equal footing in job search

COLUMBUS- State Reps. Ted Celeste (D-Columbus) and Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) introduced legislation today that would end the discrimination of unemployed Ohioans by prospective employers in job advertisements. The Ohio Fair Employment Act would bar employers from posting job advertisements that state that applicants must be currently employed/recently unemployed.

Speaking at the Central Ohio Workforce Investment Corporation (COWIC), Reps. Celeste and Foley discussed the current state of unemployment in Ohio, and how their legislation will help the 469,000 Ohioans currently unemployed. They cited statistics from a recent report from the National Employment Law Project, which detailed an increasing number of employers who refuse to consider currently or recently unemployed Americans for jobs.

"Almost half a million Ohioans are without work, and to deny them even a consideration for a job simply because they're unemployed is incomprehensible," said Rep. Celeste. "Everyone deserves an opportunity, regardless of their current employment status."

]]> "Why any business would try to prevent the unemployed from applying is beyond me, but we're seeing it happen in Ohio, and all around the country," Rep. Foley said. "This legislation is the first step to ensure the unemployed workers of Ohio have a fair shot at jobs, which will go a far way to improving our economy."

Reps. Celeste and Foley described the bill as providing an economic boost for both citizens and the state. The legislation will help thousands of Ohioans get back on their feet and off of unemployment benefits, while increasing tax revenues coming into the state.

The legislation, modeled after a federal bill of the same name sponsored by US Senator Sherrod Brown, was also recently introduced as Senate Bill 261 in the Ohio Senate.

Rep. Sutton Invites Father of Fallen Solider as Guest to State of the Union

2012-01-23T19:37:40Z

Solider from Green, OH died in 2007 while serving in Iraq

WASHINGTON, DC - Honoring America's men and women in uniform and the families that support them, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) will welcome Mr. Les Kuglics, the father of Staff Sgt. Matthew Kuglics, a soldier who died while serving in Iraq, as her guest at tomorrow's State of the Union Address.

"It is my honor to invite Mr. Kuglics as my guest to the State of the Union address," said Sutton. "As we welcome home our service members who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is also important to recognize those who have given their lives in service and the families that must endure in the face of such great loss. The entire Kuglics family is a reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of so many military families across our nation, and the debt we owe to them as a country."

]]> Killed along with another Air Force Sergeant by an improvised explosive device while serving in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Matthew Kuglics was serving on his second tour as an agent with a special forces unit and an anti-terrorism task force within the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

"We are a Gold Star Family, and the work that Congresswoman Betty Sutton has done for the communities as well as my family, I am very touched by all that," said Les Kuglics. "I can sense that she is a very genuine and caring person. I feel very blessed and honored that she asked me to join her for the State of the Union Address. This is a side of Government that I have never seen, and I feel like being part of this historical event will be very special to me."

Congresswoman Sutton first met the Kuglics family after their son's death in 2007.

A champion for Ohio veterans, Congresswoman Sutton has fought to improve veterans care as a Member of Congress. The daughter of a WWII veteran, Sutton co-sponsored the 21st Century G.I. Bill that provides new benefits to America's veterans, and currently sits on the House Armed Services Committee. To find out more about Sutton's record on veterans issues, visit her website, www.sutton.house.gov.

Rootscamp Ohio is Back! Get Your Free Tickets Starting Today!

2012-01-23T17:47:41Z

Please join us on Saturday, February 25^th for Rootscamp Ohio 2012, a unique chance to network, share and learn from your peers across the state.

Tickets are free and space is limited so make sure you can attend by RSVP'ing today!

What: Rootscamp Ohio 2012

Who: Progressives from across the state.

When: Saturday, February 25th, 2012

Sign-in starts at 8:30 AM and the opening session is at 9:30 AM.

Where: Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA)

390 Worthington Rd. Ste. A

Westerville, OH 43082-8329 [map]

The Gay Rights Movement In 6 Minutes and 52 Seconds

2012-01-21T13:34:13Z

Filmmaker Ryan James Yezak's moving video on the gay rights movement has gone viral.

Take a look and you'll know why.

Watch It:

Click here to be part of this effort to create change: http://kck.st/zUspXy

Move To Amend Rally - Columbus Ohio

2012-01-21T01:17:34Z

View More Images Here

The grassroots across the country are organizing and educating people about how corporate personhood and unlimited contributions distort and corrupt our political process. Our government needs to return to its constitutional roots. It is of, for, and by the "people", not the corporations. We can change it, but we need to stand up now. ProgressOhio has joined with national and local groups to mark the Citizens United anniversary and renew a call to end unlimited corporate influence in our political system.

Today at 3 pm at the Federal Courthouse in Columbus we rallied and protested in solidarity with other actions at Federal Courthouses in all 50 states and over 120 cities, including the Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

Slideshow:

Shadows On High: "We The People" Not "We The Corporations"

2012-01-20T16:12:48Z

It's common sense, or at least it used to be.

Corporations are not people. Only people are people.
Money is not speech.
The People should decide elections, not big money corporations.

This Saturday is the second anniversary of the United States Supreme Court "Citizens United" decision. In that case, the Supreme Court explicitly stated what they have been working towards in case after case for over 100 years: corporations are people and money is speech, so corporate "persons" can't have their speech limited by contribution limits or disclosure requirements.

Practically overnight, Super PACs and other groups sprung up to take these corporate dollars and support pro-1% politicians. The 2012 GOP Presidential primary has already seen record spending by corporate dollars and it is only going to get worse once the general election begins.

In 2008, the Obama campaign raised $745 million, a record fundraising total in any campaign ever. That same year, one company, ExxonMobil, made over $45 Billion in PROFITS. If they were to spend just 2% of their profits to influence an election, they could outspend any candidate and effectively silence millions of people. And that is just ONE company.

Our democracy is not for sale. We may not always agree on every issue, but most people, outside of the corporate "persons" believe that "We the People" should make the decision, not big multinational corporate money operating from the shadows.

]]> Corporations may be powerful, but all is not lost. National polls have shown 85% of Americans, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, are against this horrible decision. Montana has banned corporate involvement in elections for almost 100 years and their ban was just upheld at the Montana Supreme Court.

The grassroots across the country are organizing and educating people about how corporate personhood and unlimited contributions distort and corrupt our political process.

Our government needs to return to its constitutional roots. It is of, for, and by the "people", not the corporations.

We can change it, but we need to stand up now.

ProgressOhio has joined with national and local groups to mark the Citizens United anniversary and renew a call to end unlimited corporate influence in our political system.

Will you join us in a call to overturn this decision and return the government to the people?

Today at 3 pm at the Federal Courthouse in Columbus (85 Marconi Blvd - click for directions) we will be rallying and protesting in solidarity with other actions at Federal Courthouses in all 50 states and over 120 cities, including the Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

We will have great speakers, a drum line and entertainment, and more information about coming together to end corporate rule over our elections.

Dress warm and bring your signs (without sticks) against corporate personhood and corporate rule. It may be cold today, but if we don't want to be locked out of government and left in the voiceless cold forever, we need to stand up NOW.

Together we can save democracy, and overturning Citizens United is the first step. I hope to see you there!

Ohio Puts Hold On Injection Well Permits

2012-01-20T14:35:41Z

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday it will not approve any additional brine-injection well permits until it completes an injection-well report.

The report, which will include new depth regulations, is expected to be released in early February.

This is the third new regulation or restriction regarding brine-injection wells made by ODNR or Gov. John Kasich's office in a week.

ODNR last week expanded its ban on brine-injection wells to within a seven-mile radius of a well on Youngstown's West Side, near the epicenter of 11 earthquakes last year. The U.S. Geological Survey also reported a magnitude-2.1 tremor occurred in Youngstown on Friday.

On Monday, Kasich's office confirmed that injection wells, which accept brine -- a salty, chemical byproduct of natural-gas and oil drilling -- will not be allowed to exceed 8,000 feet in depth. ODNR said injection wells can no longer be drilled into the Precambrian, or bedrock, formation, where injection wells could trigger seismic activity.

Related:

Rep. Hagan Disappointed by Slanted Hearings On Seismic Activity In Youngstown

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

Rep. Sutton Promotes Jobs Plan During Factory Tour

2012-01-19T20:33:15Z

Congresswoman spoke with employees about creating manufacturing jobs in Ohio

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congresswoman Betty Sutton (OH-13) toured the Will-Burt Company's manufacturing facility in Orrville, Ohio to talk about her 'American Jobs First' initiative and to hear from workers on the importance of creating new jobs in Ohio.

"Ohioans want us to set aside cheap talk and political rhetoric and put people back to work. The people at Will-Burt are an example of what we can do if we put American jobs first; by strengthening American manufacturing we strengthen our communities and our families. It's time to stand up for American jobs and bring my 'American Jobs First' initiative to the floor for a vote."

]]> The 'American Jobs First' initiative consists of four bills introduced by Congresswoman Sutton that will strengthen 'Buy American' laws and work to level the playing field for American manufacturers and workers. More information about the 'American Jobs First' initiative can be found by clicking here.

Will-Burt is an employee-owned company based in Orrville, Ohio, and employees over 250 people. For over 100 years, Will-Burt has been a manufacturing leader, building telescopic masts and towers for organizations such as the U.S. Department of Defense.

A champion for American manufacturing and a leader on job creation, Congresswoman Sutton has a strong record advocating on behalf of American manufacturers and workers. A member of the House Trade Working Group and the House Manufacturing Caucus, Sutton has led the charge to fight for fairer trade and smart investments in infrastructure projects, introducing such legislation that has helped to save the automobile industry in Northeast Ohio.

To learn more about Congresswoman Sutton's record on jobs, you can visit her website by clicking here.

Sen. Brown: 'Don't Let Wall Street Banks Use the Assets of Middle Class Ohioans to Pay the Penalty for Breaking the Law'

2012-01-19T19:08:28Z

As Big Banks Prepare to Settle Case on Mortgage and Foreclosure Fraud, Brown Urges Involved Parties to Reject Wall Street Plan to Allow Banks to Use the Assets of Hardworking Americans to Pay the Penalty for Illegal Foreclosure Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As officials near a settlement agreement with the nation's largest banks following last year's robo-signing crisis, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) urged Administration officials and state attorneys general to hold banks financially accountable for illegal practices and to protect the pensions of Ohio's workers. The current settlement terms allow mortgage servicers to use mortgage capital to pay penalties--hurting investors, but not the banks that broke the law.

In a letter to Associate Attorney General Thomas Perrelli, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Brown said that mortgage servicers should be required to provide meaningful assistance to Ohio homeowners who lost their homes illegally, but not on the backs of other working Ohioans.

"Instead of taking full responsibility for illegal foreclosures, Wall Street banks are trying to use the assets of middle class Americans to pay the penalty," Brown said. "Penalties for Wall Street's illegal practices must ensure meaningful relief for the more than one in five homeowners who owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth. But Wall Street banks must not be allowed to pass the buck to investors. The reported settlement terms would amount to a slap on the wrist, allowing banks to write down the investments of many of my constituents, without sacrificing anything. Teachers, first responders, law enforcement officials, and other pensioners and retirees should not be penalized for wrongdoing by Wall Street."

]]> The pending agreement would require the largest mortgage servicers to commit to between $17 and $25 billion to help borrowers. The proposed settlement would offer one million borrowers nationwide an average of $20,000 in principal reduction. According to a recent report, Ohio alone has 482,048 homeowners who are nearly $15 billion underwater. The average underwater Ohioan owes $31,000 more than their home is worth. According to CoreLogic, about 22 percent of all U.S. homes have negative equity totaling about $750 billion.

The reported settlement would also permit servicers to pay the proposed penalty by writing down the value of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) owned by investors--including Ohio pensions funds, without requiring servicers to reduce principal on the mortgages and second liens that they own. Ohio's pension funds, retirement systems, and universities, all heavily invested in MBS, are key stakeholders in any settlement.

Brown has led the fight against wrongful foreclosures and unfair practices by Wall Street. Brown is the sponsor of the Foreclosure Fraud and Homeowner Abuse Prevention Act of 2011. This legislation would expand access to foreclosure prevention services, while increasing protections for homeowners and investors in mortgage-backed securities. Last July, in the wake of reports that banks and mortgage processors have continued forging signatures and submitting false affidavits, Brown wrote to federal regulators urging them to better protect consumers by publicly releasing information related to their settlements with 14 mortgage servicers in order to prevent further illegal practices.

Brown also encouraged federal regulators to freeze foreclosures after the discovery last year that many servicers were wrongfully foreclosing on homeowners and not following existing foreclosure procedures and laws. Both the Associated Press and Reuters reported that despite regulators' assurances to the contrary, illegal robo-signing allegedly remains rampant in both foreclosure and non-foreclosure cases. The reports also suggest that some regulators are aware of these violations.

House and Senate Leaders Question Inspector General Meyer's Participation in GOP Fundraiser

2012-01-19T16:13:28Z

Budish seeks immediate suspension, long-term ability to carry out duties is questioned

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) and Senate Democratic Leader Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) sent a letter to Gov. Kasich today questioning the conduct of Inspector General Randall Meyer after news he participated in the most partisan of activities - fundraising for the Republican Party. The Ohio Inspector General is a non-partisan agent responsible for investigating fraud and corruption of state officials.

"In order to maintain the integrity of the Inspector General's office, I am calling on Gov. Kasich to immediately suspend Mr. Meyer. I believe this suspension will give the Governor the opportunity to review the facts and make an informed decision about Mr. Meyer's future ability to fairly and objectively carry out his duties," said Leader Budish.

Leader Cafaro added that, "Inspector Generals are expected to hold themselves to a higher standard and that includes avoiding partisan political activity in order to protect the integrity of the office."

A copy of the letter can be seen below.

]]> January 19, 2012

The Honorable John Kasich, Governor
77 S. High Street, 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Governor Kasich:

It is with great concern that we write to you today regarding Ohio Inspector General Randall Meyer's participation in a political fundraiser last week. We believe this to be an extremely serious breach of protocol for a public official charged with objectively investigating wrongdoing in state government.

In fact, we do not believe that the Inspector General should be participating in political fundraisers for either party, as his office has suggested. The Ohio Inspector General's appearance at political fundraisers undermines the credibility of this office and weakens the public's trust of its investigatory findings.

Mr. Meyer's participation at a Clinton County Republican fundraiser comes on the heels of a separate report highlighting the lack of meaningful investigations by his office. At a time when people on both sides of the aisle are raising questions about the potential for corruption and misconduct by lobbyists and special interests, we believe the role of the Ohio Inspector General has never been more important.

Current law allows the Governor to appoint his own Inspector General. You selected Mr. Meyer, who is a registered Republican and former employee of Lt. Governor Mary Taylor. You'll note that we did not raise these concerns about Mr. Meyer's partisan leanings when his appointment was announced last year.

However, there is growing concern that Mr. Meyer's partisanship is impairing his ability to objectively investigate potential wrongdoing in state government. We have heard from a number of individuals who have raised the following concerns:

As reported by the Columbus Dispatch, Mr. Meyer has only conducted 12 investigative reports, the fewest from the Inspector General's office since 2007.

An investigation was requested regarding a possible conflict of interest between Ohio Superintendent Stan Heffner and one of the nation's largest education testing companies and nothing has been done.

Instead of focusing on wrongdoing in state government, Mr. Meyer has targeted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by placing a link on his office's homepage to encourage complaints about this program.

Also, a question has arisen about the possibility that a relative of former Republican House Speaker and current chair of the Casino Control Commission Jo Ann Davidson has been employed at the Inspector General's office. If so, how might that impair the impartiality of potential investigations into the Commission?

The Inspector General is the state's watchdog and must maintain a reasonable distance from the political activity and interests of those he is charged with potentially investigating. We believe his participation in the most partisan of activities - political fundraising - and other questionable partisan activities warrants immediate action. Lack of action will further weaken the integrity and credibility of the Inspector General's office and it will reinforce the idea that state government is unaccountable to the people of Ohio.

Respectfully,

Armond Budish
Minority Leader
Ohio House of Representatives

Capri Cafaro
Minority Leader
Ohio Senate

Call To Action: Occupy the Courts this Friday! Corporations Are Not People & Money Is Not Speech!

2012-01-18T19:48:48Z

On Friday, January 20th, in Columbus and 65 other cities across the nation, Federal Court Buildings, including the U.S. Supreme Court, will be "occupied" by a wide variety of activists and Occupiers. Responding to the January 21, 2010 Supreme Court Decision: Citizens United v. FEC, citizens will call on the courts to sponsor a moratorium on bankruptcies and home foreclosures, to advocate for immigration reforms and criminal justice reforms, and to stop limitations on our voting rights.

]]> Occupy the Courts
Friday, 20 January 2012
U.S. District Court, 85 Marconi Blvd., Columbus, 43215

Event Schedule

3:00 - Gathering at court house - Participants with signs walk along Marconi Blvd.
3:30 - High School "Drumline" provide entertainment attention-getting
4:00 - Invited speakers and others address the demonstrators
4:30 - Open mike and chants, responses, petition signing, etc.
5:00 - Organizers and interested individuals proceed to offices of ProgressOhio, 172 E. State Street, 6th floor (about 10-15 minute walk) for potluck, brainstorming, discussion, plans. (individuals participating in potluck can drop off their dishes at ProgressOhio anytime during the day)

Who: Move to Amend Central Ohio, Occupy Columbus, Move To Amend Ohio, ProgressOhio, Central Ohio Green Education Fund, Columbus Free Press, Community Organizing Center, Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio, Central Ohio Peace Network, and Democracy Over Corporations of Athens, OH.

JOIN US FRIDAY! Together we will lead the charge on the judiciary that created, and continues to expand, corporate personhood rights.

For more information: Facebook, www.movetoamendcentralohio.org or call 614-439-4768.

Senator Turner Introduces Sexual Assault Legislation

2012-01-18T18:52:32Z

Bill will ensure rape victims have access to medical treatment after an assault

Columbus -State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland), today introduced Senate Bill 283, the Compassionate Assistance for Rape (CARE) Act. The legislation would help to ensure that sexual assault survivors are offered medical treatment following an assault.

"It is absolutely imperative that victims of sexual assault are provided with the full array of treatment information and options when they seek medical assistance," said Senator Turner. "This legislation will make sure they receive the level of care that they deserve."

]]> 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 take them. The bill would not require assault survivors to submit to any treatment, but would only require hospitals to let them know what options are available and provide them if desired.

"These measures will guarantee equal access to care for victims across the state, regardless of the beliefs of the institution they seek assistance from," said Senator Turner. "It should not come down to the luck of the draw; victims should be able to decide what treatment they receive, not hospitals."

According to a 2007 survey of emergency rooms, almost 20 percent of the Ohio hospitals that responded do not guarantee access to emergency contraception. The CARE Act seeks to reduce that number by placing the responsibility on the hospital to have policies in place that ensure safe and equal access to all medical options.

State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) will co-sponsor companion legislation in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Reps. Antonio & Garland Introduce Sexual Assault Legislation

2012-01-18T18:22:19Z

Bill ensures rape victims are given accurate, unbiased information on medical treatment after assault

COLUMBUS -State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) along with Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) today introduced legislation to ensure sexual assault survivors are provided with medically and factually accurate, unbiased information from hospitals.

]]> "Make no mistake, this is not a democratic or republican issue, nor is this an issue of ideology," said Rep. Antonio. "This is an issue of fairness, compassion and the right of survivors of sexual assault to have full access to emergency care and treatment--something that should resonate with all Ohioans."

The Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act requires all hospital emergency rooms to provide survivors of sexual assault with treatment that can prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, if the survivor wishes to use them. The bill would place the responsibility on the hospital to have policies in place to ensure access for survivors with the medical treatment they need by requiring immediate safe, effective methods of pregnancy and disease prevention following an assault.

"Comprehensive and compassionate care helps women in crisis move from victim to survivor," said Rep Garland. "The C.A.R.E. Act is a common-sense approach. It will help ensure sexual assault victims are given accurate, unbiased information in a timely manner when they visit the hospital, allowing them to make informed choices about their lives."

Join The Cleveland Voter Coalition Campaign Kickoff: It's Not A Moment It's A Movement

2012-01-18T17:30:28Z

Republicans Continue to Push Overreaching Partisan Agenda, Says Dem Leader

2012-01-18T14:47:57Z

COLUMBUS- Ohio House Democratic Leader Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) released the following statement in response to the unveiling of the Republican's 2012 legislative priorities.

]]>

"Speaker Batchelder and his team put on show today, but sadly it was all show and no substance. For much of their press conference, they patted themselves on the back for ramming through a radical agenda, which attacked workers' rights, though Senate Bill 5, sought to disenfranchise voters, through House Bill 194, and aimed to strip women of their rights through numerous anti-choice bills.

"No significant plan was even offered to help create good paying jobs for Ohio's struggling families. Instead, they proposed to dismantle public education through bills like House Bill 136 and to expand the unaccountable private JobsOhio program. This does not sound like problem solving but more of the same partisan overreaching agenda. Ohioans need real solutions; they need good paying jobs and real opportunity.

"While calling for fiscal responsibility and smaller government they passed the largest general revenue fund budget in Ohio history-- more the $5 billion bigger than the last budget. This pass-the-buck budget slashes funding to education, police and fire, mental health and long-term care by billions of dollars, while Republicans' big business cronies are rewarded with millions in tax cuts and incentives.

"While Republicans' persist with their overreaching partisan agenda, Democrats will continue to fight for middle class Ohioans. We will fight to ensure all Ohioans have equal rights and opportunities so that they can achieve the American Dream. And we will work to guarantee all of Ohio's children have access to a good public education, and all Ohioans have access to job training programs and the opportunity to receive a higher education."

Rep. Hagan Disappointed by Slanted Hearings On Seismic Activity In Youngstown

2012-01-17T19:20:42Z

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Robert F. Hagan expressed disappointment today with a House Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing in his district, and issued the following statements.

"The events that unfolded at YSU this morning lacked any substantive analysis or investigation into injection wells and recent earthquakes in Youngstown. Instead, the hearing amounted to little more than the continuation of the oil and gas industry's public relations campaign. Instead of thoughtful answers to probing questions, industry representatives were all too eager in seeking greater latitude for their industry to 'do what they think is right.'

Well, I remain unconvinced that the community's questions are being taken seriously. ODNR still has answers to provide regarding seismic activity and injection wells all over the state, including communities like Marietta and Youngstown. It is almost shameful how brazen the industry is in pushing their agenda over public safety."

I Am A Man: Dr. King & the Memphis Sanitation Strike

2012-01-16T13:01:55Z

The name of Martin Luther King, Jr., is intertwined with the history of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States. The Montgomery bus boycott, the freedom rides, the Birmingham campaign, the March on Washington, the Selma march, the Chicago campaign, and the Memphis boycott are some of the more noteworthy battlefields where King and his followers--numerous in numbers, humble and great in name-- fought for the equal rights and equal justice that the United States Constitution ensures for all its citizens.

King, building on the tradition of civil disobedience and passive resistance earlier expressed by Thoreau, Tolstoy, and Gandhi, waged a war of nonviolent direct action against opposing forces of racism and prejudice that were embodied in the persons of local police, mayors, governors, angry citizens, and night riders of the Ku Klux Klan. The great legal milestones achieved by this movement were the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In the later 1960s, the targets of King's activism were less often the legal and political obstacles to the exercise of civil rights by blacks, and more often the underlying poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and blocked avenues of economic opportunity confronting black Americans. Despite increasing militancy in the movement for black power, King steadfastly adhered to the principles of nonviolence that had been the foundation of his career. Those principles were put to a severe test in his support of a strike by sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. This was King's final campaign before his death.

]]> During a heavy rainstorm in Memphis on February 1, 1968, two black sanitation workers had been crushed to death when the compactor mechanism of the trash truck was accidentally triggered. On the same day in a separate incident also related to the inclement weather, 22 black sewer workers had been sent home without pay while their white supervisors were retained for the day with pay. About two weeks later, on February 12, more than 1,100 of a possible 1,300 black sanitation workers began a strike for job safety, better wages and benefits, and union recognition. Mayor Henry Loeb, unsympathetic to most of the workers' demands, was especially opposed to the union. Black and white civic groups in Memphis tried to resolve the conflict, but the mayor held fast to his position.

As the strike lengthened, support for the strikers within the black community of Memphis grew. Organizations such as COME (Community on the Move for Equality) established food and clothing banks in churches, took up collections for strikers to meet rent and mortgages, and recruited marchers for frequent demonstrations. King's participation in forming a city-wide boycott to support the striking workers was invited by the Reverend James Lawson, pastor of the Centenary Methodist Church in Memphis and an adviser to the strikers. Lawson was a seasoned veteran of the civil rights movement and an experienced trainer of activists in the philosophy and methods of nonviolent resistance.

At that time King was involved in planning with other civil rights workers the Poor People's Campaign for economic opportunity and equality. He was also zigzagging by airplane through the eastern United States meeting speaking engagements and attending important social events as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Nevertheless, King agreed to lend his support to the sanitation workers, spoke at a rally in Memphis March 18, and promised to lead the large march and work stoppage planned for later in the month.

Unfortunately the demonstration on March 28 turned sour when a group of rowdy students at the tail end of the long parade of demonstrators used the signs they carried to break windows of businesses. Looting ensued. The march was halted, the demonstrators dispersed, and King was safely escorted from the scene. About 60 people had been injured, and one young man, a looter, was killed. This episode prompted the city of Memphis to bring a formal complaint in the District Court against King, Hosea Williams, James Bevel, James Orange, Ralph Abernathy, and Bernard Lee, King's associates in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

The outbreak of violence deeply distressed King. In the next few days he and fellow SCLC leaders negotiated with the disagreeing factions in Memphis. When assured of their unity and commitment to nonviolence, King came back for another march, at first scheduled for April 5. In the meantime, U.S. District Court Judge Bailey Brown granted the city of Memphis a temporary restraining order against King and his associates. But the SCLC's planning and training for a peaceful demonstration had intensified. Lawson and Andrew Young, representing the SCLC, met with the judge April 4 and worked out a broad agreement for the march to proceed April 8. The details of the agreement would be put into place the next day, April 5.

This was the message that Young conveyed to King as they were getting ready to go out to dinner. Moments later, on that evening of April 4, 1968, as King stepped out of his motel room to join his colleagues for dinner, he was assassinated.

Watch It:

Tuesday In Columbus: Join SPAN Ohio For A Screening Of The Healthcare Movie

2012-01-14T17:18:40Z

Join event sponsor SPAN Ohio and state director Kurt Bateman for a screening of The Healthcare Movie, a documentary film narrated by Keifer Sutherland about the development of healthcare delivery and the two divergent paths taken in North America in the 20th century.

Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - 6:30 pm

Duration: 2 Hours 15 Minutes

Bexley Public Library Auditorium, 2411 East Main Street Columbus, OH 43209

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; showing starts at 6:45 p.m. Running time 65 minutes.
Free and open to the public, however, only 50 seats available. Light refreshments provided and discussion to follow.

Contact: Kurt Bateman, span@spanohio.org

View Trailer: The Healthcare Movie:

Support Locked-Out Cooper Tire Workers This Saturday!

2012-01-13T15:42:25Z

Members of USW Local 207L gave up $30 million in pay and other benefits to help Cooper Tire in its time of need.

With their help, Cooper made more than $300 million since 2009. The company paid its executives millions of dollars in bonuses, bought a new corporate jet, then refused to bargain with us in good faith.

They locked USW union employees out and gave replacement workers their jobs.

Watch It:

Cooper Tire is just flat wrong.

Please sign the petition and urge Cooper to end the lockout!

]]> Help us send a message to Cooper Tire's corporate executives by joining in the USW's International Day of Action on Sat., Jan. 14, 2012.

Our goals are simply to educate the tire-buying-and-selling public about the lockout and to recruit store managers and/or owners to sign onto a letter asking CEO Roy Armes and North American President Chris Ostrander to end the lockout and return to the bargaining table to negotiate with us in good faith for a fair contract.

Below are the locations and contact information. We encourage you to join us at one and stand up for good, middle-class Ohio jobs.

Sub-District 1:
AKRON AREA:
Autotech
1230 Newton Street
Akron, OH
Store Phone Number: 330-733-1500

Leipold Tire
1808 State Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Store Phone Number: 330-923-4450
Contact Person: Bill Conner (Cell Phone - 330-714-1671)

ASHTABULA AREA:
Superior Tire Company
3571 North Myers Road
Geneva, OH 44041
Store Phone Number:    440-466-8473
Contact Person:    Ray Gruber (Cell Phone - 440-812-1762)

CLEVELAND:
NTB
6100 Brecksville Road
Independence, OH 44131
Store Phone Number: 216-642-0778
(Parking is available at the Drug Mart lot and Rockside Plaza)
Contact Person:    Pat Gallagher (Cell Phone - 216-287-1664)

TOLEDO AREA:
Sear's Auto Store
3725 Williston Road
Northwood, OH 43619
Store Phone Number: 567-202-0970
Contact Person:    Tim Buxton (Cell Phone - 440-759-2009)

WARREN AREA:
Sandy's Tire
2380 State Route 5
Cortland, OH 44410
Store Phone Number: 330-772-5185
Contact Person:    Gary Steinbeck (Cell Phone - 330-603-0682)

Sub-District 2:
CANTON AREA:
Sears Automotive
Belden Village Mall 9:00 AM
North Canton, OH
330-966-3228
Contact: Dennis Brommer 330-936-9663 ,

Duane's Auto Service
2229 Greensburg Road 9:00 AM
North Canton, OH
330-899-0326
Contact: Frank Buzaki 330-472-8641

B H Tire & Service Center
909 West State Street 9:00 AM
Salem, OH
330-332-8473
Contact: Joe Holcomb 330-206-1169

MARIETTA AREA:
Sterling Service Store
400 Second Street 9:00 AM
Marietta, OH
740-373-1701
Contact John Puskar 330-936-9662

BELMONT COUNTY AREA
Sears Automotive
Ohio Valley Mall
St. Clairsville, OH
740-695-7328
Contact Santo Santoro 740-579-6346 10AM 1/14/12

Sub-District 3:
LIMA AREA
Best One Tire & Service of Lima 10:00 AM
353 East North Street
Lima OH 45801
(419) 229-2380
Local 200 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Dwayne Krouskop (419) 647-4309

COLUMBUS AREA
Bob Sumerel Tire Co. 10:00 AM
6600 Perimeter Loop Road
Dublin, OH 43017
(614) 336-3200
Local 843 L will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Turk Franks (937) 644-3224

Pep Boys 10:00 AM
2830 S. Hamilton Rd.
Columbus, OH 43232
(614)864-2092
Ken LeFever will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (740) 503-2951

Bob Sumerel Tire Co. 10:00 AM
3646 E. Broad St.
Columbus, OH 43213
(614) 237-6325
Bruce Bostick will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (614) 313-6145

Sears Auto 10:00 AM
2765 Eastland Mall
Columbus, OH 43232
614-868-7190
Billy Boyce will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: (614) 578-3107

SHELBY AREA
Modern Tire Mart 10:00 AM
67 North Gamble St.
Shelby, OH 44875
(419) 342-6186
Local 3057 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Rod Zellner (419) 565-9259

MANSFIELD AREA
Pep Boys 10:00 AM
490 N. Lexington-Springmill Rd.
Mansfield, OH 44906
(419) 529-9455
Local 169 will coordinate this action of protest, Contact: Brian Speelman, (419) 565-1757

Sub-District 4:
LORAIN AREA
Sears Auto Center 9:00 AM
4900 Midway Mall
Elyria, Ohio 44035
(Parking available at Midway Mall lot).
Contact Chris Martinez 419-554-1528

TOLEDO AREA
Sears Auto Center 11:00 AM
Northwood Mall
3725 Williston Rd.
Northwood, Ohio 43619
Contact Gary Thompson 615-585-0973

Suburban Auto 11:00 AM
1306 E. High Street
Bryan, Ohio 43506
Contact Jim Kerns 615-585-0979

Tireman Auto Center 10:30 AM
999 South Main Street
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
(parking will be available across the street in front of Aldi's)
Contact Rick Vermillion 615-545-1747

FINDLAY AREA
7:00 am - 11:00 am for all locations: Contact Julie Barrett 419-348-9129
Carko Tire
10456 W SR 224
Findlay, Ohio

Cooper Service
2210 Tiffen AVve
Findlay, Ohio

Sears Auto
1800 Tiffin Ave
Findlay, Ohio

Best One Tire
616 N Blanchard St.
Findlay, Ohio

Tireman Auto
401 E Main Cross St.
Findlay, Ohio

Sub-District 5:
PORTSMOUTH AREA:
BOB & FLOYD'S TIRE - 10:00 a.m.
1201 Chillicothe Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662
CONTACT - Randy Basham 740-412-4674

BOB SUMEREL TIRE - 10:00 a.m.
3439 Pendleton Circle
Franklin, OH 45005
CONTACT - Ron Wardrup 513-518-3336

BOB SUMEREL TIRE - 10:00 a.m.
7889 Tylersville Road
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT - Tim Bray 513-720-6808

BUTEN INC. - 10:00 a.m.
4851 Wunnenberg Way
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT - Dave McLean 513-518-3335

BOB SUMEREL TIRE - 10:00 a.m.
4856 Wunnenberg Way
West Chester, OH 45069
CONTACT - Dave McLean 513-518-3335

ProgressOhio Employee Minister Kyle Earley Wins Ohio's 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award

2012-01-13T14:15:29Z

The annual Ohio Martin Luther King awards program recognizes service and achievements of Ohio residents and organizations in areas consistent with the teachings and example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King's commitment to seeking racial, social and economic justice through non-violent struggle benefited not only the victims of oppression, but society as a whole. Annual awards are intended to lift up both concrete achievements and the continuing spirit of Dr. King's dreams for this nation.

Each year the Commission seeks to recognize organizations and individual who have committed to help others through exemplary service. We strive to continue this tradition of recognizing Ohio's most passionate citizens.

ProgressOhio employee Minister Kyle Earley of Cleveland won Ohio's 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award.

Reps. Antonio & Celeste Along with Sen. Edna Brown Renew Request for Moratorium on Executions

2012-01-12T16:15:13Z

U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost delays a fourth execution due to another failure of Ohio's capital punishment system

COLUMBUS -State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D- Lakewood) and Ted Celeste (D-Columbus) along with Senator Edna Brown (D-Toledo) sent a letter today to Governor Kasich to renew the call for a moratorium on executions in Ohio. The letter was sent in response to U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost's decision to delay next week's execution, due to the State's failure to follow its own protocol. Between the Governor and Judge Frost together they have delayed four executions due to capital punishment procedures that the State has been unsuccessful to properly carry out.

A copy of the letter can be seen below:

]]> January 12, 2011

The Honorable John Kasich
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High St.
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Governor Kasich:

We are writing to respectfully renew our request for a moratorium on the execution of any death row inmates while the Death Penalty Joint Task Force continues to deliberate and contemplate the policies of capital punishment.

We would like to bring to your attention recent and timely developments, which we believe emphasize the need for quick action on this matter and further justify our request for a moratorium:

With the Task Force holding its second meeting today, this august body of judges, prosecuting attorneys, criminal defense counsel, legislative leaders and academics is currently considering changes to the criteria, laws, and procedures regarding the imposition of the death penalty. We believe that, as this group of experts continues to discuss issues of fairness in the application of the death penalty, the State should not proceed with any executions until the Task Force publishes its recommendations.

Second, US District Court Judge Gregory Frost's halt of next week's execution on the grounds that proper protocol was not followed during the most previous execution in November highlights concrete evidence that the State of Ohio has failed to adhere to its own lethal injection policies on numerous occasions. The Department of Corrections failed to document the drugs used in November's execution, and also failed to review the medical chart of the inmate put to death.

For a process with a result so absolute as death, it is inadmissible for the State to behave improperly by not following a scrupulous list of instructions. In July 2011, Judge Frost gave the Department of Corrections a direct order to review and revise its guidelines, citing the State's inconsistent application of its lethal injection process. After being given a second chance to correct its errors, the DRC has in effect failed to follow through on its own reforms.

We applaud Judge Frost for his responsible decision in the face of contradiction, and cite this as one more reason why Ohio should become the next state that replaces capital punishment with life without parole.

The State must be held accountable for upholding the very laws it enacts. Therefore, Senator Edna Brown has introduced Senate Bill 270, companion legislation to House Bill 160 (sponsored by Reps. Antonio & Celeste), which replaces capital punishment with a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Senate Bill 270 will soon have its first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. We look forward to ongoing discussions pertaining to this legislation in both chambers of the General Assembly.

This past September, we visited the Ohio State Penitentiary with House Criminal Justice Committee Chairman Lynn Slaby and Ranking Minority Member Roland Winburn. We met with death row inmates face-to-face who conceded that they would rather be executed than spend the rest of their lives behind bars. Indeed, to spend the rest of one's life in prison without the possibility of parole is a worse punishment than a quick and painless death. Life imprisonment is also cheaper than capital punishment, and it eliminates the risk of wrongfully executing innocent inmates.

Next week, we will tour the Chillicothe Correctional Institution following the transfer of death row inmates from the Ohio State Penitentiary. We look forward to this educational visit and are eager to have more discussions with other death row inmates.

Now more than ever, we believe there are flaws in Ohio's death sentence that must be addressed. Ohio has exonerated five inmates that together have spent over 81 years on death row for crimes they did not commit. We applaud your leadership in commuting two death row inmates to life without parole in 2011. Particularly in light of Judge Frost's most recent ruling that the State of Ohio has continually failed to follow its own lethal injection guidelines, we respectfully renew our request for a moratorium on the execution of any death row inmates while the Joint Task Force is deliberating and contemplating the policies of the death penalty.

Our Criminal Justice System must uphold justice and respect for all Ohioans. Your executive power will ensure that those who are scheduled to be executed are treated equally to those who are on death row after the Joint Task Force implements possible changes to the death penalty. We are calling on you to issue an executive order to commute those scheduled to die a temporary stay while the Joint Task Force carries out its duties and recommends policies and implements new procedures.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Senator Edna Brown
State Rep. Nickie J. Antonio
State Rep. Ted Celeste

Rep. Fedor Sponsors 3rd Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day

2012-01-12T15:06:05Z

Statewide Advocates Gather to Stop Modern-Day Slavery

COLUMBUS -State Representative Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) and the National Association of Social Workers hosted the Third Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day at the Columbus Statehouse. Special guests included Attorney General Mike DeWine, Amy Allen of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Attorney James Moroney, Lucas County Judge Connie Zemmelman, Franklin County Judge Paul Herbert, Montgomery County Judge Gregory Singer, and Theresa Flores, survivor and Director of Awareness and Training for Gracehaven.

]]> Representative Fedor has been organizing Human Trafficking Awareness Days to bring light to this important issue. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in every county in Ohio - from forced labor at massage parlors, to parents selling their children for drugs, to a highly-organized gang operation that recruited and moved underage girls from one location to another selling them for sex. Human trafficking is a very real problem that is affecting more than 1,000 Ohio children every year. More than 3,000 Ohio children are considered to be high risk for trafficking.

Representative Fedor has also introduced new legislation, H.B. 262 or the Safe Harbor Act, which aims help minor victims of human trafficking. "When a minor is being sexually exploited, that minor is often arrested on prostitution charges and is sent to jail. Quite simply, this does not solve the problem. If the arrested minor is instead provided with needed services to recover, that minor will be able to break the cycle of abuse and become a contributing member of society. Without some form of intervention, 77 percent of sexually exploited youth simply continue to be prostitutes in adulthood," said Rep. Fedor.

Rep. Hagan to Seek Answers from ODNR

2012-01-11T20:34:22Z

Legislator Skeptical that State Officials are Prepared to Answer Tough Questions

COLUMBUS - State Representative Robert F. Hagan (D- Youngstown) will co-host a meeting this evening with local officials to discuss recent seismic activity in Youngstown and how it is related to wastewater injection wells in the area. The meeting is open to the public and news media. The invitation from Hagan's office to ODNR and the Ohio Geological Survey were still unanswered this afternoon, although it is expected that ODNR representatives will be present to address community concerns. The U.S. EPA, OhioEPA, and USGS declined the invitation earlier this week, citing ODNR's primacy on the issue.

]]> The lawmaker has made several attempts to rally public and political support for greater scrutiny of toxic frac-water disposal methods. Hagan spoke at a Rally on the stairs of the statehouse in Columbus yesterday, and has been trying to contact state and federal officials over the last month. Requests to the Governor and Speaker of the Ohio House have gone unanswered, leaving the legislator skeptical that the Republican Administration will come prepared tonight to answer tough questions from community members.

"It troubles me that all that has been offered from ODNR until this point is either absolutely nothing or talking points from the American Petroleum Institute and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. The people of the Mahoning Valley deserve sincere and direct responses from those in a position of authority on the issue," said Rep. Hagan.

Related:

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

State Senators Eric Kearney and Nina Turner Formally Introduce Foward Ohio Plan

2012-01-10T21:47:36Z

Columbus - Today, State Senators Eric Kearney (D-Cincinnati) and Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) formally introduced Forward Ohio, (Senate Bill 278) a new economic development plan that will help Ohio's unemployed, and position the state's economy for growth. Initial estimates by the non-partisan Legislative Service Commission state that Forward Ohio could create up to 16,000 jobs.

"With the start of the new year, it is imperative that the General Assembly focus on creating the conditions for prosperity and job growth in our state. Too many Ohio families are hurting for us not to act. The longer we wait, the further we fall behind - it is absolutely critical that we get our state moving once again," said Senator Turner. "I look forward to working with all of my colleagues in Columbus to advance the Forward Ohio plan and help jumpstart our state's economy."

Specifically, Forward Ohio will authorize programs and tax credits to encourage the hiring of unemployed individuals, to make changes to the Unemployment Compensation Law, to authorize grants and tax credits for the rehabilitation of distressed areas and the expansion of broadband connections to rural areas, to create a revolving loan fund and a bonding program for small businesses, and to make changes to the Minority Business Bonding Program.

]]>
"I echo Senator Turner's sentiments that it is time to begin working on the economic state of Ohio. With a new year comes new possibilities and I challenge all of my colleagues to stand with us as we work to pass this legislation," said Senator Kearney. "Jobs should be the Ohio legislature's number one priority."

Forward Ohio comprises a creative and sustainable package of policies that will help connect the jobless with employment opportunities while investing in the state's economic future.

The bill has been designed as a four-point legislative plan that will: help small businesses compete and expand; position Ohio's economy for future growth; create pathways to employment for the long-term unemployed, veterans and youth and stabilize and revitalize our communities.

Senator Turner represents Ohio's 25th Senate District in the Greater Cleveland area.

Senate Education Committee Unanimously Passes Safe Schools Bill

2012-01-10T20:19:33Z

Bill Includes Two Out of Three Provisions Promoted by Equality Ohio

Columbus, Ohio -- This morning, the Ohio Senate Education Committee passed HB116, also known as the "Jessica Logan Act", unanimously. This bill includes provisions that protect Ohio students from the rising trend of cyber-bullying and require school districts to provide more comprehensive training on anti-bullying policies. The bill, however, was amended in committee this morning to exclude a provision that would prohibit bullying based on any real or perceived characteristics of the student, such as race, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, and the bill did not include enumeration of particular characteristics.

Since the current anti-bullying law was passed in 2006, Equality Ohio has worked closely with coalition partners, including the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, the Ohio Psychological Association, and the University of Toledo Law School Safe Schools Project, to pass a comprehensive bill that strengthens the law to include cyber-bullying, training, and enumeration. We are certainly pleased that the committee has passed provisions relating to cyber-bullying and training, and we look forward to these provisions becoming law in Ohio. "Protecting students against cyber-bullying and improving training on anti-bullying policies will have a positive effect on our schools and make them more safe for students," says Ed Mullen, Executive Director of Equality Ohio.

]]> However, Equality Ohio is very disappointed that enumeration was not included in the bill. Academic studies and empirical evidence demonstrate that enumeration is critical to a strong anti-bullying policy. Ohio Department of Education discipline data shows that bullying has risen nearly 50% in Ohio from 2005 to 2007, despite passage of generic anti-bullying legislation in 2006. In Ohio, nearly one-fifth (18%) of Ohio students at schools with generic policies felt unsafe, while only 2% of students at schools with enumerated policies did. Students who attend schools with enumerated policies are harassed far less often for reasons such as their physical appearance, their sexual orientation or their gender expression; are less likely than other students to report a serious harassment problem at their school; and are 50% more likely to feel very safe at school.

Enumeration is particularly important for already vulnerable groups of students. LGBT students in states that don't require enumeration have the same experience of bullying as those without any anti-bullying and harassment laws at all. Enumeration provides teachers and other school officials the tools they need to implement anti-bullying and harassment policies, which makes it easier for them to prevent bullying and intervene when incidents occur.

The Ohio School Board Association opposed enumerating Ohio's anti-bullying law because they were concerned about additional potential liability. "Ironically, the best way for schools to prevent liability is to implement and enforce strong anti-bullying policies that include enumeration. These policies will prevent bullying in many cases and enable teachers and administrators to respond effectively when necessary, reducing the risk of lawsuits. Moreover, the existence and enforcement of strong anti-bullying policies would be an effective defense to lawsuits that are filed," says Ed Mullen.

A standalone bill that would enumerate Ohio's anti-bullying law, HB208, is pending before the House Education Committee, and Equality Ohio will continue to work to move this bill forward.

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

2012-01-10T19:56:22Z

View More Images Here

Columbus, OH- January, 10th A protest on the west lawn of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus drew hundreds of participants who support a moratorium on high volume hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, and wastewater disposal injection wells.

People came from all over Ohio to speak out against the destruction that fracking is causing in their communities. Ohio House Representatives Bob Hagan, Nickie J. Antonio, Denise Driehaus, Roland Winburn, Mike Foley, Teresa Fedor, Tracy Maxwell Heard, and Ohio State Senators Mike Skindell and Charleta Tavares spoke at the event, asking Gov. Kasich to protect the public health and pass SB 213/HB 345 to impose a moratorium on Fracking permits and waste-disposal injection wells throughout the state which is home to 177 injection deep well sites.

]]> Representative Bob Hagan said, "The people of Ohio and the people of the Mahoning Valley need answers from our government officials. We need to know why over half of the toxic frack water we are blasting into Ohio lands is coming from Pennsylvania. We need to know why there is such a rush to dump this waste in Ohio. And we need to know why it took ten earthquakes in ten months for anyone in the Kasich Administration to wake up and respond to calls for a moratorium on these wells. We never had an earthquake in Youngstown until John Kasich was elected Governor."

Representative Tracy Heard added, "My question remains the same as I asked repeatedly in Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee -What's the hurry? This is the result of haste and lack of research and information. It is exactly why Rep. Driehaus and I put forward the moratorium. The potential negative consequences are too high and the resources and opportunity are not going to disappear!"

Dr. Susie Beiersdorfer, a geologist from Youngstown, Bill Baker from Occupy Mansfield; Reverend William Carroll from the Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens, Jamie Fredrick, a Coitsville resident who has suffered ill health effects from a neighboring fracking site, and Stefanie Penn Spear, executive director of EcoWatch, spoke at the rally concerning the impacts of fracking on human health, the environment and the economy.

"This protest shows that Ohioans will not sit back while their homes, health, community and environment are threatened," said Teresa Mills, child health coordinator with the Center for Health Environment and Justice.

More than 30 people attended the rally from the Youngstown area where a 4.3 magnitude earthquake shook the community on New Years Eve, the 11th earthquake that area has experienced since March.

Won-Young Kim, a research professor of Seismology Geology at Columbia University who is advising the state of Ohio on the Dec. 31 earthquake, said that circumstantial evidence suggests a link between the earthquake and high-pressure well activity. Kim believes that the recent earthquake did not occur naturally and may have been caused by high-pressure liquid injection related to oil and gas exploration and production.

"The science on injection wells linked to earthquakes has been conclusive since the 1960's Rocky Mountain Arsenal research," said Cheryl Johncox, executive director of Buckeye Forest Council. "It is time to pass the moratorium legislation and halt disposal in injection wells. Despite what industry and the Governor have said, the earthquakes are validate our concerns and call for additional health and safety regulations.

"Drilling by my home has made me incredibly ill and destroyed my property value. We have been financially wiped out by this and are now unable to have children as a direct result of fracking contamination," said Jamie Frederick.

"Creating jobs at the expense of human health and the environment is not sustainable. Ohio needs to bring back the incentives for renewable energy projects and manufacturing that support Ohio's energy bill SB 221," said Stafanie Spear, Executive Director of EcoWatch. "Investment in renewable energy will create green jobs, revitalize our strong manufacturing base and provide long-term solutions to our energy needs without contaminating our drinking water and displacing communities."

"The residents of Mansfield and other small local communities are very concerned over the loss of local decision making pertaining to the contamination of our freshwater aquifers by the installation of the fracking waste water injection wells and the lack of concern shown by Governor Kasich and the ODNR" said Bill Baker, representing Occupy Mansfield.

The protest was organized by NO FRACK OHIO, a collaboration of more than 50 grassroots and conservation groups calling for a moratorium on horizontal hydraulic fracturing until further safeguards are put in place to protect human health and the environment. NO FRACK OHIO believes that public health and job security is more important than big industry's immediate drilling demands.

The NO FRACK OHIO Campaign will continue to call on Ohio lawmakers to listen to Ohio citizens and scientific experts about the human and environmental damage caused by shale gas development.

Senator Schiavoni Applauds Passage of the Jessica Logan Act

2012-01-10T16:45:38Z

Bill would require school officials to educate students on anti-bullying policies

Columbus - State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) today applauded the passage of House Bill 116 in the Senate Education Committee, now known as the Jessica Logan Act. The bill incorporates several concepts from Senator Schiavoni's SB 127, which also addresses current anti-harassment policies in Ohio's schools and the growing problem of cyber bullying.

]]> "Over the last several months we have been able to make a lot of progress in protecting our children from cyber bullying," said Senator Schiavoni.

The legislation adds several anti-bullying provisions to the already required teacher in service training. Some of the provisions include, allowing anonymous reporting, prohibiting students from making a false report and adds school buses as a location where harassment can be disciplined. The bill also requires that parents be notified at home of school bullying policies so that they can address them with their children.

House Bill 116 will give teachers and administrators the tools necessary to keep further distractions out of their classrooms and foster a positive learning environment. More importantly, the changes made in HB 116 could potentially save students' lives.

"In today's technological world, the bullying does not stop when a student leaves the classroom," said Senator Schiavoni. "Texting, Twitter and Facebook have all allowed for bullying on a mass, nearly constant scale that makes it easier for students to bully and harder for educators and administrators to do their jobs"

Jessica Logan became a victim of cyber-bullying after private pictures that she sent to her boyfriend via cell phone were shared without her permission. The Cincinnati-area teen committed suicide in July 2008 after being severely harassed by her classmates.

Sen. Brown Announces Neighborhood Revitalization Projects in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland

2012-01-10T15:38:17Z

COLUMBUS, OH -- U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced new resources for neighborhood revitalization projects in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland today. A representative of Brown's office will join a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) official in Columbus today to highlight the Poindexter Village neighborhood project on the near east side of Columbus. Resources were awarded through HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant program.

"By rebuilding neighborhoods devastated by the economic crisis, we will improve surrounding property values, create new jobs, and foster long-term economic growth," Brown said. "These public-private partnerships will continue to make our cities great places to start a business and raise a family."

HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant program helps transform public and assisted housing in distressed communities.

More information on the program can be found below:

]]> English Woods, Fairmount, Cincinnati

Lead Grantee: Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority

Grant Amount: $201,844

The grant will be used to rebuild the Fairmont neighborhood of Cincinnati, which has seen continued disinvestment for many years. Nearly half of the neighborhood's population lives below the poverty line, the long term vacancy rates are almost three times that of the county, and until the past school year, the neighborhood public school had been in the category of "Academic Emergency." Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the Community Building Institute, and other partners will engage the community to create a land use plan for CMHA's 70 acres of vacant land, where English Woods stood prior to its demolition in 2005-2006.

Poindexter Village, Near East Side, Columbus

Lead Grantee: Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority

Partners: The Ohio State University, City of Columbus, and National Church Residences

Choice Neighborhoods Grant Amount: $300,000

The 26-acre, 414-unit public housing project of Poindexter Village is located within the distressed Near East Side of Columbus. The Poindexter Village Neighborhood Transformation Plan will be supported through collaborative efforts of the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), the nearby the Ohio State University (OSU), nonprofit housing developer National Church Residences (NCR), and the City of Columbus (City). This effort will leverage the existing and geographically larger People Achieving Community Transformation (PACT) structure, which represents anyone who lives, works, or visits the neighborhood. Their goal is "to create a healthy, financially, and environmentally sustainable community where residents have access to safe and affordable housing, quality healthcare, and education and employment opportunities." PACT will undertake a four-phase process that will address education, health and wellness, jobs and economic development, housing, and safety.

Cedar Extension, Central Choice, Cleveland

Lead Grantee: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority

Grant Amount: $300,000

The Central Choice neighborhood is located just east of downtown Cleveland and is home to more than 10,000 people. Residents are confronted with high crime rates, few retail options, and the neighborhood elementary school is a Persistently Lowest Performing school. CMHA will be partnering with City Architecture Inc. to develop a plan for rebuilding the deteriorated Cedar Extension public housing development to create residential, retail, and other amenities in the Central Choice neighborhood.

As U.S. Remembers Tucson Shooting, Virginia Tech Massacre Survivor Calls For Background Checks

2012-01-09T19:37:30Z

Thousands of people gathered Sunday in Tucson, Arizona, for a candlelight vigil remembering the six people killed in last year's deadly shooting that left Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords gravely wounded. Giffords, still recovering from her injuries, addressed the crowd. Meanwhile, Jared Loughner, who was arrested and charged with attempting to assassinate Giffords, has pleaded not guilty and been found unfit to stand trial because of mental illness.

Despite repeated calls for greater gun control in the year since the shooting, little has been done and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System for gun purchases has not been fully implemented.

"I think a lot of Americans already think that we do background checks on everybody and are surprised to learn that we don't ... at the minimum we should be doing a background check," says Colin Goddard, who has worked tirelessly for gun control since he survived the 2007 shooting on the Virginia Tech campus that left 32 people dead. He works with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

Watch It:

Weekly Address: Continuing to Grow the Economy in the New Year

2012-01-07T13:53:53Z

President Obama shares his New Year's resolution: doing whatever it takes to move the economy forward and ensure that middle class families regain the security they've lost in the last decade.

Watch It:

Tell Ohio Legislators: "We Want a Fracking Moratorium NOW!

2012-01-06T20:15:50Z

On New Years Eve, a 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit Youngstown, OH. Despite there never being a recorded earthquake before, this was the 11th earthquake in Youngstown this year alone. Why the change? In 2011, D&L Energy began disposing of over 200,000 gallons a day of toxic frack water from Pennsylvania and Ohio (or enough to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool every 2 to 3 days) by injecting it underground. Not surprisingly, by 2011 this toxic mixture had forced its way into a previously unknown fault and presto chango, earthquakes in Youngstown.

Preliminary reports from seismology experts from Columbia University say that even if they permanently stop this injection well, the earthquakes are probably going to continue for up to a year. But the chances of Gov. Kasich and the ODNR permanently stopping injection wells is about as possible as, well, an earthquake in Youngstown before this year.

On Tuesday, the first meeting day of the Legislature in 2012, No Frack Ohio and concerned citizens from across Ohio are joining up to protest hydraulic fracking wells and injection disposal wells being located in our communities. Can we count on you to help send the message?

]]> Thankfully, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has at least placed a temporary moratorium on injections wells in the area of the quake, but this is not a solution. In fact, it was recently reported that the ODNR study on this problem is going to be funded by, wait for it, D&L Energy! The exact same company that owns the well that is causing the earthquakes. Nothing like a blatant conflict of interest.

Please join us on Tuesday to tell Ohio State Legislators: "We want a moratorium NOW, before more communities are rocked with earthquakes and our water is poisoned!"

Plus, There are more than 175 other injection wells in the State with more being drilled right now to deal with the hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic waste that will come from Fracking in Ohio.

Its time to say enough is enough. From ruined water to earthquakes, fracking and the injection of the toxic wastewater is going to harm our communities, our health, and now its even putting our infrastructure and homes at risk. (Think about it. Do you have earthquake insurance? Did you ever think you would need it in Ohio?)

Please join us on Tuesday and stand up for our communities.

Fracking Protest and Press Conference

Tuesday Jan. 10, 1-3 PM

Ohio Statehouse West Lawn Steps (There is a committee hearing room reserved in case of rain and to warm up)

Please RSVP Here: http://bit.ly/yk2YEN

Speakers will include Rep. Bob Hagan, Rep. Denise Driehaus, Rep. Tracy Heard, Rep. Teresa Fedor, Rep. Mike Foley, Rep. Nickie Antonio, Sen. Charleta Tavares, and representatives from communities turned into wastelands.

Please bring signs without sticks, and dress warmly.

Reps. Goyal, Murray Announce Legislation to Create Public Financing System for Supreme Court Justice Races

2012-01-06T18:41:49Z

Bill eliminates conflicts of interest for candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court

COLUMBUS - State Representatives Jay P. Goyal (D-Mansfield) and Dennis E. Murray (D-Sandusky) today introduced legislation to create a public financing system for Ohio Supreme Court campaigns. The system, if passed, would use various means of funding without using any GRF money.

"The campaign finance system Rep. Murray and I are creating would do much to improve the current system, which has become increasingly unpopular," said Rep. Goyal. "Members of the public, as well as the judiciary itself, have expressed significant dissatisfaction with the current system and have advocated for change. Our legislation would improve the judiciary's credibility and appearance of impartiality by eliminating any skepticism of the current electoral process."

]]> The various means in which the new system would be funded would include candidate qualifying contributions, candidate seed money, and optional income tax check-offs. Use of the public money is optional for judicial candidates under the legislation. The sponsors hope that Justices and candidates will embrace the system as a way to improve their public image and remove the perception of undue influence of campaign donors.

"The unquestioned independence of the judicial branch of government is essential to our constitutional government which balances the authority of the legislative and executive branches and above all else the primary power of our citizens," said Rep. Murray. "The exponential escalation of campaign finance battles in Supreme Court races risks eroding confidence in the Court and the public's willingness to accept its pronouncements as impartial and fair."

Rich Cordray Wants To Hear From You!

2012-01-06T18:20:56Z

Earlier this week, President Obama appointed Richard Cordray to be the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is new organization with one important mission: fighting for American families. The folks at the CFPB go into the office every day to make sure that credit cards, mortgages, and loans work better for the people who use them.

On Thursday, Mr. Cordray put out a special video and sent an email to the CFPB email list asking the American people to share their stories about your experiences with everyday consumer financial products like credit cards, mortgage agreements and loans.

Check out the video and email below and then head over to ConsumerFinance.gov to share your story.

Watch It:

]]> Email from Richard Cordray, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

Happy New Year,

As the new Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and as someone who has been helping to build the Bureau for about a year now, I can tell you it's an extraordinary privilege to work on behalf of American consumers.

Consumers like you. Tell your story.

https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory

In our first six months, our team at the Bureau has been answering calls and reading stories from hundreds of American consumers every week. Their stories illustrate the kinds of issues people are dealing with around the country.

These things can happen to anyone. We are not talking about some impersonal abstraction, not about somebody "else." We are talking about each one of us. We're talking about our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters. Regular people who are trying to make the right choices for themselves and their families.

We've heard from people like Rebecca from North Carolina. She told us she missed a mortgage payment nine months after her husband lost his job. In the two years since then, her mortgage servicer has increased her payments even though she entered a trial modification in an effort to lower her monthly payments. The servicer has charged her monthly fees for inspections and appraisals that she never asked for and she believes have never occurred, all while repeatedly threatening her with foreclosure unless she shells out more money in unexplained fees. Rebecca has frantically complied with all of these demands because she is afraid of foreclosure and so is doing whatever she can to stay in her home.

Tell us your story at https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory

With the stakes so high, consumers need to be able to fully understand the costs and risks of borrowing on credit, and they need to be able to comparison shop for the best deal. Consumers deserve to have someone who will stand on their side, who will protect them against fraud, and who will ensure they are treated fairly. The new Consumer Bureau was created to make sure that these things are achieved for all Americans. The good news is that we have already gotten started.

Over time, we will judge the success of our efforts by considering whether consumers are treated more fairly and with more clarity and candor in the financial marketplace. We deeply believe that we must hear from Americans about their experiences.

Can you share your experience?
https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/tellyourstory

Think about your own family members. Like all of us, they want to be able to use consumer credit to make their lives better, not worse. That is our goal as well. The financial marketplace can be a potent arena that helps people find and seize opportunity, not condemn them to bewildering failure. By working every day to protect consumers, we will help to fashion a more resilient economy and a stronger country. Join us; work with us; help us make it so.

Thank you,

Richard Cordray
Director
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Rep. Driehaus Calls for Hearings on Fracking Bills

2012-01-06T17:12:45Z

Sends letter to Rep. Hall asking for hearings on House Bills 345 and 351

COLUMBUS -State Representative Denise Driehaus (D- Cincinnati) sent a letter to Representative David Hall, Chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, today requesting hearings for House Bills 345 and 351, which would place a temporary moratorium on fracking in Ohio and increase transparency within fracking processes. Over New Year's weekend a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit the Mahoning Valley and it is believed that the drastic increase in seismic activity is due to the activity at several injection wells in the area where fracking by-products were being disposed.

A copy of the letter can be seen below:

]]> January 6, 2012

Representative David Hall
Ohio House of Representatives
77 S. High Street, 11th floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215

Dear Chairman Hall:

As you are aware, the most recent in a series of Mahoning Valley earthquakes occurred a few days ago on New Year's Eve as a result of injection well activity in that area. This brings the total to 11 earthquakes in less than a year. For a state like Ohio, where earthquakes are an anomaly, I'm sure you can agree this is a situation that needs to be dealt with promptly so that our citizens are protected from additional man-made quakes.

I recognize that the earthquakes were due to activity at several injection wells and I applaud the decision to place a moratorium on the work at these sites so that we can better understand the impacts on our constituents. In HB 345 we are simply asking that the same consideration for a moratorium be given to horizontal fracturing.

Representative Heard and I introduced HB 345 on October 12, 2011. Our bill places a moratorium on fracking while the US EPA investigates the proper regulations that are needed for this industry while ensuring a safe environment for the people of Ohio. Representatives Antonio and Fedor have introduced HB 351 which would make the fracking process more transparent. Both of these bills have been referred to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

I believe the concerns surrounding injection wells, the fracking process, and the lack of information as to what chemicals are being injected into the ground are compelling reasons to hold hearings immediately. I respectfully request that you give House Bills 345 and 351 a hearing at the next Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee meeting.

These bills will allow Ohio to take the time to make appropriate and responsible decisions in order to protect our citizens and the water they drink while also increasing the transparency of fracking procedures and operations. Many other states have not taken the necessary time to consider all the factors regarding this process and the disposal of fracking by-products and have thus faced many difficulties protecting their land, water, and citizens.

Please contact me with any questions. I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Denise Driehaus
State Representative

Private Sector In 2011 Added Most Jobs Since 2005

2012-01-06T15:14:47Z

Today's jobs report shows that the economy ended the year on a relative strong note, with the private sector adding 212,000 jobs last month.

The Washington Monthly's Steve Benen notes that "the U.S. private sector has now added 1.89 million jobs in 2011, well ahead of last year's private-sector total of 1.2 million, and the best year for businesses since 2005."

This chart shows monthly private sector job losses or gains under the Bush and Obama administrations:

HT: Think Progress

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Launches Nation's First Program For Supervising "Non-Bank" Financial Services

2012-01-05T20:42:19Z

Nearly 20 million Americans use payday loans, which offer short-term funds at very high interest rates. Studies have found that the average interest charged on a two-week, $100 loan is about $16--a 400 percent interest rate.

Many people who rely on payday loans are often in desperate need of cash, making them more likely to agree to astronomical interest rates and hefty fees for late payments. But, more often than not, payday loan terms are not clearly explained upfront, if at all. Payday loans end up putting more strain on those who are already struggling financially, including people who have already depleted their resources due to extended unemployment, illness, or emergency, as well as members of the military and their families, who are often targeted by short-term lenders.

Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, launched the nation's first program for supervising "non-bank" financial services, an extension of their bank supervision program that began last July. (A non-bank is a company that provides consumer financial services, but doesn't take deposits or have a bank, thrift, or credit union charter.)

]]>

Under this new program, non-banks like payday lenders, as well as private mortgage companies and private education lenders, will be regulated and subject to federal oversight to ensure they play by the rules and don't take advantage of consumers. CFPB will be able to establish regulations that require payday lenders to disclose borrowers' obligations and responsibilities in clear, easy to understand terms, so that people know what they are agreeing to when taking out a payday loan.

"This is an important step forward for protecting consumers," said Richard Cordray, Director of the CFPB. "Holding both banks and nonbanks accountable to consumer financial laws will help create a fairer, more transparent market for consumers. It will create a better environment for the honest businesses that serve them. And it will help the overall economic stability of our country."

Reps. Antonio & Carney Create Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency

2012-01-05T17:00:20Z

Bill will create agency to implement health exchanges in Ohio

COLUMBUS -State Representatives Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and John Patrick Carney

(D-Columbus) introduced legislation today to create the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency. This will establish the Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Program and include an exchange for individual coverage and a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange). The exchange program will provide affordable coverage options for individuals and small business employers to provide health coverage for their employees throughout Ohio.

Rep. Antonio said, "We must be pro-active in designing the health exchanges and not leave the health care option decisions for the people of Ohio up to the Federal Government. This legislation to create the Ohio exchange is intended to increase consumer choice of health plans."

This legislation will make quality health benefit plans available to individuals and employers who qualify beginning Jan. 1, 2014. This exchange must be established and implemented in order to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and to make Ohio eligible to receive an exchange establishment grant.

"We need clarity and certainty on these issues," Rep. Carney said, "Those who are operating small businesses in Ohio are very anxious because of the Department of Insurance's lack of a clear direction on whether Ohio will be establishing its own exchange. After months of inaction and the forfeiture of millions of dollars in federal grant opportunities, we have decided to take matters into our own hands as a legislature."

Senator Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate, SB 277.

Rep. Heard Joins Calls for Public Hearings in the Mahoning Valley on Recent Earthquakes

2012-01-05T16:43:48Z

Sends letter to Rep. Hall asking for hearing on temporary moratorium bill

COLUMBUS -State Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard (D- Columbus) sent a letter to State Rep. David Hall, Chairman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, today joining her colleagues Sen. Joe Schiavoni and Rep. Sean O'Brien in calling for a public hearing in the Mahoning Valley to investigate recent earthquakes. She also requested a hearing on HB 345, which would place a temporary moratorium on fracking. Over the weekend a magnitude 4.0 earthquake hit the Mahoning Valley and it is believed that the drastic increase in seismic activity is due to hydraulic fracturing.

"I fully support the economic opportunity and jobs that this industry can bring to Ohio, but what has occurred in the Mahoning Valley is deeply troubling. It's evidently clear we must take a step back and examine fracking, not only the process but its potential impacts to our environment both long-term and short-term," said Rep. Heard. "I stand ready to work with my colleagues to find a solution that will protect the citizens of Ohio and our environment."

A copy of the letter can be seen below:

]]> January 5, 2012

The Honorable David Hall
77 S. High Street, 11th floor
Columbus, OH 43215

Dear Chairman Hall,

I'm sure you are well aware of the recent earthquake that took place in Youngstown, Ohio this past weekend. Since the fracking legislation has been enacted and injection sites have been installed, the Mahoning Valley has seen an increase in seismic activity, 11 earthquakes in less than a year. Due to the environmental harm and the concern for the citizens of Mahoning Valley, I am joining my colleagues, Sen. Joe Schiavoni and Rep. Sean O'Brien in calling for a public hearing in the Mahoning Valley to investigate these earthquakes and at least a temporary moratorium on hydraulic fracking/deep well injection until an investigation and inquiry has been held.

The recent seismic activity has made it clear that we do not know all the effects of fracking, the toll it is taking on the environment, and the potential safety hazards it poses to the people of this state. I ask that the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee hold a hearing on the bill jointly sponsored by myself and Rep. Driehaus (HB 345) at its next convening. HB 345 would put a moratorium on fracking while we investigate the proper regulations that are needed for this new industry, while ensuring a safe environment for the people of Ohio.

While I support the economic opportunity and jobs that this industry can bring to Ohio, I think it is imperative that we understand not only how hydraulic fracking/deep well injection works but the potential short-term and long-term environmental impact it may cause if the proper regulations are not in place. As legislators it is our duty to create meaningful and strong legislation that will put in place fair regulations that protect our citizens and our environment. By doing so, we will ensure that Ohio will continue to be a great gathering place to share ideas and generate results that better our communities; results that will last a lifetime.

I look forward to working with you, members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, ODNR, the Governor's Office, and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association in creating a solution that appeals to all parties. Please contact me with specific ways that we can work together to better ensure the safety of the Ohioans.

Yours in service,

Tracy Maxwell Heard

Minority Whip
Ohio House of Representatives
District 26

Rep. Hagan Urges 'Indefinite Moratorium' On Injection Wells In Letter To Kasich

2012-01-05T15:26:32Z

In a letter to Governor John Kasich from State Representative Bob Hagan, Hagan called for an indefinite moratorium on the injection wells until citizens can be assured the wells are not changing Ohio's natural environment.

Hagan also stated in his letter he believes ODNR seems to be steeped in communications regarding the positive aspects of oil and gas exploration in the state and he questions if they and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are able to objectively and genuinely assess what is happening in Ohio.

Officials with ODNR continue to investigate a possible link between the recent valley quakes and the operation of brine injection wells.

Read the full letter below:

]]> January 3, 2012
Dear Governor Kasich,

I write to ask you to please do everything in your power to protect the public health of citizens in the Mahoning Valley and across the state; Please impose an indefinite moratorium on oil and gas waste-disposal injection wells in the state until citizens of Ohio can be assured that such wells are not adversely changing our natural environment in an irreparable way.

As you know, there have now been eleven earthquakes in Youngstown in less than one year. Initially, it was reported by ODNR that- although many epicenters were close to the Ohio Works Drive location of a D&L injection well -there is no link between the well and area rumblings. ODNR maintained this position just one short week ago on Dec. 25th. Now, it appears there has been a small change in thought at the executive level.

Governor, there is much to be said for changing views in light of additional information. However, ODNR seems to be steeped in communications regarding the positive aspects of oil and gas exploration in the state, while ignoring some potentially very serious implications of components such as waste disposal. Now, it is becoming apparent that the real question is whether or not ODNR and Ohio EPA are able to objectively and genuinely asses what is happening in our state.

The question of state capability will not be answered until federal and local counterparts are brought together for a community based discussion on the future of the shale gas industry in the Mahoning Valley and the state. Governor, you and I both know that the oil and gas industry already has the resources and finances to disseminate their message of prosperity. State government needs to be a thoughtful and independent observer of industry activities in Ohio.

Sincerely,

State Representative Robert F. Hagan
Youngstown, Ohio

Video: President Obama Speaks on Appointing Richard Cordray

2012-01-04T21:06:38Z

President Obama appoints Richard Cordray to be the nation's top consumer watchdog as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Watch It:

Full remarks below:

]]> Remarks by the President on the Economy

Shaker Heights High School
Shaker Heights, Ohio

1:26 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Ohio! (Applause.) Ah, it is good to be back in Ohio. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Shaker Heights -- (applause) -- home of the Red Raiders. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Mr. President, I love you!

THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. And I'm glad to be back. (Applause.) I'm glad to be here.

I want to thank your mayor, Earl Leiken, for hosting us today; -- (applause) -- your superintendent, Mark Freeman; -- (applause) -- the principal here, Mike Griffith. (Applause.) Well, and I know -- I'm pretty sure we've got a couple of congresspeople here, but I don't see them. Where are they? Okay, we've got Marcia Fudge. (Applause.) Marcy Kaptur is here. (Applause.) Dennis Kucinich. (Applause.) Betty Sutton in the house. (Applause.) Outstanding members of Congress, doing the right thing every day. So we thank them all for being here. (Applause.)

Now, I understand the folks here at this school have a pretty good basketball team. (Applause.) Boys and girls. (Applause.) Unfortunately, I have no eligibility left. (Laughter.) So I can't play with you.

I want to wish everybody a happy New Year -- 2012 is going to be a good year. (Applause.) It's going to be a good year. And one of my New Year's resolutions is to make sure that I get out of Washington and spend time with folks like you. (Applause.) Because folks here in Ohio and all across the country -- I want you to know you're the reason why I ran for this office in the first place. You remind me what we are still fighting for. You inspire me. (Laughter.) Okay, you do. You remind me that this country is all about folks who work hard and where responsibility pays off, an America where anybody who puts in the effort and plays by the rules can get ahead.

That's the America you deserve. (Applause.) That's the America we're working to build. That's why I told Congress before the New Year they couldn't leave for vacation until we made sure 160 million working Americans wouldn't get hit with a tax hike on January 1st. (Applause.)

Now, this wasn't easy. It should have been easy, but it wasn't. But in the end, we got members of both parties to come together and make sure that you could keep more money in your paychecks each month. And you're keeping that extra $40 in every paycheck because we made sure that we didn't stunt the recovery. We made sure that families got the break that they need. And that means more security for your families. It also means a boost for our economy at a time when we've got to do everything we can to keep it growing. Because more money spent by more Americans means more businesses hiring more workers.

And so when I -- when Congress returns, I'm going to urge them to extend this tax cut all the way through 2012, with no drama, no delay. (Applause.) Do the right thing. It is a no-brainer. Let's get it done. Let's pass these tax cuts. (Applause.)

Now, we still have more to do. So today, we're taking another important step -- one that will bring us closer to the economy that we need, an economy where everybody plays by the same rules.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes!

THE PRESIDENT: And to help us do that, I'm joined by somebody you might recognize -- Richard Cordray. (Applause.) Son of Ohio; a good, good man. (Applause.) Today I'm appointing Richard as America's consumer watchdog. (Applause.) And that means he is going to be in charge of one thing: looking out for the best interests of American consumers. Looking out for you. (Applause.)

His job will be to protect families like yours from the abuses of the financial industry. His job will be to make sure that you've got all the information you need to make important financial decisions. Right away, he'll start working to make sure millions of Americans are treated fairly by mortgage brokers and payday lenders and debt collectors. In fact, just this week, his agency is opening up a simple 1-800 number that you can call to make sure you're getting a fair deal on your mortgage, and hold banks and brokers accountable if you're not. (Applause.)

Now, I nominated Richard for this job last summer, so you may be wondering why am I appointing him today. It would be a good question. (Laughter.) For almost half a year, Republicans in the Senate have blocked Richard's confirmation.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: They refused to even give Richard and up or down vote. Now, this is not because Richard is not qualified. There's no question that Richard is the right person for the job. He's got the support of Democrats and Republicans around the country. A majority of attorney generals -- Richard is a former attorney general -- a majority of attorney generals from both parties across the country have called for Richard to be confirmed. Your local members of Congress who are here today -- they support him. He has the support of a majority in the Senate. Everyone agrees Richard is more than qualified.

So what's the problem, you might ask. The only reason Republicans in the Senate have blocked Richard is because they don't agree with the law that set up a consumer watchdog in the first place. They want to weaken the law. They want to water it down. And by the way, a lot of folks in the financial industry have poured millions of dollars to try to water it down.

That makes no sense. Does anybody think that the reason that we got in such a financial mess, the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, the worst economic crisis in a generation -- that the reason was because of too much oversight of the financial industry?

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: Of course not. We shouldn't be weakening oversight. We shouldn't be weakening accountability. We should be strengthening it -- especially when it comes to looking out for families like yours. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: The financial firms have armies of lobbyists in Washington looking out for their interest. You need somebody looking out for your interest and fighting for you, and that's Richard Cordray. (Applause.)

Now, I have to say Richard is a really nice guy. (Laughter.) You know, you look at him and you think, this guy is not somebody who's going around picking fights. And yet, this fight on behalf of consumers is something that Richard has been waging here in Ohio for the better part of two decades. (Applause.)

As your attorney general, he helped recover billions of dollars in things like pension funds on behalf of retirees. He protected consumers from dishonest lending practices. Before that, Richard was the state treasurer, where he earned a reputation for working with folks from across the spectrum -- Democrats, Republicans, bankers, consumer advocates -- had a great reputation across the board doing the right thing.

And, Cleveland, you've seen the difference that Richard can make for consumers, and I have, too. And that's why I want Richard to keep standing up for you -- not just here in Ohio, but for consumers all across the country.

Now, every day that Richard waited to be confirmed -- and we were pretty patient. I mean, we kept on saying to Mitch McConnell and the other folks, let's go ahead and confirm him. Why isn't he being called up? Let's go. Every day that we waited was another day when millions of Americans were left unprotected. Because without a director in place, the consumer watchdog agency that we've set up doesn't have all the tools it needs to protect consumers against dishonest mortgage brokers or payday lenders and debt collectors who are taking advantage of consumers. And that's inexcusable. It's wrong. And I refuse to take no for an answer. (Applause.)

So I've said before that I want to look for every possible opportunity to work with Congress to move this country forward and create jobs. I'm going to look for every opportunity to try to bridge the partisan divide and get things done -- because that's what the American people need right now. And that means putting construction workers back on the jobs repairing our roads and our bridges. (Applause.) That means keeping our teachers in the classrooms. (Applause.) That means keeping our cops and firefighters doing what they do, protecting us every day. (Applause.) That means helping small businesses get ahead. (Applause.) That means serving our veterans as well as they've served us, like this young man right in the front. We are grateful for him, for his service. (Applause.)

These are ideas that have support from Democrats; they have support from Republicans around the country, independents around the country. I want to work with Congress to get them done.

But when Congress refuses to act, and as a result, hurts our economy and puts our people at risk, then I have an obligation as President to do what I can without them. (Applause.) I've got an obligation to act on behalf of the American people. And I'm not going to stand by while a minority in the Senate puts party ideology ahead of the people that we were elected to serve. (Applause.) Not with so much at stake, not at this make-or-break moment for middle-class Americans. We're not going to let that happen. (Applause.)

For way too long, we've had a financial system that was stacked against ordinary Americans. Banks on Wall Street played by different rules than businesses on Main Street. They played by different rules than a lot of community banks who were doing the right thing across the country -- hidden fees, fine print that led consumers to make financial decisions that they didn't always understand.

Richard and I, before we came here, had an opportunity to visit with a wonderful elderly couple -- the Easons. And Mr. Eason is a former Marine, served in the Korean War. Ms. Eason makes a really good sweet potato pie. She gave me one. (Applause.) I'm going to eat it later, after. (Laughter.) I didn't want to eat it before because I didn't want to get sleepy having a big piece of pie right before. (Laughter.)

But their story was the story of a lot of folks in this region, where a mortgage broker came to them, said that they could do some home repair for a few thousand dollars, and they ended up getting scammed; the loans got flipped. They ended up owing $80,000, almost losing their home, and the repairs were never made.

Those kinds of practices, that's not who we are. We cannot allow people to be taken advantage of. And it's not just because it's bad for those individuals. All that risky behavior led -- helped to contribute to the economic crisis that we're all still digging ourselves out of. All those subprime loans, all those foreclosures, all the problems in the housing market -- that's all contributing to an economy that's not moving as fast as we want it.

And that's why, last year, we put in place new rules -- new rules of the road to make sure that a few bad apples in the financial sector can't break the law, they can't cheat consumers, they can't put our entire economy in danger. And many of these provisions are already starting to make a difference. For the first time in history, we put in place a consumer watchdog -- someone whose only job is to look out for the interests of everyday Americans.

And we are so fortunate to have somebody like Richard who's willing to do it, despite great sacrifice to his family. He's the right man for the job. (Applause.)

So if you're a student -- I see some young people out here -- (applause) -- his job will be to protect you from dishonest lending practices and to make sure that you've got the information you need on student loans. (Applause.) He has already started up an initiative called "Know Before You Owe." (Laughter.) That's a good slogan -- "Know Before You Owe." You don't want to owe and then know. (Laughter.)

If you're a veteran, he'll help make sure that you aren't taken advantage of when you're coming home from serving your country. And it turns out that military families are some of the folks who are most vulnerable to some of these financial abuses.
If you're a senior, Richard is going to help make sure you don't lose your home or your retirement because somebody saw you as an easier target. And that's what happened to the Easons. Endia, who I think is here -- Ms. Eason, are you here? You're somewhere here. There's -- Ms. Eason is down there. Ninety-one years old. (Applause.) And as I mentioned, Ms. Eason's husband, William, is a former Marine -- also a former boxer. So don't mess with him. (Laughter.)

And I just want to repeat, 10 years ago they were approached by a broker who offered them a loan to make needed repairs on their home; made everything sound easy. The Easons agreed. Broker ended up disappearing. They get left with $80,000 in debt, almost lose their home. They didn't lose it because of the intervention of some terrific non-for-profits that Richard, when he was treasurer here in Ohio, helped to support. (Applause.)

East Side -- that's right. (Applause.)

Now, the Easons are good people. They're what America is all about. They worked hard. They served their country. They saved their money. They didn't live high on the hog. It's a modest house. They earned the right to retire with dignity and with respect, and they shouldn't have to worry about being tricked by somebody who's out to make a quick buck. And they need somebody who is going to stand up for them, and millions of Americans need somebody who is going to look out for their interests. And that person is Richard Cordray. (Applause.)

And we know what would happen if Republicans in Congress were allowed to keep holding Richard's nomination hostage. More of our loved ones would be tricked into making bad financial decisions. More dishonest lenders could take advantage of some of the most vulnerable families. And the vast majority of financial firms who do the right thing would be undercut by those who don't.

See, most people in the financial services industry do the right thing, but they're at a disadvantage if nobody is enforcing the rules. We can't let that happen. Now is not the time to play politics while people's livelihoods are at stake. Now is the time to do everything we can to protect consumers, prevent financial crises like the one that we've been through from ever happening again. That starts with letting Richard do his job.

So I know -- let me just close by saying this. I know that you're hearing a lot of promises from a lot of politicians lately. Today you're only going to hear one from me. As long as I have the privilege of serving as your President, I promise to do everything I can every day, every minute, every second, to make sure this is a country where hard work and responsibility mean something and everybody can get ahead. Not just those at the very top, not just those who know how to work the system, but everybody.

That's what America has always been about. (Applause.) That's what America is going to be about today and tomorrow and 10 years from now and 20 years from now. And with the help of people like Richard Cordray, that's the country that we will always be.

Thank you. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

END
1:48 P.M. EST

New State Legislative Districts Violate Ohio Constitution, Says Lawsuit

2012-01-04T20:56:26Z

GOP used political interests instead of state constitution to draw new lines

COLUMBUS - A lawsuit being filed in the Ohio Supreme Court today charges that Republican state leaders blatantly violated the Ohio Constitution by egregiously gerrymandering Ohio's new state legislative districts. The suit challenges the constitutionality of the new lines because of over 250 community divisions and evidence that other criteria was used such as political indices and campaign contributions.

"Republicans violated the Ohio Constitution by ignoring restrictions on splitting apart communities and instead used criteria designed to maximize their political advantage and campaign cash," said House Minority Leader Armond Budish (D- Beachwood).

Article XI of the Ohio Constitution was adopted specifically to prevent political gerrymandering by imposing detailed, objective, and politically neutral requirements on Ohio's reapportionment process. In particular, the Constitution requires that districts be compact and contiguous, and that counties, townships, cities, villages, and wards not be split unnecessarily. Yet, the Apportionment map adopted on Sept. 30, 2011, divides 51 counties, 108 townships, 55 cities and 41 wards, totaling 255 divisions.

]]>
"These state legislative district lines show a blatant disregard for the Ohio Constitution," said Senate Minority Leader Capri S. Cafaro (D-Hubbard). "By filing this lawsuit we are defending the principles of fairness embedded in our state's Constitution and taking a stand against gerrymandering."

On Dec. 12, 2011, the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting released a report entitled "The Elephant in the Room" which documented through numerous public records the considerations used by Republicans to draw state legislative lines. As the report documents, state legislative maps were drawn to ensure "a majority of seats that lean Republican (50% or better) on 2008 Presidential numbers," and to "save millions" in campaign cash by making House Districts less competitive.

The lawsuit also charges that Republicans drew the new map behind closed doors in violation of the Sunshine Act. This was prompted by another finding in the report released by the Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting, which revealed that Republicans rented a hotel suite, known as the "bunker." This secret reapportionment office was used by Republican Apportionment Board members and their staffs to review and approve maps in secret without any public input.

Congresswoman Fudge Applauds Cordray Appointment

2012-01-04T19:18:18Z

WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH-- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) made this statement regarding President Obama's decision to proceed with the recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

"America's consumers will be in good hands with Rich Cordray heading the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). As Ohio Attorney General, Rich Cordray was a strong, bipartisan voice for holding big banks accountable for abusive servicing practices that have led to unfair and unlawful foreclosures. Cordray recovered over $2 billion wrongly looted by Wall Street banks and returned it to Ohio homeowners, taxpayers, pension funds and municipalities. I support the President's decision to proceed with Mr. Cordray's appointment ."

"Deceptive mortgage lending was a fundamental cause of the financial crisis and of the worst recession since the Great Depression. It is a great loss for the nation that Republicans in the Senate can get away with impeding the confirmation of Rich Cordray, at a time when consumers are being taken advantage of every day. Whether it's credit cards, student loans, or overdraft fees, working families and middle class Americans are suffering because of the lack of oversight. We fought for and won a new consumer bureau, so the public interest would be a top priority. Leadership committed to the public interest should have been the Senate's top priority as well."

Bye Bye Miss American Pie: Michele Bachmann Drops Out of Presidential Race

2012-01-04T17:32:19Z

Rep. Michele Bachmann suspended her presidential campaign after placing sixth in Tuesday's Iowa Republican caucuses, she announced today.

"Last night, the people of Iowa spoke with a very clear voice, so I have decided to stand aside," Bachmann said at a news conference, flanked by her parents, husband and five children.

ProgressOhio Statement on Cordray Recess Appointment to Lead The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

2012-01-04T16:31:13Z

Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director of ProgressOhio issued the following statement on the Cordray Recess Appointment to head The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

"Politicians didn't win today, consumers did. It's about time someone in Washington stood up for consumers and the 99% who are being nickel and dimed by banks and wall street. As head of the CFPB, Richard Cordray will stand up for Ohioans and regular people across the country.

Big Banks Beware: Cordray Recess Appointment Ensures Wall Street Won't Run Our Economy

2012-01-04T15:56:13Z

While Senate Republicans Stood For 1%, President Obama Stands Up for 99%

Washington, DC - This morning President Obama did what Republicans in the Senate refused to do - show leadership on preventing another Wall-Street-created economic crisis by appointing former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cordray has a powerful record of standing up for the middle class against the big banks, having taken on the likes of Bank of America and Citigroup for their mortgage servicing practices during his tenure as Ohio's top law enforcement officer. As head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cordray will continue his work ensuring that military families and seniors do not fall victim to the same reckless, casino-style Wall Street scams and abusive financial products and services that precipitated the financial crisis.

]]> At every twist and turn Republican have attempted delay, defund, or dismantle the Wall Street reforms enacted under President Obama that created the new watchdog agency Cordray will head. Republicans have chosen instead to stand with Wall Street companies and their well-paid lobbyists who have spent as many millions to undermine the new law, and done everything to avoid being held accountable for crashing the economy.

By appointing Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, President Obama has made it clear that he will not let Wall Street make the rules for consumers. While Senate Republicans stand behind the $125 million that they have received from the financial sector to do their bidding, the President is setting a clear priority - putting the well-being of our entire economy ahead of politics. He has sent a strong message that it is unacceptable for members of our military, students and seniors to be preyed upon by big banks and other deceptive financial institutions. Today is a good day for anyone who's ever held a credit card, taken out a student loan or tried to finance buying a car, and none of that credit can go to Republicans in Congress."

President Obama To Appoint Rich Cordray To Head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Today!

2012-01-04T15:45:16Z

President Barack Obama plans to use a recess appointment to install Richard Cordray as head of the country's new consumer financial protection watchdog, sidestepping Republican congressional opposition to his pick.

"Today in Ohio, President Obama will announce the recess appointment of consumer watchdog Richard Cordray," White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer announced in a tweet.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial oversight law to police the market for consumer products such as credit cards and mortgages.

Republicans have charged the agency is a regulatory overreach, and last month they blocked an attempt by the Senate to confirm Cordray, a former Ohio attorney general, to be the bureau's first director.

Sen. Brown Calls For End To Free Pass For Banks That Abandon Foreclosed Homes

2012-01-04T15:28:00Z

After a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department released new guidelines that amount to a free pass for banks to abandon foreclosed homes--fostering crime and leaving local taxpayers on the hook--U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today called for tougher standards to prevent the needless evictions of Ohio families and to forestall neighborhood blight.

"Too many Wall Street banks are walking away from too many Ohio Main Street communities," Brown said. "And when they do, they leave behind homes that are often vandalized and left to crumble. Ohioans are seeing their property values plummet as abandoned homes on their block or in their neighborhood are left to decay or stripped of anything of value. Meanwhile, cities and counties are left footing the bill for banks' irresponsibility.

"Wall Street has had its way in Washington for too long. That's why we must pass the Foreclosure Fraud Prevention and Homeowner Protection Act, and empower the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to speak for Ohio homeowners. It's in everyone's interest--from banks and homeowners, to our communities and local governments--to find ways to keep people in their homes," Brown added.

]]> In 2009, Brown called for a federal investigation following a Plain Dealer report exposing lenders and mortgage companies that leave homeowners and communities to deal with blight after walking away from a foreclosed property. In 2010, at Brown's request, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the practice of "abandoned foreclosures," also commonly referred to as "bank walkaways." This is the practice whereby banks decline to take possession of properties after initiating the foreclosure process, most often because the costs--from legal fees to maintenance--exceed the value of the real estate.

Despite the GAO report clearly detailing the negative impact of bank walkaways on communities like Cleveland, last month the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) quietly released a guidance document that allows banks to continue to walk away from homes they are in the process of foreclosing upon. While the OCC guidance adopts recommendations from the GAO, the OCC will continue to allow banks to walk away from homes in Ohio communities, especially if it is in the bank's financial interest to walk away rather than assume the cost to foreclose upon, rehabilitate, and sell a property.

The GAO report found that bank walkaways drag down neighborhood property values, increase crime rates, decimate the personal finances of homeowners forced to pay back taxes and fees on properties they didn't know they still owned, and impose substantial costs on municipalities left to deal with abandoned properties, while lowering tax bases.

Brown is the author of legislation (http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=e0bc8b2a-4947-4b32-bc9d-fefda5bc132e), the Foreclosure Fraud and Homeowner Abuse Prevention Act of 2011, which would end the rush to foreclosure and require servicers to work with homeowners to find sustainable mortgages.

"I commend Senator Brown for taking a stand against bank walk-aways. The national foreclosure crisis has caused significant problems for cities like Cleveland, particularly when it comes to abandonment. The solutions to those problems will not come from abandoning more houses. Rather, the solutions must include the banks, who should work harder to negotiate loan modifications that are viable for the banks and the homeowners," said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson.

The Foreclosure Fraud and Homeowner Abuse Prevention Act of 2011 would:

Protect homeowners from servicer errors, miscommunications, and abusive fees.

End the rush to foreclosure and require servicers to work with homeowners to find sustainable mortgages.

Progressive Talk Radio Returns To Columbus

2012-01-03T16:00:47Z

Great news! Progressive Talk Radio is returning to Columbus.

Tune in to WVKO 1580 AM to listen to popular radio hosts Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy, and Leslie Marshall, seven days a week.

Senator Schiavoni Calls for Public Hearing to Discuss Recent Earthquakes

2012-01-03T15:46:00Z

Columbus - State Senator Joe Schiavoni (D-Canfield) today called for the Ohio Senate to hold a public hearing in the Mahoning Valley regarding recent earthquakes that may have been caused by a wastewater injection well. Senator Schiavoni released the following statement:

"Because of the recent earthquakes the Mahoning Valley has experienced, I believe it would be very beneficial for the residents in my district to be provided with an explanation of hydraulic fracking/deep well injection. As the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Public Utility Committee, I am requesting a special committee hearing be held in the Mahoning Valley as soon as possible so Senators can gather more information.

]]> "At the hearing, representatives from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio EPA can address the recent earthquakes, the future activity of injection wells located in the Mahoning Valley, and any other concerns members of the public have regarding oil and gas exploration. I spoke with many residents over the holiday weekend who are very concerned for the safety of their family, homes, and property. These are legitimate concerns that must be addressed in a timely manner.

"Today, I will be contacting Senate President Tom Niehaus and Senator David Daniels, the Chairman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee, to urge them to schedule this meeting."

Ohio and Seven Other States Fail To Meet Health Insurance Consumer Rate Increase Disclosure Standards

2012-01-03T15:06:20Z

A bog post by Kathleen Gmeiner, Project Director, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage from over the holidays that we wanted to bring to your attention:

An interesting e-mail came into my box recently from Consumers Union. CU looked at 50 state insurance department web sites and recorded what each state is doing to alert its residents to health insurance rate increase requests, and allow consumers to have an avenue for input. This follows the finalization of a rule on September 1, 2011 requiring states to post on their websites insurance companies' requests for rate increases of greater than 10% and provide a way for consumers to submit comments on the rate requests.

Of course, I immediately scrolled down to Ohio and here's what it says:

No information about rates or rate review.

Only seven other states had the same notation: Alaska, Georgia, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

What is particularly disturbing about Ohio's lack of progress is that in the fall of 2010 Ohio received $1 million to expand its rate review capacity, and $4 million was added in 2011.

]]> Here is one of Ohio's commitments from 2010:

Make More Information Publicly Available...

The State intends to develop a consumer friendly web application, located on the department's website to assist consumers in using and understanding the rate filing information. http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/08/rateschart.html

Meanwhile Ohio's Insurance Commissioner Mary Taylor submitted comments earlier this week to the Federal Insurance Office [FIO]on a number of issues being considered by the FIO such as consumer protection, uniformity in regulatory standards among states and assessments of an insurer's financial health. Taylor stated: "... The [Ohio] Department has been nationally accredited for 20 years and is focused on a strong balance between protecting consumers without over-regulating the industry."

Attorney General DeWine Issues Compliance Report on State Awards for Economic Development

2011-12-29T20:22:32Z

With all the secrecy around it and its' actions does JobsOhio even require compliance reporting?

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today submitted an annual report to the Ohio General Assembly regarding business entities that were granted economic development awards from the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) with performance periods ending in 2010 detailing the extent those entities complied with the terms and conditions of the awards they received.

"In these challenging economic times, it is critical that Ohioans know whether companies receiving public money or tax credits from the Ohio Department of Development are delivering on their promises," said Attorney General DeWine. "I am pleased to provide this analysis of our findings to provide a benchmark for performance and to ensure transparency for Ohio taxpayers."

]]> In December of 2008 the Ohio General Assembly enacted a measure directing the Ohio Attorney General's Office (AGO) to monitor the performance of businesses accepting state awards for economic development from ODOD. The Attorney General's Office conducted a three-phase review of the active economic development awards administered by ODOD. In the first phase, the AGO identified all 2,990 active economic development awards in which incentives are characterized as Grants, Tax Credits, Loans, and Workforce Guarantee awards. In the second phase, the AGO audited the information reported by ODOD to assess its reliability. And, in the third phase, the AGO identified those businesses which were subject to specific performance metrics and for which an ODOD compliance determination was possible.

Among all active awards, the performance periods for 420 awards ended in 2010. The businesses receiving the 420 awards were obligated to file a closeout report covering calendar year 2010. After examining the information provided in the closeout reports and determining whether the businesses met the terms and conditions of their state awards, ODOD reported to the AGO that businesses receiving 220 awards did comply and businesses receiving 200 awards did not. This represents an overall compliance rate of 52.4 percent.

A copy of the report is available on the Ohio Attorney General's Website.

Minimum Wage Goes Up In 8 States Including Ohio On January 1

2011-12-28T13:58:26Z

While the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25--$2.60 an hour less (after adjusting for inflation) than it was in 1968--some states have instituted a higher minimum, or even indexed the minimum wage to inflation.

In eight of those states--Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington--the minimum wage will go up automatically on Jan. 1, raising wages for more than a million minimum-wage workers.

Workers covered under Ohio's minimum wage law will see a 30-cent increase in their hourly wage taking them to $7.70 an hour.

In 2006, on behalf of Ohio's lowest wage earners, the Ohio AFL-CIO and the coalition, "Ohioans for a Fair Minimum Wage" successfully placed the Constitutional Amendment on the ballot, which tied Ohio's minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI has increased over 4% from September 1st 2010 to September 31st 2011.

]]> "After over a decade without a minimum wage increase, Ohioans overwhelmingly passed the amendment- taking rate increases out of the hands of politicians and adjusting them in a fair and reasonable manner," said Tim Burga, President of the Ohio AFL-CIO.

Originally passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the purpose of the minimum wage was to prevent market forces from driving down the wages of our lowest earners in the labor force. Research shows that an increase in the minimum wage also spurs employers to increase wages for other low-wage workers.

"We have had a problem with wage suppression in Ohio, and nationally for that matter, for far too long. If you are only making the minimum wage, you are essentially just surviving. After buying gas and groceries, too many Ohioans are broke until the next paycheck," said Burga.

"This increase will slow down the race to the bottom and help lift up those Ohioans struggling to make ends meet. These modest increases can generate revenue for our local economies- something we are in desperate need of here in Ohio."

The Year in Review SB5 Repeal

2011-12-27T15:38:55Z

Some of our favorite images from the SB5/Issue 2 Citizens Repeal Campaign.

View larger images here

The Liar Wire: Ohio House Speaker William G. Batchelder

2011-12-26T19:41:36Z

A "Canadian provincial prime minister came to Ohio for his medical treatment because of the delay in Canadian health care which would have endangered his life."

-- State House Speaker William G. Batchelder

Batchelder claimed that a Canadian provincial premier came to Ohio for medical treatment that basically saved his life but could only remember that it was the head of a western province. And after scouring newspapers across eight Canadian provincial capitals, we could find nothing matching Batchelder's description.

Batchelder's staffer said it definitely was not Danny Williams, former premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada's easternmost province. Williams did have a trip south to Miami for specialized heart surgery.

But then the staffer said it was Williams that Batchelder referred to in the speech and said it has been "widely speculated" that he came to the Cleveland Clinic for post-operative treatment. However, they had no proof of it.

Meanwhile, a local Canadian reporter who covered Williams surgery said he is "fairly confident" he never came to Ohio for treatment.

The Williams surgery in the United States was big news and it was initially unclear where in this country he was going for treatment. But by the time Batchelder made his speech in the House, it was 11 months after Williams had his surgery.

Batchelder, as speaker of the House, is in a position of authority that also carries great responsibility. When he speaks, people listen.

Yet neither he nor his office could point us to any concrete evidence that a high level provincial official came to Ohio for treatment. And given that the best they could come up with was that it was "widely speculated" that Williams might have come to Cleveland, the claim is more than just inaccurate; it's ridiculous to a point that we're ready to set the good speaker's double-knits ablaze.

We rate Batchelder's claim Pants on Fire.

Related:

Speaker Batchelder: The Ohio Legislature's Largest 'Double Dipper'

The Liar Wire: Batchelder Claims OCC 'Employs 74 Lawyers And That The Funding Them Is Wasteful Duplication'

Maybe Batchelder Just Wants To Watch Matlock While In Session?

Weekly Address: The President and First Lady Thank our Troops for their Service this Holiday Season

2011-12-25T14:05:02Z

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama offer a special holiday tribute to some of the strongest, bravest, and most resilient members of our American family - the men and women who wear our country's uniform and the families who support them.

Watch It:

What $40 Means To Americans Across The Country

2011-12-24T14:19:43Z

The American people scored a victory when the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a two-month renewal of payroll tax cuts for 160 million workers and unemployment benefits for millions who are out of work.

Using social media and the internet, the American people told Washington in no uncertain terms that letting the payroll tax cut expire on December 31, 2011 was not acceptable. You tweeted, you called and you emailed to remind Washington that politics is not a game - serving the American people is a serious responsibility and the decisions made in Congress have serious consequences on people's lives.

]]> Eliminating the payroll tax cut would have cost a family earning $50,000 a year about $40 per paycheck, and for working families, that is real money; money that buys things like school lunches, the gas needed to get to work or visit ailing relatives, and even co-pays for doctor visits and essential prescription medicines.

Watch the video and meet some of the tens of thousands of working Americans who believed that their voice could make a difference, had the courage to speak out about what losing an extra $40 per paycheck would mean for them and for their family, and reminded the politicians in Washington that governing is about helping make people's lives better.

Watch It:

Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush's War On Christmas

2011-12-23T15:31:19Z

Oh 'tis the season for the hypocrisy of FOX and their annual hissy fit over the White House's Christmas Card, saying there is no Christmas in it.

Fox News Radio ran a report that read this way,

The official White House holiday card makes no mention of the word 'Christmas' and instead focused on Bo the First Dog based on the wishes of the First Family.

"From our family to yours, may your holidays shine with the light of the season," read the inside of the card, featuring the presidential seal.

The front of the card features Bo the First Dog lounging by a fireplace. Holiday greenery is draped over the fireplace mantle. Holiday presents are placed on a table underneath a poinsettia - instead of a Christmas tree.

Besides the presents wrapped in red and gold bows, the garland, and the traditional Christmas poinsettias, according to the stupid channel, there is no Christmas in it.

Sarah Palin even opined on the issue on Fox.

"It's odd," Palin said, wondering why the president's Christmas card highlights his dog instead of traditions like "family, faith and freedom."

If she's upset about that, wait till she sees the ones from George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan below.

]]> George W. Bush Whitehouse Christmas Card 2002

Ronald Reagan White House Christmas Card 1984

Surely, FOX believes that Bush and Reagan were socialists who fanned the flames of the War on Christmas with their very unchristmas like holiday cards and will be playing this fact on heavy rotation untilthe New Year.

In Memory Of Brian Usher: Remembering My First Mentor/Boss At His Passing

2011-12-23T15:14:05Z

This morning I woke up to the untimely news that Brian Usher passed away and my heart goes out to his family..

As you go through life, there are a lot of firsts that you begin to look back on and as Brian Usher was my first boss, I have often thought back to how lucky I was. In the gruff world of politics and media, Brian Usher was always alternately calm and funny, and one of those guys always in motion who somehow met his deadlines. From day one even as an intern, he expected more from me than paper shuffling. You can't get luckier than that.

A former Akron Beacon Journal Statehouse reporter, Brian was the Press Secretary for Governor Richard Celeste and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Governor's Honors Intern under his tutelage.

The Statehouse was a different place in those days. Statehouse reporters were ensconsed in a press room off the rotunda, press releases were faxed to major dailies and stuffed in envelopes to weeklies. Lunch on the Statehouse steps was a combination of politicos and press people intermingling on the steps and pre - CSRAB preachers preached as we all congregated.

My memory today is of a younger Brian Usher, gunning his ever-present convertible down Broad Street, laughing at our predicament as we are perpetually late for the airport (pre-670 when stoplights were a major impediment.)

From Brian I not only learned mechanics of journalism, but pitch calls, planning and conducting press conferences and the obligatory calling of all media outlets to update press lists (we did have a computer but it was more of a glorified word processing and spreadsheet tool.) To me it was more of an apprenticeship than an internship.

Throughout life as with all bosses, Brian Usher was always popping up in my life. He worked with Paula Brooks, blogged, came to me with ideas on how to use new media and occasionally tried to smooth over differences between my work and a clients.
His humor and deameanor were always to treat me from intern to present day as a colleague discovering, rather than a mentor instructing - that was just Brian's way.

In short, it is the end of a first in life with his passing - a first boss who was with me from the mid-1980s on. He will be missed and yet he will be present as well. That's what a first boss is all about.

The Nation Names Sherrod Brown, Nina Turner To Progressive Honor Roll of 2011

2011-12-23T13:33:41Z

The Nation Magazine has named Senator Sherrod Brown and State Senator Nina Turner as "Most Valuable Senator" and "Most Valuable State Senator" in their Progressive Honor Roll 2011:

]]> MOST VALUABLE SENATOR: Sherrod Brown

Faced with what was supposed to be a tough re-election race in 2012, Brown could have taken the easy way out when Ohio Governor John Kasich signed legislation attacking the collective-bargaining rights of public employees. Instead, Brown leapt into the fight, speaking and rallying with the workers of Ohio and even turning what had been his campaign website into a vehicle for the movement to overturn the antilabor law. It was a gutsy move, but it paid off.

Brown's poll numbers soared as Kasich's plummeted. Brown threw himself into the successful campaign to overturn Ohio's law in a November referendum. At the same time, he was fighting in Washington against flawed free-trade deals that shutter US factories while failing to bring prosperity to foreign lands.

Brown, a leader in the push to address poverty and disease in developing countries, is anything but an isolationist. He's an internationalist who understands the need for global resistance to policies that privilege corporations over workers from Cleveland to Chongqing. In 2011 he linked those struggles more effectively than any other senator.

MOST VALUABLE STATE SENATOR: Nina Turner

"An apology! An apology! I want an apology!" announced Turner, a Cleveland Democrat, as thousands cheered the defeat of Governor Kasich's antilabor legislation. Appearing on Ed Schultz's MSNBC broadcast from Columbus on the night of Ohio's historic November 8 vote, Turner was every bit as energetic and every bit as unyielding as she had been throughout the long campaign to defend the rights of public sector workers. Kasich "owes Ohioans an apology for not working on the No. 1 issue, which is jobs!" said Turner.

While many Washington representatives disappointed in 2011, state legislators stepped up as champions for labor rights, the public sector and economic justice. Turner wasn't the only smart, passionate legislator to take the national stage, but the breadth of her agenda stood out.

As she was standing up for workers' rights, Turner was also taking the lead on an array of economic development, voting rights and social justice issues.

Senate Speeches SB 5 Debate - Senator Nina Turner

Gay Community Apologizes for Destroying Scandal-Plagued Republican's Marriage

2011-12-23T12:43:55Z

The gay and lesbian community of Minnesota has issued a letter of apology to recently resigned Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch for ruining the institution of marriage and causing her to stray from her husband and engage in an "inappropriate relationship."

Obviously, the illicit affair wasn't her fault . . .

Two years ago, Koch co-authored a Defense of Marriage bill declaring, "A marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in Minnesota."

The bill did not pass, and consequently the institution of marriage was so degraded that Koch had no choice but to jump in bed with a hot hunk of burning political staffer man love, thereby cheating on her husband.

John Medeiros, who curates an LGBT reading series in Minneapolis, wrote the open letter to Koch, saying he is sorry gays and lesbians have destroyed the institution of marriage and contributing to her inevitable relationship with a subordinate staffer.

Read the full letter of apology below:

]]> An Open Apology to Amy Koch on Behalf of All Gay and Lesbian Minnesotans

Dear Ms. Koch,

On behalf of all gays and lesbians living in Minnesota, I would like to wholeheartedly apologize for our community's successful efforts to threaten your traditional marriage. We are ashamed of ourselves for causing you to have what the media refers to as an "illicit affair" with your staffer, and we also extend our deepest apologies to him and to his wife. These recent events have made it quite clear that our gay and lesbian tactics have gone too far, affecting even the most respectful of our society.

We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love has cheapened and degraded traditional marriage so much that we caused you to stray from your own holy union for something more cheap and tawdry. And we are doubly remorseful in knowing that many will see this as a form of sexual harassment of a subordinate.

It is now clear to us that if we were not so self-focused and myopic, we would have been able to see that the time you wasted diligently writing legislation that would forever seal the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman, could have been more usefully spent reshaping the legal definition of "adultery."

Forgive us. As you know, we are not church-going people, so we are unable to fully appreciate that "gay marriage" is incompatible with Christian values, despite the fact that those values carry a biblical tradition of adultery such as yours. We applaud you for keeping that tradition going.

And finally, shame on us for thinking that marriage is a private affair, and that our marriage would have little impact on anyone's family. We now see that marriage is more than that. It is an agreement with society. We should listen to the Minnesota Family Council when it tells us that marriage is about being public, which explains why marriages are public ceremonies. Never did we realize that it is exactly because of this societal agreement that the entire world is looking at you in shame and disappointment instead of minding its own business.

From the bottom of our hearts, we ask that you please accept our apology.

Thank you.
John Medeiros
Minneapolis MN

Representative Fudge: A Christmas Miracle For 160 Million Americans

2011-12-23T00:58:55Z

WASHINGTON, DC-- Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) made this statement today on the agreement to extend the payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits, and the Medicare physician fee fix for two months:

"In what seems like a Christmas miracle, House Republicans have ended their objection to the passage of a tax cut for 160 million middle class Americans. Delaying this tax break could have a devastating impact on families across the nation, and on our economic recovery. I'm hopeful that the House and Senate will act tomorrow to provide certainty and economic security to American families."

"I've heard from many people about how they spend their tax cut: from gas and groceries to medications and dental appointments. Most people rely on every single dollar in their budget. These Americans are working hard and playing by the rules. They want a fair shot at achieving the American dream. Congress should help them do so by ensuring a long term payroll tax cut, extension of unemployment insurance, and fix for Medicare payments."

2011-12-22T22:10:09Z

WASHINGTON -- In an abrupt about-face, House Republican leaders Thursday agreed to a two-month extension of a Social Security payroll tax cut and federal unemployment benefits, GOP aides said.

The move reflects a bowing to demands by the Senate and President Barack Obama and appears to all but assure 160 million workers aren't hit by a 2 percentage point increase in the payroll tax on Jan. 1.

House Republicans balked at the bipartisan Senate bill earlier this week, and their leaders, as recently as Thursday morning, had insisted that the Senate begin talks on a one-year measure passed by the House last week. The Senate passed a 2-month extension on Saturday.

]]> House GOP leaders appeared to be adopting a compromise suggested by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the two-month extension in exchange for the Senate appointing members to a conference committee, which will negotiate a longer-term solution. The proposal won a nod of approval from President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The deal entails a new bill with language protecting small businesses from a measure in the Senate bill that creates temporary new caps on the wages that are subject to payroll tax relief, a Republican aide said. Reid accepted the House Republicans' proposal late this afternoon. The new bill would require both Senate and House approval.

The bill could potentially be passed by unanimous consent, which would not require all the members to return for a vote.

Rep. Lundy Asks Yost to Audit Use of State Plane

2011-12-22T18:34:35Z

Millions cut from Public Transit in budget but plane funding nearly doubles

COLUMBUS- State Rep. Matt Lundy (D- Elyria) sent a letter to Auditor Dave Yost today asking for an audit to be done on the Ohio Department of Transportation in regards to the use of the state plane. He also asked for answers to questions that have recently been raised about the frequent use of the state plane. Recently, the public has been made aware of Lt. Gov. Taylor being picked-up and dropped-off at Akron-Canton airport, which is only six miles from her home.

"At a time when middle class Ohioans are struggling, it is simply inexcusable that Lt. Gov. Taylor or any member of Gov. Kasich's administration use the state planes as their own personal chauffeur service," Rep. Lundy said. "Ohioans deserve answers to where their tax dollars are going, and I look forward to hearing how such careless use of Ohio's limited resources will be prevented in the future."

In the most recent transportation budget, HB 114, $2.9 million was cut from public transportation while the funding for the state planes nearly doubled. The state operating budget, HB 153, cut an additional $2.4 million from the public transportation services many Ohioans rely on daily for work.

"The fact that millions was cut from public transportation services that many Ohioans rely on daily to get to and from their job, while the budget for the state planes is nearly doubled demonstrates just how out of touch Gov. Kasich, Lt. Gov. Taylor and the entire administration are with middle class Ohioans," said Rep. Lundy.

It was determined by an unknown formula that these pick-ups and drop-offs cost the state $2,181 but Lt. Gov. Taylor has only reimbursed the state $1,039.50. Leaving tax payers footing the bill for the remaining $1,141.50 for her travel, and yet another flight that is still unknown.

A copy of the letter is below:

]]>

December 21, 2011

Dear Auditor Yost,

I am writing to express my concern and the concern of Ohio taxpayers about Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor's use of the state plane for personal travel. As you well know, we are responsible for making sure that the taxpayers' property is protected and that tax dollars are used in an efficient, effective, and legal manner. Therefore, I am requesting that an audit be done on the Ohio Department of Transportation in regard to the use of the state plane. In addition, the following questions about the administration's policy with regard to the state planes should be examined:

What basis was used to calculate the cost of $2,181 for the June and July flights?

How was Lt. Gov. Taylor's reimbursement of $1039.50 calculated?

Will Lt. Gov. Taylor be reimbursing the state for the remaining $1,141.50 of the expense for her pick-ups and drop-offs in Canton?

What led to the conclusion that it was best for the Lt. Gov. to reimburse the state for the use of the plane?

Are there other instances where you believe reimbursement may be necessary either from the Governor, Lt. Gov. Taylor or other state officials? And what were the dates and purpose of those trips?

Will the practice continue for Lt. Gov. Taylor to be picked up or dropped off at her home?

What measures will your office take to avoid future travel reimbursement concerns by the Lt. Gov. Taylor and other members of the state officials?

Ohio taxpayers deserve to know where their tax dollars are going. The FY12 and FY13 transportation budget (HB114) cut $2.9 million from public transportation while increasing the funding for state planes by nearly double. Public transportation funds were cut an additional $2.4 million in the state operating budget (HB 153). Many Ohioans rely on public transportation everyday to find work or stay employed.

The recent revelations about Lt. Gov. Taylor's plane usage raise concerns about the administration's policy for air travel. It is my understanding that these planes are to be used for the benefit of the people of Ohio, not as an everyday mode of transportation and scheduling convenience for the Governor and cabinet members of the administration to crisscross the state for press conferences and speeches.

I respectfully request a prompt and complete response to the questions listed above. I am sure you will agree that taxpayers deserve to know the way in which state resources are utilized by the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and the administration. I look forward to hearing what measures your office will take to ensure such carelessness will be prevented with the state's limited resources in the future.

Sincerely,

Matt Lundy
State Representative
57th House District
Ohio House of Representatives

cc: Governor John Kasich
Lt. Governor Mary Taylor
Jerry Wray, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation

EPA FInding Links Water Contamination To Fracking

2011-12-22T18:05:09Z

Feds Link Water Contamination to Fracking for the First Time

by Abrahm Lustgarten and Nicholas Kusnetz ProPublica

In a first, federal environment officials scientifically linked underground water pollution with hydraulic fracturing, concluding that contaminants found in central Wyoming were likely caused by the gas drilling process.

The findings by the Environmental Protection Agency come partway through a separate national study by the agency to determine whether fracking presents a risk to water resources.

In the 121-page draft report, EPA officials said that the contamination near the town of Pavillion, Wyo., had most likely seeped up from gas wells and contained at least 10 compounds known to be used in frack fluids.

The presence of synthetic compounds such as glycol ethers and the assortment of other organic components is explained as the result of direct mixing of hydraulic fracturing fluids with ground water in the Pavillion gas field, the draft report states. Alternative explanations were carefully considered.

]]> The agency's findings could be a turning point in the heated national debate about whether contamination from fracking is happening, and are likely to shape how the country regulates and develops natural gas resources in the Marcellus Shale and across the Eastern Appalachian states.

Some of the findings in the report also directly contradict longstanding arguments by the drilling industry for why the fracking process is safe: that hydrologic pressure would naturally force fluids down, not up; that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface; and that the problems with the cement and steel barriers around gas wells aren't connected to fracking.

Environmental advocates greeted the report with a sense of vindication and seized the opportunity to argue for stronger federal regulation of fracking.

Read More at ProPublica

Ohio Fracking Protestors May Need To Create 'Occupy Wellstreet' Movement

ProgressOhio

Stop this Radical Threat to Workers' Rights Today!

Komen Apologizes For 'Recent Decisions,' Pledges To Continue Funding Planned Parenthood

Lawmakers Announce Formation of "Responsible Shale Energy Development" Caucus

ProgressOhio Statement on Fracking and Future Revenue

Attn: Cleveland, Youngstown and Columbus: FREE BUS to Protest Kasich at State of the State!

Innovation Ohio Report: Fairness, Fracking and the Future

February 25th is Rootscamp Ohio 2012! Get Your Free Tickets Today!

Sen. Brown's 'Putting the People's Interests First Act of 2012' Would Require Members of Congress to Divest Themselves from Stock Holdings or Separate Themselves from Buying, Selling

Obama Leads Battered Republican Field in Ohio

Kasich Announces Public Lottery For State Of The State Tickets

State Of The 99% Ohio:Protest and Rally At State Of The State!

Senate Democratic Caucus New Leadership Team Officially Sworn In

Ohio Mayors Join Freedom to Marry Campaign

House Democrats Outline 2012 Priorities to Strengthen Middle Class

Rep. Pillich Introduces Legislation to Make State Watchdog More Accountable

Reps. Sutton and Hoyer Tour NASA Glenn Research Center

Fair Elections Ohio Statement on Possible 'Repeal and Replace' of HB194 by the Ohio Legislature

Press Pass: Consumer Watchdog Richard Cordray

State Of The 99% Ohio: Protest and Rally At State Of The State!

Becky Williams Elected As National SEIU Vice President

Lawmakers Propose Common Sense Solution to Controversial HB 194

Climate Activists Call Foul at Rep. Boehner's Office over Keystone Pipeline and Campaign Cash from Big Oil

Ohio AFL-CIO Files Objection To RTW Summary

VIDEO: AWOL Mandel

Fair Elections Ohio Statement On SOS Husted Calling For HB194 Repeal

Rep. Szollosi Denounces Passage of Bill that Weakens Protections for Asbestos Victims

Rep. Nicholas Celebrezze Sworn in to Ohio House

AP: Ohio Treasurer Is A No-Show At Deposit Board

Ballot Board Decides Medical Marijuana Amendment is Single Issue

Your Chance to Personally Help Rewrite Ohio's Constitution

Rep. Carney Passes Bi-Partisan Business Legislation

State Representative Alicia Reece Calls for Federal Election Monitors

Word Cloud Of The 2012 State of the Union Address

Watch the State of the Union Tonight With ProgressOhio and USAction

Leader Budish Questions How Gov. Kasich will Fill Budget Gap Created by JobsOhio

Senator Tavares Introduces Reproductive Rights Resolution

Rep. Antonio Introduces Resolution on Reproductive Rights Awareness Week

Reps. Celeste and Foley introduce the Ohio Fair Employment Act

Rep. Sutton Invites Father of Fallen Solider as Guest to State of the Union

Rootscamp Ohio is Back! Get Your Free Tickets Starting Today!

The Gay Rights Movement In 6 Minutes and 52 Seconds

Move To Amend Rally - Columbus Ohio

Shadows On High: "We The People" Not "We The Corporations"

Ohio Puts Hold On Injection Well Permits

Rep. Hagan Disappointed by Slanted Hearings On Seismic Activity In Youngstown

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

Rep. Sutton Promotes Jobs Plan During Factory Tour

Sen. Brown: 'Don't Let Wall Street Banks Use the Assets of Middle Class Ohioans to Pay the Penalty for Breaking the Law'

House and Senate Leaders Question Inspector General Meyer's Participation in GOP Fundraiser

Call To Action: Occupy the Courts this Friday! Corporations Are Not People & Money Is Not Speech!

Senator Turner Introduces Sexual Assault Legislation

Reps. Antonio & Garland Introduce Sexual Assault Legislation

Join The Cleveland Voter Coalition Campaign Kickoff: It's Not A Moment It's A Movement

Republicans Continue to Push Overreaching Partisan Agenda, Says Dem Leader

Rep. Hagan Disappointed by Slanted Hearings On Seismic Activity In Youngstown

I Am A Man: Dr. King & the Memphis Sanitation Strike

Tuesday In Columbus: Join SPAN Ohio For A Screening Of The Healthcare Movie

Support Locked-Out Cooper Tire Workers This Saturday!

ProgressOhio Employee Minister Kyle Earley Wins Ohio's 2011 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Award

Reps. Antonio & Celeste Along with Sen. Edna Brown Renew Request for Moratorium on Executions

Rep. Fedor Sponsors 3rd Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Rep. Hagan to Seek Answers from ODNR

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

State Senators Eric Kearney and Nina Turner Formally Introduce Foward Ohio Plan

Senate Education Committee Unanimously Passes Safe Schools Bill

Ohioans Stand Up At Stop The Madness (Anti-Fracking) Statehouse Protest

Senator Schiavoni Applauds Passage of the Jessica Logan Act

Sen. Brown Announces Neighborhood Revitalization Projects in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland

As U.S. Remembers Tucson Shooting, Virginia Tech Massacre Survivor Calls For Background Checks

Weekly Address: Continuing to Grow the Economy in the New Year

Tell Ohio Legislators: "We Want a Fracking Moratorium NOW!

Reps. Goyal, Murray Announce Legislation to Create Public Financing System for Supreme Court Justice Races

Rich Cordray Wants To Hear From You!

Rep. Driehaus Calls for Hearings on Fracking Bills

Private Sector In 2011 Added Most Jobs Since 2005

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Launches Nation's First Program For Supervising "Non-Bank" Financial Services

Reps. Antonio & Carney Create Ohio Health Benefit Exchange Agency

Rep. Heard Joins Calls for Public Hearings in the Mahoning Valley on Recent Earthquakes

Rep. Hagan Urges 'Indefinite Moratorium' On Injection Wells In Letter To Kasich

State Of The 99% Ohio:
Protest and Rally At State Of The State!