How Things Work At The Statehouse
How Things Work At The Statehouse
Thank you to those of you who attended our “How Things Work at the Statehouse” training presented by Rachel Coyle on July 16.
It was beautiful evening and a good crowd attended. We thank Harmony Hill Vineyards for providing a safe venue. Tables were properly spaced apart and masks were worn when entering the winery or when socializing with attendees seated at other tables.
The training was packed with information. Too much to share at once so we are going to break it up in chunks for the next few newsletter issues. Here’s our first installment.
STATEHOUSE BASICS
You don’t hear as much about the Ohio General Assembly as you do about Congress in Washington D.C. Ohio’s General Assembly controls far more laws that affect Ohioan’s lives on a daily basis than Congress does. We as citizens of Ohio have much more opportunity to effect changes in our state government than we do on the federal level.
Because of gerrymandering, Ohio’s General Assembly has a GOP “supermajority.” In order to break this supermajority Ohio Democrats must hold onto their current seats and flip two more seats in Ohio’s house. This will help Governor Dewine with more moderate legislation as right now he doesn’t have veto power because it can be overridden by the GOP.
Ohio Senate has 33 senators with 24 Republicans and 9 Democrats.
Ohio House has 99 members with 61 Republicans and 38 Democrats.
This is outrageous for a state that is nearly evenly divided politically.
Clermont County’s Ohio districts are:
Ohio House district 65: Miami, Stonelick, Goshen, Union and Wayne townships plus the city of Loveland and Milford. Alan Darnowsky is running for this district in 2020.
Ohio House District 66: the southern half of Clermont County and all of Brown County.
Ohio Senate District 14: all of Clermont, Adams, Brown and Scioto Counties. Ryan Ottney is running for this district in 2020.
VOICE OUR VALUES
Each and every one of us have considerable power at the Ohio statehouse level because hardly anyone contacts their state legislators. It DOES NOT take very many people to make noise at the statehouse. Use this power. If you don’t, someone else will.
Calling the statehouse is not like calling the U.S. Congress. Ohio statehouse aides do not ask for zip codes and there is only one phone line per legislator. Remember: You’re not talking to the legislator. You’re talking to their overworked, underpaid aide so be nice and build a relationship. State reps have one aide and state senators have two aides.
The Ohio Channel is where you can watch live testimony before the various committees of the Ohio General Assembly. All committee sessions are archived. Explore the various committees, find a subject you’re passionate about and start communicating with the legislators on that committee.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Barack Obama
Keep up with the latest happenings at the statehouse by following these social media accounts:
Twitter: @HowThingsWorkOH
Twitter List: “Reporters to Follow”
Facebook: How Things Work at the Statehouse
Word From The Chair of the Clermont County Democratic Party
Raymond Lembke
The last two weeks have been interesting. Covid 19 cases continue to increase and the second Republican Speaker of the Ohio House in succession has been caught in a corruption scandal. Yes, these two circumstances do have a relationship. READ MORE
WHAT’S NEW FROM CLERMONT TO COLUMBUS
CLICK ON THE HEADLINE TO ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE
OHIO HOUSE SPEAKER ARRESTED
FBI agents arrested Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder on Tuesday morning (July 21) at his rural farm. Householder was taken into custody in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme allegedly involving state officials and associates. READ MORE
LAWMAKERS SET SIGHTS ON DARK MONEY TRANSPARENCY
Lawmakers are introducing bills that require more transparency when it comes to dark money groups in political campaigns. The bills are in reaction to an alleged racketeering scheme involving a dark money organization and Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford). READ MORE
AS OHIO SUPREME COURT WAS SET TO RULE ON HB6 LAWSUIT, DONORS CONNECTED TO HB6 CONSPIRACY GAVE TO JUSTICE SHARON KENNEDY
RIGHT-WING GROUPS OPPOSING STATE AND LOCAL CORONAVIRUS BAILOUTS TAKE MILLIONS IN PPP LOANS
At least five right-wing, free market organizations and two hate groups that have actively pressured Congress to refrain from bailing out state and local governments facing enormous budget deficits because of the the coronavirus pandemic have taken up to $5.4 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans, an investigation by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) finds. READ MORE
QUESTIONS ASKED ON THE 2020 CENSUS FORM AND WHY THOSE QUESTIONS
During a July 9 Clermont County Complete Count Committee meeting held via Zoom, Clermont County Commissioner David Painter said that some constituents to whom he’s spoken had expressed reservation about answering some of the questions that they felt were “too personal.” READ MORE
OUR 2020 ALL STAR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
OUR 2020 CANDIDATES NEED YOUR SUPPORT !
Click on the icons next to or below their names and donate, volunteer, visit their website; like, share and comment on their Facebook pages; like, retweet and comment on their Twitter feeds; visit their Instagram page and like and comment on their posts. The more you engage their social media accounts the more exposure they will get on those platforms. Thank you for your support!
 | JAIME CASTLE OHIO DISTRICT 2  | |
| JENNIFER BRUNNER OHIO SUPREME COURT  | JOHN O’DONNELL OHIO SUPREME COURT |
| RYAN OTTNEY OHIO SENATE DISTRICT 14 | ALAN DARNOWSKY STATE REP DISTRICT 65 |
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| JEFF RICHARDS CLERMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONER | ACACIA UIBLE CLERMONT COUNTY CLERK OF COURTS |
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JOIN TODAY!
Clermont County Democratic Party’s major fundraising initiative is the Donkey Club. It costs approximately $10,000 per year to keep our Batavia headquarters operating. Membership in the Donkey Club helps us pay the bills and maintain the Democratic Party in Clermont County. Due to the restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic we have had to cancel several of our major fundraisers so we are heavily dependent on individual donations. Please consider joining the Donkey Club today. Thanks for your support!
Diamond: $1,000
Gold: $500
Silver: $250
Family: $100
Couple: $60
Dime A Day: $36.50
Whether it’s a one-time contribution or a recurring monthly contribution we appreciate your support. You may join online by clicking the Donation button below or by mailing a check made out to CCDP PO Box 475, Batavia, Ohio 45103
Sign the Petition – Demand Safety for All Ohio Voters in November
Target: Frank LaRose, Ohio Secretary of State
Because state lawmakers are on break for the summer already, the time for a legislative fix is past. Now it’s up to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to use his authority to ensure all modes of voting are easily accessible to all voters.
We, the undersigned, are calling on Secretary of State Frank LaRose to use authority and funding already available to him to:
*Include and pay for return postage on all absentee ballot applications and ballots
*Allow voters to submit an absentee ballot request online
*Establish multiple secure drop boxes for absentee ballot return
*Commit to resist efforts to consolidate (or close) polling locations to avoid longer lines, no parking, and more crowded indoor space.
We have three months to get out the vote! Below is your voting timeline with links to check your registration and request an absentee ballot. Take action TODAY!
Absentee Ballot Application Although the actual ballot will not be mailed to you until the beginning of October you can still mail in your application now.
Aug. 24 – Write-in candidates must file declarations of intent by 4 p.m. (72 days before general election) R.C. 3513.041 Declaration of Intent to be a Write-In Candidate
*Note* We have Democratic candidates for Clermont County Clerk of Courts, County Commissioner (one slot still open) and Ohio House District 65. We are looking for write-in candidates for County Commissioner (1-3), Ohio House District 66, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas (Probate/Juvenile Division) (requires law degree), Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, County Recorder, County Treasurer, County Engineer, Coroner. Let’s make Clermont County Republicans work for their votes! Please consider running as a write-in candidate.
Oct. 05 – Deadline for voter registration for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election (30 days before general election)
Confirm your voter registration.
Fill out a paper registration form and file it.
Oct. 6 – Requested Absentee Ballots mailed to voters by Board of Elections.
Oct. 31 – Applications for absentee ballots to be mailed for the Nov. 3, 2020 general election must be received by boards of elections by noon (3 days before general election)
Nov. 03 – Absentee ballots, returned in person or via a method other than U.S. Mail, must be received by the boards of elections by close of polls Nov. 13 – Absentee ballots returned by U.S. Mail must be postmarked no later than Nov. 2 and received by boards of elections by this date to be counted (10 days after general election)
GOVERNOR DEWINE ISSUES STATEWIDE MASK ORDER, TRAVEL WARNING
Governor DeWine announced that beginning on Thursday, July 23, at 6:00 p.m., a statewide mask mandate will go into effect for citizens living in all 88 Ohio counties.
“Our preliminary data indicate that the rate of increase in new cases has slowed in the high-risk counties where masks are already mandated, so we are cautiously optimistic that things are heading in the right direction,” said Governor DeWine. “We believe that requiring masks statewide will make a significant difference and will be key to making sure other counties do not progress to a higher level of increased spread.” READ MORE
For more information about the numbers in Ohio, what precautions you need to take and where you can find resources for testing, mental health assistance and employment visit the Ohio Department of Health Coronavirus Portal
Below is a listing of Democratic groups in Clermont County. Right now a lot of upcoming meetings are cancelled due to the concerns about COVID19. Remember this is temporary. We will get through this! Click on the name of each club and it will take you to their website or Facebook page with updated information about meetings. Some groups are conducting virtual meetings while others are looking to outside locations.
| Quin-T Democrat Club | Loveland Action Team (LAT) | |
| West Clermont Democrats | Clermont County Young Democrats | |
| The Goshen Democratic Club | Drinking Liberally |
The Clermont County Democratic Party typically meets the fourth Thursday. Due to COVID19 we conducted our last meeting virtually through Zoom. We are figuring this out as we go and will keep you posted. For updated information please visit our website at clermontdems.org.
Next Central Committee meeting is scheduled for August 18 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom with Judge Jennifer Brunner 2020 candidate for Ohio Supreme Court. For more information contact the Central Committee chair, Patty Lawrence at p.lawrence@fuse.net
HEADQUARTER OFFICE HOURS
Biden yards signs, with wickets, are at CCDP headquarters in Batavia. Although not required, we encourage anyone who wants a sign to make a small donation of $ 3.00. CCDP headquarters is located at 174 E. Main Street, Batavia, OH, 45103
STAY CONNECTED
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM – VISIT OUR WEBSITE
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Like, share, comment and retweet our posts. Use the hashtags #OHDems #ClermontOHDems
Next issue will be published Tuesday, August 11, 2020. Deadline for submissions for the next issue is Friday, August 7, 2020. Send your submission to: clermontdems@clermontdems.org
Share the newsletter with your friends and encourage them to sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter at clermontdems.org
Clermont County Democratic Party
174 E. Main Street P.O. Box 475
Batavia, OH, 45103
513-732-2378
Paid for by the Clermont County Democratic Party, Judith Miller, Treasurer