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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 209(August 8th, 2021)

The U.S. Supreme Court in the 1947 Emerson v Board of Education Ruled That New Jersey Was Not in Violation of the “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment by Using Tax Funds to Support Transportation of Private Parochial School Students—the Foot-in-the-Door In the Emerson case, the petitioner argued that it [...]

By |2022-08-10T15:26:39-04:00August 10th, 2022|From The Statehouse to The Schoolhouse|Comments Off on From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 209(August 8th, 2021)
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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 207(August 5th, 2021)

Which Institution Has the Greatest Potential for Healing the Nation: Corporate America? State Houses? Congress? Governors? Private Schools? Charter Schools? Non-Tax Supported Private Schools? ECOT? Public Schools Operated by Locally-Elected Boards of Education? The answer to the question posed in the title is obvious. Unless corrupted by nefarious interest groups, boards of [...]

By |2022-08-10T15:25:56-04:00August 10th, 2022|From The Statehouse to The Schoolhouse|Comments Off on From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 207(August 5th, 2021)
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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 206(August 5th, 2021)

“The Wall of Separation”: The Origin of the Phrase; What It Means; The Court’s Evolving Interpretation President Thomas Jefferson received a letter regarding religious freedom from the Danbury Baptist Association in Danbury, Connecticut. The Association was concerned that government might make laws that govern “the kingdom of Christ.” In his response, Jefferson said, [...]

By |2022-08-10T15:25:31-04:00August 10th, 2022|From The Statehouse to The Schoolhouse|Comments Off on From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 206(August 5th, 2021)
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Word From The Chair

  • August 2 Primary Election Ohio is finally done with primary elections in 2022. In Clermont County, only 6.6% of all registered voters turned out for the August 2 primary. Turnout by registered Democrats was 18.4%, by Republicans was 20.4%. Congratulations go to Ben Brady who was elected as Democratic State Central Committee man from the 14th state senate district. The district covers Clermont, Brown, Adams, and Scioto counties. The race was close. Unofficial results show that Ben won by 70 votes out of 3,572 votes cast. Ben’s 531 vote win in Clermont County made the difference. Congratulations also go to Brian Flick who is now the official Democratic candidate for the Ohio House of Representatives from the 62nd District.  This year, the 62nd district covers the cities of Loveland and Milford and the townships of Goshen, Miami, Stonelick, and Union. Voters in that district who want to stop Ohio’s decline must get out and vote for Brian in November. Last, but certainly not least, congratulations to Rich Perry who won nomination as the Democratic candidate for the State House from the 63rd district as a write-in candidate. The 63rd district covers all of Clermont County not in the 62nd district and the western portion of Brown County. This is a very tough district for a Democrat. Democrats in District 63 need to do everything they can for Rich Perry. Voter Registration Democratic and progressive groups regularly hold voter registration drives. The motivation is the belief that there is a pool of eligible voters who are not registered to vote but who will vote for Democratic candidates if we can get them registered. This is true in some places, but the numbers suggest it is not true in Clermont County. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the age 18 and over population of Clermont County is 162,473.  We know that, as of July 11, 2022, the County had 144,366 registered voters. If you do the math, those numbers say that 88.9% of the people eligible to vote in Clermont County are already registered to vote.  The percentage is really a little higher since the Census data is counting all people, not just people eligible to vote. The over age 18 population number undoubtedly includes some people who are not U.S. citizens and are, therefore, not eligible to vote. Ideally, everyone eligible to vote would be registered. However, one hundred percent voter registration is not attainable. There are always some people who do not want their names in a government database or who still believe the myth that registering to vote makes you more likely to be called for jury duty. It is impossible to say how many people live in the County who are eligible to vote and willing to vote, but who are simply not registered. The numbers suggest, however, that it is not a huge group. Still, every vote matters, right? Every vote does matter, but the numbers strongly suggest that, in our county, unfocused voter registration drives are more likely to produce new Republican voters than Democratic voters. There are 35,903 registered Republicans in the County and 12,185 registered Democrats. In other words, registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats almost 3 to 1 in Clermont County. That is consistent with general election voting results in which our candidates usually receive between 30% and 35% of the vote. There is no evidence to support a belief that the proportion of people favoring Republicans is significantly different among the roughly 11% of Clermont Countians not registered to vote. Registering new Republican voters simply does not help us. The County does not have geographic areas we can go to expecting to find a meaningful number of unregistered Democratic voters. None of this is meant to say that we should never try to register new voters. If you are with people whom you perceive are likely Democrats, please ask if they are registered. It doesn’t hurt to have a registration form or two with you in case someone is not registered to vote. GOTV! (Get Out The Vote!) Winning races in Clermont County requires persuading Republican voters to vote for a Democratic candidate. Social science research shows that most people do not vote for a candidate based on her positions on issues or her proposed policies. Most people vote for the person whom they like and trust more. While we can help by telling people in our networks about our candidates, vouching for them if you will; building the requisite trust with voters is primarily up to the candidates. So, what can we as grass-roots Democrats do? In 2022, we can get more people who are already Democrats out to vote. There is a huge falloff in voter turnout between years with a Presidential election and years without. In 2012, a presidential year, Clermont County voter turnout was 73.11% of registered voters. Two years later, when we were only voting for state offices, turnout fell to 38.51%. In presidential year 2016, turnout in the County was back at 73.9%.  In 2018, when we elected a U.S. Senator and a Governor, turnout fell to 57.25%. Moreover, some data suggest that voters who do not turn out in non-presidential years are disproportionately Democrats.  In the presidential year 2012, Sherrod Brown received over 2,000 more votes in Clermont County than when he ran again in the non-presidential year 2018. In 2018, our candidate for Governor, Rich Cordray, received almost 30% of the County’s votes and Sherrod Brown received almost 35%. If we can get 7,200 more people to vote for Nan Whaley and Tim Ryan in 2022, we likely get those percentages to 35% and 40% respectively. No, it isn’t carrying the County, but it is a significant contribution towards statewide wins for both candidates. As Ted Strickland once told me, “In a statewide race, a vote in Clermont County counts the same as a vote in Cuyahoga County.” Nan and Tim will persuade some Republicans to vote for them instead of Mike DeWine and […]

  • The Second Ohio Primary Election The August 2 primary is one week away. Indications are that turnout will be low, but maybe not as low as some of us expected. I’m still hearing recent stories of exceptionally long times between mail being sent and delivered. If you have a mail-in ballot you should think about taking it to the Board of Elections during business hours or dropping it in the drop-box right outside the Board’s office at 22 Riverside Drive Batavia any time up to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Remember, only the voter or a member of her immediate family may legally take a voted ballot to the Board or the drop-box. There is still plenty of time to vote early in-person at the Board of Election office. The office will be open for early voting today (July 26) through Friday (July 29) from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, July 30 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, July 31 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Monday, August 1 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 2, Election Day, you can vote at your polling place between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. If you live in Ohio House of Representatives District 62, the northern part of Clermont County, which includes Loveland, Milford, Owensville, Goshen Township, Miami Township, Stonelick Township, and Union Township. Your Democratic candidate for the Ohio House is Brian Flick. One vote puts Brian on the November ballot to challenge incumbent Jean Schmidt. However, a strong showing in the primary will help Brian’s campaign for November. If Brian is on your ballot, please vote for him. The other Ohio House of Representatives district in Clermont County is District 63 which includes the southern part of Clermont County and all of Brown County.  The Clermont County part of District 63 includes Batavia Township, Batavia Village, Bethel, Chilo, Felicity, Franklin Township, Jackson Township, Monroe Township, Moscow, Neville, New Richmond, Ohio Township, Pierce Township, Tate Township, Washington Township, Wayne Township, Williamsburg Township, and Williamsburg Village. Your Democratic primary ballot in District 63 does not show a candidate for state representative. Instead, there is a space for a write-in. Richard J. Perry, previously our candidate for county commissioner, has qualified as the write-in candidate for his nomination. We are required to get Rich at least 50 votes to get his name on the November general election ballot. If we don’t, right-wing Republican incumbent Adam Bird will be running for re-election unopposed. If you live in District 63, it is vital that you vote in the Democratic primary and that you write-in Richard Perry for state representative.  Those of us who live in District 63 are entitled to a choice for state representative. Please write-in Rich Perry to give us that choice. Why a Second Primary? The reason we are having a second primary is because the Republican dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission repeatedly drew Ohio House and Ohio Senate districts which the Ohio Supreme Court held to be in violation of the Ohio Constitution. Republicans got a federal court in Columbus to rule that primary elections for those offices must go forward using the Republicans’ maps whether or not those maps violate fundamental Ohio law. However, this litigation prevented primary candidates for state house and state senate from being on the May primary ballot. Hence, we are having a second primary election in August to determine candidates for state house and state senate. We’re also electing men and women to the two parties’ state central committees because state central committee members are elected from the state senate districts. Unfortunately we do not have Democratic candidates on the ballot for state senate. A Covid Reminder Just a reminder that Covid is still around and the pandemic has not ended.  I had this fact powerfully brought home to me when I became ill and tested positive for Covid last Saturday evening. I do not have the kind of Covid that puts you in the hospital on a respirator, far from. I have had the Moderna vaccine, both shots and a booster.  Still, my relatively “mild” case of Covid is intensely unpleasant, painful, and disruptive. Check with your health care provider or the CDC for the most recent advice on minimizing your risk of infection.  You don’t want anything to do with this disease. Stay safe.

  • The Second Ohio Primary Election I am regularly surprised by the number of people who do not know that Ohio is having a second primary election in 2022. This second primary happens on August 2 and early voting has already started. There is very little on the ballot in Clermont County in this second primary, but what is on the ballot is very important. The reason we are having a second primary is because the Republican dominated Ohio Redistricting Commission repeated drew Ohio House and Ohio Senate districts which the Ohio Supreme Court held to be in violation of the Ohio Constitution. Republicans got a federal court in Columbus to rule that primary elections for those offices must go forward using the Republicans’ maps whether or not those maps violate fundamental Ohio law. However, this litigation prevented primary candidates for state house and state senate from being on the May primary ballot. Hence, we are having a second primary election in August to determine candidates for state house and state senate. We’re also electing men and women to the two parties’ state central committees because state central committee members are elected from the state senate districts. We do not have state senate candidates on the ballot in Clermont County in 2022.  However, we do have state house candidates. If you live in Loveland, Milford, Owensville, Goshen Township, Miami Township, Stonelick Township, or Union Township, you are in Ohio House District 62. There is one candidate on your Democratic primary ballot for state representative in District 62: Brian Flick. One vote puts Brian on the November ballot to challenge incumbent Jean Schmidt. However, a strong showing in the primary will help Brian’s campaign for November. If you live in District 62, please vote a Democratic ballot in the August 2 primary and vote for Brian Flick. The other state house district covering Clermont County is District 63. The Clermont part of District 63 includes Batavia Township, Batavia Village, Bethel, Chilo, Felicity, Franklin Township, Jackson Township, Monroe Township, Moscow, Neville, New Richmond, Ohio Township, Pierce Township, Tate Township, Washington Township, Wayne Township, Williamsburg Township, and Williamsburg Village. Your Democratic primary ballot in District 63 does not show a candidate for state representative.  Instead, there is a space for a write-in. Richard J. Perry, previously our candidate for county commissioner, has qualified as the write-in candidate for his nomination. We are required to get Rich at least 50 votes to get his name on the November general election ballot. If we don’t, right-wing Republican incumbent Adam Bird will be running for re-election unopposed. If you live in District 63, it is vital that you vote in the Democratic primary and that you write-in Rich Perry for state representative. Those of us who live in District 63 are entitled to a choice for state representative.  Please write-in Rich Perry to give us that choice. Stay safe.

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  • WHAT’S INSIDE Volunteers Still Needed For The County Fair What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke Overview of The August 2nd Primary Early Voting Hours For August 2nd Primary Meet Your 2022 Democratic Candidates On The November Ballot Two Important Trifectas In The General Election Action Needed Ohio Democratic Party Press Release Join The Donkey Club Stand With Ukraine Reading Room COVID19 In Ohio Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Club Directory Next Issue Publication Dates VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED FOR THE county FAIR The Clermont County Fair is in progress all week and we still need volunteers to staff the Clermont County Democratic Party’s air-conditioned fair building. If you can spare two hours to meet and greet people seeking information about the party and upcoming elections please consider volunteering. Volunteering in our air-conditioned building includes a fair ticket and parking. For more information contact Katherine Lent at lentkatherine@gmail.com SIGN UP FOR THE FAIR HERE!   WHAT’S NEW FROM CLERMONT TO COLUMBUS AND BEYOND CLICK ON THE HEADLINE TO ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE ANALYSIS: HOW THE GOP TURNED OHIO’S REDISTRICTING PROCESS UPSIDE DOWN Twice, in 2015 and 2018, Ohio voters went to the polls and overwhelmingly supported constitutional amendments dealing with the process for drawing state legislative and congressional district lines — amendments that were aimed at taking at least some of the partisan politics out of the process. So far, it’s been a massive failure. Republicans — who have a vise-like grip on the reins of both the Ohio General Assembly and the seven-member Ohio Redistricting Commission — have made sure of that. READ MORE THE ELECTORAL COUNT REFORM ACT UNPACKED Last week, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) released S. 4573, or the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, their long-awaited proposal to reform the Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA), an antiquated law that governs how Congress counts the Electoral College votes for president every four years. Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election revealed several weaknesses in the law that could be exploited by a disgruntled and defiant presidential candidate. READ MORE CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALREADY COSTING CITIES Ohio’s cash-strapped cities and towns are going to need to find billions more a year to keep pace as challenges from climate change intensify over the coming decades, according to a new analysis. READ MORE WORD FROM THE CHAIR – RAYMOND LEMBKE The August 2 primary is one week away. Indications are that turnout will be low, but maybe not as low as some of us expected. I’m still hearing recent stories of exceptionally long times between mail being sent and delivered. If you have a mail-in ballot you should think about taking it to the Board of Elections during business hours or dropping it in the drop-box right outside the Board’s office at 22 Riverside Drive Batavia any time up to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Remember, only the voter or a member of her immediate family may legally take a voted ballot to the Board or the drop-box. READ MORE   OVERVIEW OF THE AUGUST 2ND PRIMARY Be sure to vote in the August 2 primary. We must work to get more Democrats elected at the state level in the Ohio General Assembly. Brian Flick is our Democratic candidate for Ohio House General Assembly in District 62 (northern Clermont County). Richard J. Perry is a write-in candidate for Ohio House General Assembly in District 63 (southern Clermont County). We especially need voters in District 63 to vote in this primary and write in Richard J. Perry so we have a Democratic choice in this district. Also on the ballot Aug. 2 will be candidates for the “State Central Committee.” Both the Democratic and Republican parties in Ohio are run by an elected body called the State Central Committee. They are the board of directors for the two parties in Ohio. One man and one woman is elected from each state senate district for the Democratic State Central Committee. On the ballot for the Democratic State Central Committee in the 14th district for the man is Randy E. Basham and Ben Brady. You can only vote for one. Below is more information on Mr. Basham and Mr. Brady. On the ballot for woman, unopposed, is Melissa Cropper. Randy E. Basham Ben Brady As a former County Party Chairman who also served on the Scioto County Board of Elections for 15 years, I have come to know how our State Party works and the people at the state level. I have been employed by the Steel Workers Union serving as an International Representative working across Southern Ohio and have been working in Batavia as of late. I know this District “like the back of my hand” and I know how Southern Ohio has sometimes been ignored. If elected, I guarantee you our Voices will be heard in Columbus! I am running for the Ohio Democratic Party State Central Committee because I have heard from too many of my family, friends and coworkers who feel the party has left them out, especially in the rural areas between cities. I want to be the voice for our rural constituents in the Democratic Party to have our voices heard on the party platform, on the endorsed candidates and to push for the party to recognize that we have just as many great rural candidates that needs the state party backing and funding as the candidates who have bravely stepped up to represent us. Background: Life long resident of District 14. Employed by the Steel Workers Union serving as an International Union Representative for over 25 years. Former Democratic Party Chairman of Scioto County. Former Democratic member on the Scioto County Board of Election. Randy will be at the Democratic Booth at the Clermont County Fair on Wednesday of this week to meet those of you who are there. Background: […]

  • WHAT’S INSIDE Action Needed Overview of the August 2nd Primary Meet Your 2022 Democratic Candidates Ohio Democratic Party What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Word From The Chair Join The Donkey Club Stand With Ukraine Reading Room COVID19 In Ohio Democratic Club Updates Clermont County Democratic Club Directory Next Issue Publication Dates ACTION NEEDED “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 Below are three organizations where you can find critical actions to take to get involved. TURN OHIO BLUE Go to https://ohiodems.org/2022democraticcandidates/ for a list all the Ohio statewide Democratic candidates and links to their social media platforms. First follow all of these candidates. Then like, comment, share, retweet. Pick a candidate or two and volunteer and/or donate to their campaigns. Learn about the candidates then share with your friends. Encourage them to vote! BE A TROUBLEMAKER Red, Wine and Blue is sponsoring the Great Troublemaker Turnout Virtual Training Wednesday, July 13, 2022 7:30pm – 8:00pm ET Are you ready to join a team of thousands of women who are turning out their friends and family to vote? Then it is time to become part of the Great Troublemaker Turnout! Talking to people in your networks about issues and elections is called relational organizing – and data has proven that it is the MOST effective thing you can do to turn out voters in 2022! RWB will provide you with all the training, tools and resources you need in this 30 minute training session. Bonus – you can join our communication hub and meet other women around the country who are part of this badass team. Let’s share best practices, exchange ideas on talking to friends and celebrate successes. You will have all the support you need and more! Sign Up Here THE STATES PROJECT State legislatures drive every issue that impacts your daily life. If we want to move our country past the tyranny of a radical, self-interested minority, the work begins in the states. Everyone has a role to play in securing the future of our country. Whether you start or join a Giving Circle or donate to candidates via Give Smart, The States Project’s programs are designed to convert your interest in doing something into an enduring and effective impact on our democracy. Join us at the foundations of our democracy to elect state lawmakers who will have the governing power to improve millions of lives. LEARN MORE OVERVIEW OF THE AUGUST 2ND PRIMARY Be sure to vote in the August 2 primary. We must work to get more Democrats elected at the state level in the Ohio General Assembly. Brian Flick is our Democratic candidate for Ohio General Assembly in District 62 (northern Clermont County). Richard J. Perry is a write-in candidate for Ohio General Assembly in District 63 (southern Clermont County). We especially need voters in District 63 to vote in this primary and write in Richard J. Perry so we have a Democratic choice in this district. Also on the ballot Aug. 2 will be candidates for the “State Central Committee.” Both the Democratic and Republican parties in Ohio are run by an elected body called the State Central Committee. They are the board of directors for the two parties in Ohio. One man and one woman is elected from each state senate district for the Democratic State Central Committee. On the ballot for the Democratic State Central Committee in the 14th district for the man is Randy E. Basham and Ben Brady. On the ballot for woman is Melissa Cropper. Early Voting Hours for the August 2nd primary July 11 – 15 (Mon – Fri) 8:00 – 5:00pm July 18 – 22 (Mon – Fri) 8:00am – 5:00pm July 25 – 29 (Mon – Fri) 8:00am – 7:00pm July 30 (Saturday) (Mon – Fri) 8:00am – 4:00pm July 31 (Sunday) 1:00pm – 5:00pm August 1 (Monday) 8:00am – 2:00pm   MEET YOUR 2022 OHIO DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES CANDIDATE OFFICE SOUGHT WEBSITE LINK Tim Ryan U.S. Senate timforoh Samantha Meadows U.S. Congress District 2 samanthameadowsforcongress Nan Whaley Ohio Governor nanwhaley Chelsea Clark Ohio Secretary of State chelseaforohio Taylor Sappington Ohio Auditor sappingtonforohio Jeffrey Crossman Ohio Attorney General crossmanforohio Scott Schertzer Ohio Treasurer scottschertzerforohio Jennifer Brunner Chief Justice Ohio Supreme Court justicebrunner Marilyn Zayas Assoc. Justice Ohio Supreme Court judgemarilynzayas Terri Jamison Assoc. Justice Ohio Supreme Court votejudgejamison Pick a candidate and donate and/or volunteer for their campaign. We need all hands on deck. TWO IMPORTANT TRIFECTAS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION The November 8 general election may be the most important election in our lives if we do not want to see our democracy die. Of course we want you to vote D all down the ticket, but we have two super important trifectas we really need to promote. TRIFECTA ONE: We have three Ohio Supreme Court candidates. Justice Jennifer Brunner is running for Chief Justice and we need to add Marilyn Zayas and Terri Jamison to the Ohio Supreme Court as well. Remember their names and be sure to urge your Democratic friends to vote for them in November. TRIFECTA TWO: After experiencing the recent redistricting nightmare brought to us by the Republicans on the Ohio Redistricting Committee it is imperative that we replace three key statewide offices with Democrats. These are the positions who will serve on the next Redistricting Committee: elect Nan Whaley as Governor of Ohio, Chelsea Clarke as Secretary of State, and Taylor Sappington as State Auditor. We urge you to check your voter registration and plan your vote for November 8, 2022. The deadline to register for the November 8th general election is October 11, 2022. You can check your registration here. DEMOCRATS MAKE DEWINE KEEP ALL HB6 INFO IN FIRST ENERGY SCANDAL Columbus, OH — In case you missed it, Ohio Democrats expanded a lawsuit against Mike DeWine and his office […]

  • WHAT’S INSIDE President Biden Statement on Roe v Wade CCDP Statement on Ohio HB99 Arming Teachers Meet Your 2022 Democratic Candidates Ohio Democratic Party What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Word From The Chair Join The Donkey Club Stand With Ukraine Reading Room COVID19 In Ohio Democratic Club Updates Clermont County Democratic Club Directory Next Issue Publication Dates Editor’s Note: This issue contains a lot of important information. Although it will require an exceptional amount of reading we feel it is important to keep you informed during these chaotic times. Read a little. Digest the information. Bookmark the newsletter, then go back and read a little more. But most importantly commit to taking at least one action. Our future depends on your action. “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 June 24, 2022 President Biden’s Statement on the Overturn of Roe v Wade Today, the Supreme Court expressly took away a constitutional right from the American people. They didn’t limit it, they simply took it away. It’s a sad day for the court and for the country. Fifty years ago, Roe v. Wade was decided, and it has been the law of the land since then. This landmark case had protected women’s right to choose. It reaffirmed basic principles of equality. And it reinforced a fundamental right of privacy, the right of each of us to choose how to live our lives. Now, with Roe gone, the health and lives of women in this nation are at risk. Let me be very clear and unambiguous. The only way we can secure the right to choose is for Congress to restore Roe v. Wade as federal law. No executive action from the president can do that. If Congress, as it appears, lacks the votes to do that now, voters need to make their voices heard this fall. This November, we must elect more senators and representatives who will fight back. We need to elect more state leaders to protect this right at the local level. We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land. This decision must not be the final word. We will use all appropriate, lawful powers, but Congress must act. With your vote, you can act. You can have the final word. This is not over. Thank you for your support, Joe Joseph R. Biden Jr. President of the United States ACTION NEEDED Go to https://ohiodems.org/2022democraticcandidates/ for a list all the Ohio statewide candidates and how to follow them on social media. Like, comment and repost. Pick a candidate or two and volunteer and/or donate to their campaigns. CLERMONT COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY STATEMENT ON OHIO HB99 – ARMING TEACHERS The Clermont County Democratic Party opposes HB 99, the law that gives local school districts the option to allow teachers and staff to carry weapons on school property with minimal training. Accordingly, we strongly discourage its implementation by Clermont County’s local school boards of education. BACKGROUND HB 99 was passed weeks after the mass shooting in a Uvalde, Texas grade school. Both the Ohio House and Senate passed the bill rapidly and on mostly party-line votes. Governor DeWine signed HB 99 on June 13, 2022, the same day the permitless concealed carry law went into effect. REASONING HB 99 is an unfunded mandate on our local school districts. The law creates more bureaucracy by creating a new Ohio School Safety and Crisis Center and Ohio Mobile Training Team. The only appropriation budgeted is for this training team. For the school districts that choose to implement HB 99, there are substantial costs, including training costs, possible incentive pay, and higher insurance costs to manage the increased legal liability. These dollars would be better invested in furthering the schools’ existing safety plans. HB 99 is not what most Ohioans want. We are persuaded by some of HB 99’s most direct stakeholders, who oppose the new law: ● The Ohio Federation of Teachers ● The Ohio Education Association ● The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio ● The American Federation of Teachers ● The National Education Association ● The National Association of School Resource Officers In addition, other organizations – including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – have gone on record with their opposition to increasing the number of guns in our homes and communities. HB 99 makes schools less safe. This law does not represent “common sense” or “protective” gun safety legislation. It reduces training hours initially required to carry a gun from 728 to 24, with only 8 hours of training annually. Minimal training combined with the high stress of an active-shooter situation will mean fatal accidents. Solving the problem of gun violence requires a community solution; arming educators is not that solution. The safety of our students and teachers is better served by the experts: our city, county, and state safety and law enforcement experts. ACTION NEEDED Clermont County School Board Contact Info. Click on the name of your school district and it will take you to their contact page. Please take a moment and contact your local school board members and tell them you oppose arming teachers. Batavia Board of Education Bethel-Tate Board of Education CNE Board of Education Felicity-Franklin Board of Education Goshen Board of Education Milford Board of Education New Richmond Board of Education West Clermont Board of Education Williamsburg Board of Education If you are not sure what to say, here are a few ideas to get you started: The Ohio Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Education Association are opposed to arming school staff. The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio are opposed to arming school staff. This bill reduced the training requirement by 97% (from 728 hours of training to no more than 24 hours). Guns in school would increase the risk […]

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