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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 321(March 9th, 2023)

The original rationale for vouchers—“rescue some students from ‘low performing school districts’” indicated indifference and dispassion for those students that would be left behind. In the beginning of voucher advocacy, if voucher advocates had been seriously interested in improving education opportunities for children, they would have lobbied for resources to [...]

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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 320(March 9th, 2023)

House and Senate leadership agree that the universal voucher scheme is a priority. So what next? Vouchers for all takers will fall like manna from heaven very soon. Taxes are on the chopping block as well. Will funds be available for the constitutionally-required common school system? The challenge to the EdChoice voucher scheme [...]

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From The Statehouse to the Schoolhouse, Volume 319(March 6th, 2023)

The original rationale for vouchers—“rescue some students from ‘low performing school districts’” indicated indifference and dispassion for those students that would be left behind. In the beginning of voucher advocacy, if voucher advocates had been seriously interested in improving education opportunities for children, they would have lobbied for resources to [...]

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Word From The Chair

  • Reproductive Rights Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dodd decision last summer overruling Roe v. Wade our gerrymandered state legislature has passed legislation intended to make it impossible for a woman to obtain an abortion in Ohio for any reason. When asked why abortions are being banned even for rape victims, one of our Clermont County legislators said publicly that a woman who becomes pregnant from a rape has been given an “opportunity.” There are groups working to put an issue on the ballot to amend our Ohio Constitution to give women a state constitutional right to obtain an abortion in some circumstances if the woman chooses to do so. This effort has now passed a critical second step. The Ohio Attorney General has approved the language that these groups want to put on the ballot for voters to read. In Ohio, the actual language of the proposed constitutional amendment does not go on the ballot. Instead, a summary is placed on the ballot for voters to read. You may read both the proposed summary and the text of the proposed amendment as a PDF download. The following link will provide a PDF download of the summary titled The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety. Here is the link to download the PDF. Adding this proposed amendment to our state constitution is important to protect the rights of Ohio women. The next step is the proposed amendment goes to the State Ballot Board. This Board determines whether the proposed amendment may go on the ballot as a single issue or must be broken into multiple ballot issues. That decision matters greatly because it could double or triple the number of petition signatures needed to put the question of protecting women’s bodily autonomy on the ballot for Ohioans. Assuming that the Ballot Board approves the proposed constitutional amendment as a single ballot issue, petition signatures must then be collected to get the issue on the ballot, a lot of signatures. The minimum requirement is signatures from a number of registered Ohio voters equal to 10% of the vote cast in last year’s gubernatorial election, or 413,488 valid signatures statewide.  Of course, not every petition signature will be valid.  A rough rule of thumb is that, to get an issue or candidate on the ballot, you want to submit about twice as many petition signatures as are required.  In other words, for this issue, almost 827,000 signatures. The statewide signature requirement is not the only hurdle to getting the Reproductive Rights amendment on the ballot.  Ohio law also requires that those 400,000+ signatures include valid signatures from at least 44 counties in numbers equal to five percent of the vote cast in that county for governor in 2022.  In Clermont County, this minimum number of signatures is 4,022.  Again, using the rule of thumb, 8,044 signatures from registered Clermont County voters should be gathered to be reasonably confident of meeting the five percent county requirement.  As of last November, Clermont County had 145,532 registered voters.  So, only six percent of Clermont County registered voters need to sign the petitions.  Easy, right? There is another hurdle.  As we know, the Republicans in Columbus want to make it virtually impossible for citizens to amend the Ohio Constitution.  A constitutional amendment intended to end citizen initiated constitutional amendments has been proposed and may be on the November ballot.  That creates pressure to get the Reproductive Rights amendment on the ballot this November so it is not subject to the new rules intended to prevent such amendments from ever reaching the ballot.  What’s the issue?  November is eight months away.  Not really.  In order for the Reproductive Rights amendment to go on the November ballot, petitions with at least the minimum numbers of valid signatures must be submitted to the Ohio Secretary of State by July 5, 2023.  The gathering of petition signatures cannot begin until the Ballot Board acts.  Assuming the Ballot Board approves the Reproductive Rights amendment as a single ballot issue by mid-March, that will allow only about three and a half months to collect the hundreds of thousands of needed signatures. Polls have shown that a strong majority of Ohioans support a woman’s right to choose as that right was recognized in Roe v. Wade.  Eliminating that right is, however, a top priority for the Republicans who run our state.  Therefore, a state constitutional amendment is the only way to protect this right which most Ohioans support.  There will not be much time, but the needed signatures must be gathered to get this issue on the ballot.  The Ohio and Clermont County Democratic Parties will be involved in this effort.  Watch this newsletter and our website, https://clermontdems.org, for information on how you can help.  You can also find information on the website of the coalition that is leading the effort to get reproductive rights on the ballot, protectchoiceohio.com.  Ohio needs your help to get this done. Learn how to circulate petitions and help Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom effort to get this Constitutional amendment on the ballot to #ProtectChoiceOhio SIGN UP FOR TRAINING HERE What? I typically pay no attention to the CPAC convention which occurs every winter.  CPAC is a far-right political action committee that is quite influential on the Republican Party.  Even our own Secretary of State, Frank LaRose, spoke at the CPAC convention.  Presumably, he again tried to walk the tightrope of saying he is doing an outstanding job as Ohio’s chief elections officer while also feeding the myth that we suffer from massive vote fraud. What caught my attention about the CPAC convention which just ended was a clip I heard from donald trump’s speech.[1]  Of course, it is not surprising that trump spoke at CPAC.  However, the segment of his speech which made the news program I heard was his declaration that, when he is re-elected President in 2024, he will get “revenge” against those who oppose him.  […]

  • The Big Picture It is useful on occasion to step back from the practical concerns of recruiting, trying to elect candidates and the latest Republican outrages. Instead think about why we are Democrats and what we ultimately seek to achieve. A very helpful tool for framing those questions is a 137 page book by J.M. Purvis, Democrats 101: A Primer for Us  Mr. Purvis’s basic premise is that “[c]ore beliefs, . . . define us as Democrats.” What we should be focused on, in Mr. Purvis’s view goes beyond elections and specific policies.  “This is about the way the American people perceive us as a party, their gut sense of who we are.” Mr. Purvis identifies the central principle of Republican conservatism, which he traces back to Barry Goldwater’s book The Conscience of a Conservative, as the “wealthy class” are “responsible for the greatness of America and that maintaining absolute freedom for them and their businesses [is] essential to the country’s continued greatness.” Mr. Purvis also argues that, starting with Nixon’s 1968 “Southern Strategy,” Republicans made a “fundamental realization: fear beats ideas. Fear beats everything, a raw emotion that appeals across traditional political groups.” Since that realization, Republicans have relied upon “a message of pure negative emotion.” We can see ample evidence to validate Mr. Purvis’s conclusions in Ohio and in Clermont County. While Democrats do well in our diverse urban counties, we lose massively in the homogeneous parts of the State, like Clermont County. We wonder why a majority of Clermont Countians vote against their self-interest and for Republicans who work to channel wealth away from average Ohioans into the hands of those who are already wealthy. The answer is fear. Many Ohioans have been conditioned to believe that people who look different than them aim to take what little they still have, and that Democrats aim to help them. That is why it makes perverse sense for Republican County Commissioner Claire Corcoran to post signs urging people to “Stop The Madness” by voting Republican even though Republicans have controlled our county and our state for decades. To Republicans the “Madness” to which Commissioner Corcoran refers is not the private sector’s devotion to profit over the environment and human safety, exemplified by the recent train derailment which released huge quantities of toxins in East Palestine, Ohio. The “Madness” is not the mass shootings which are reported on an almost daily basis in places ranging from Michigan State University to a lunar New Year dance in California to Dayton, Ohio. The “Madness” is not state government leaders secretly taking money in return for passing laws that force every Ohioan to pay to support a mismanaged private utility company (a subsidy which, among other things, made the Zimmer plant in Moscow uncompetitive). To Republicans the “Madness” is far worse. The “Madness” is “those people”, people who don’t look like you, who don’t sound like you, people who love differently than you do. We don’t know what those people will do if they gain power, but we know those people are different than us so whatever they do won’t be good for us. Who wants to give “those people” power at least equivalent to ours? Democrats. Mr. Purvis argues that Democrats’ core values, if presented accurately, have an emotional appeal that outweighs Republican fearmongering. His argument is that “[e]lections are all about the emotional perception of who we are” and that Democrats have failed to present our values in ways which reach voters on an emotional level. His book proposes a “Democratic Creed.” He summarizes the Creed as making “Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity as reality for all.“ He does not insist that his formulation of our Creed is necessarily correct but expressly labels it “a work in progress.”  There may be better ways to express our Creed.  However, I think Mr. Purvis’s basic point correct: we must constantly present our Democratic values in a way which has emotional and not just intellectual appeal. Mr. Purvis’s book is published in a small, pocket size and is only 137 pages of text.  It is highly readable.  You may not agree with everything Mr. Purvis says.  However, our values are under a more concerted, and effective, attack now than at any time in my lifetime.  Reading Mr. Purvis’s book is a good way to focus on our Democratic values and how we should go about making those values reality.  J.M. Purvis, Democrats 101: A Primer for Us, (Plainwords Press, 2021). Stay safe.

  • Gerrymandering Our Courts Gerrymandering, drawing districts to contain a majority of voters who reliably vote for one party and concentrating voters who tend to vote for the other party into just a few districts, has served Ohio Republicans very well. While donald trump[1] won 54% of the vote in Ohio in 2020, Republicans hold 79% of the seats in the Ohio Senate, 67% of the seats in the Ohio House, and 67% of Ohio’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gerrymandering has been such a successful force multiplier for Republicans that they are planning to extend it to another branch of government. In Ohio, we have three basic levels of courts. The first level, where cases are filed and tried, consists of the Common Pleas Courts, one per county, which has several divisions: general, probate, juvenile, and domestic relations. Some Ohio counties also have municipal or county courts which may cover all or only a part of a county and in which only certain types of cases may be filed. The second level of Ohio courts are the courts of appeals. When a party believes that a first level court made legal errors in their case, that party has a right to have their case reviewed by a court of appeals.  Ohio has twelve courts of appeals which hear appeals from first level courts in the counties in their district. The geographic sizes of the Court of Appeals districts are not equal. For example, the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals hears cases from seventeen counties in western Ohio. Clermont County is in the Twelfth District along with seven other counties. The Courts of Appeals covering Ohio’s three largest counties each have a district consisting of only one county:  the Eighth District covers only Cuyahoga County (Cleveland), the Tenth District covers only Franklin County (Columbus), and the First District covers only Hamilton County. At the top of the Ohio judicial system is the Ohio Supreme Court. The Supreme Court may hear cases from anywhere in Ohio. There are a few types of cases which may be filed initially in the Supreme Court, but most of its work is on appeals from decisions in lower courts. With a few exceptions, no one has a right to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court. Rather, litigants file petitions asking the Supreme Court to hear their appeals. The Supreme Court may grant a petition and hear the appeal. Much more often, the Supreme Court refuses to hear these appeals. The last numbers I saw showed that the Ohio Supreme Court took only about four percent of the cases which parties asked the Court to decide. Since the Ohio Supreme Court decides very few of the cases brought to it, the Ohio courts of appeals are the courts of last resort for most cases. That also means that a substantial part of Ohio law is decided by the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals judges, like all judges in Ohio, are elected. The Court of Appeals judges are elected by the voters in the county or counties in that appellate court district. When I started practicing law in Ohio in the 1980s, all six of the judges on the First District Court of Appeals, covering Hamilton County, were Republicans. In recent years Hamilton County has gone from solid red to blue. Most elected county officials are now Democrats. A majority of the judges on the First District Court of Appeals are now Democrats. Interestingly, and unlike their Republican predecessors, none of the Democrats now on the First District Court of Appeals had held a public office before they were elected to the Court. These judges are career lawyers, not career politicians. Republicans are unhappy with the composition of the First District Court of Appeals. They have been unable to get their candidates, running only in Hamilton County, elected to the Court in recent years.  Since they can’t win in Hamilton County any more, Republicans in the General Assembly have announced publicly that they are considering another solution: gerrymander the Court. Under Article IV, Section Three of the Ohio Constitution, the General Assembly has the power to draw the court of appeals districts. Republican leaders in the General Assembly have announced their intention to redraw the district for the First District Court of Appeals. Republicans have stated that they intend to move our County and Brown County out of the Twelfth District Court of Appeals and put those two counties into the First District Court of Appeals. While Democrats win in Hamilton County, Republicans win by large margins in Clermont and Brown Counties. That fact is, of course, the motivation for moving Clermont and Brown Counties into the First District. The counties which would be left in the Twelfth District (Butler, Warren, Preble, Clinton, Fayette, and Madison) also vote reliably Republican. Thus, realigning the court of appeals districts in this fashion would give Republicans the real possibility of regaining control of the First District Court of Appeals without losing the Twelfth District. But, judges are supposed to be politically neutral, right? Democrat or Republican, judges are supposed to apply the law fairly and equally to everyone who comes before their court, right? That was why, for decades, judicial candidates in Ohio did not have a D or R after their names on the ballot, right? Not anymore. The Republicans in Columbus changed the law in 2022 so that candidates for Ohio Supreme Court and the Ohio courts of appeals now do have party identification after their names on the ballot. People running for judge in Ohio must now explicitly declare themselves as a Democrat or Republican. We are being told, explicitly, that our courts and judges are supposed to be partisan. Redrawing the First District Court of Appeals with the intention of making it much easier for partisan Republicans to be elected judges is another measure intended to preserve one party rule in Ohio. It also makes very little sense. The First District […]

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  • The morning newsletter of the Ohio Capital Journal by David DeWitt | Editor Good morning Ohio! Emails and texts between Republican state Rep. Brian Stewart and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose shed light on the behind-the-scenes maneuvering to advance a resolution to make it harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. The Ohio Ballot Board verified Monday that a proposed amendment for the November ballot to cement abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution can now move forward to the full signature-gathering stage. After convicting Larry Householder and Matt Borges of felony racketeering, U.S. Attorney Ken Parker wouldn’t answer when asked about future indictments, but Case Western Reserve University criminal law professor Michael Benza thinks it is very likely. Experts say Ohio’s House Bill 6 criminal corruption case and convictions are notable for what it all has revealed about the systemic nature of political corruption in Ohio. COMMENTARY Ohio Republicans are so eager to protect the rights of firearms over the lives of Ohioans that they’re promoting legislation to preemptively prohibit commonsense gun regulations to stop the ongoing epidemic of gun violence, writes columnist Marilou Johanek. Read more SPECIAL ANALYSIS The Ohio Capital Journal this week is running a series of three pieces from former PUCO Commissioner Ashley C. Brown analyzing the failures and deficiencies in Ohio’s utility regulation and anti-corruption guardrails. “Perhaps the most notable — but least commented on — aspect of the House Bill 6 bribery scandal is the almost complete absence of any meaningful state guardrails against corruption,” Brown writes in his first piece. Read more OJC NEWS The Ohio Capital Journal has a new reporter starting this week! Megan Henry has spent the last five years reporting on various topics including education, health care, business, and crime at The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA Today Network. She is a graduate of Ohio University and grew up near Toledo. Follow her on Twitter for breaking news updates, and email her at mhenry@ohiocapitaljournal.com with any tips or story ideas. How the bid to make it harder to amend Ohio’s constitution fell apart In an exchange three days before announcing their proposal to raise the threshold for voters to pass Ohio Constitutional amendments, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose texted Brian Stewart about support from the leader of the Center for Christian Virtue. By Nick Evans | Read more Ohio Ballot Board moves abortion amendment initiative forward By Susan Tebben More indictments ‘likely’ in Householder bribery scandal, legal expert says By Morgan Trau, WEWS What the guilty verdicts in Ohio’s corruption case mean for energy policy and good government By Kathiann M. Kowalski, Energy News Network COMMENTARY Ohio Republican gun law proposal is unconstitutional, performative, and needlessly dangerous By Marilou Johanek SPECIAL ANALYSIS Analysis: Where are Ohio’s guardrails against corruption? By Ashley C. Brown, former PUCO commissioner NATIONAL NEWS President Joe Biden reassured Americans early Monday that their money is safe in U.S. banks, after a tumultuous weekend following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and a move by regulators to shut down a second lender. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Iowa Republicans Friday that standing strong in the culture wars around issues like education, criminal justice, and health care in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic will help their party win elections. Biden says U.S. bank deposits are safe despite tumult over California bank collapse By Ashley Murray DeSantis, in Iowa, says GOP stance in culture wars will help win elections By Robin Opsahl Catching our eye: FirstEnergy CEO. Cleveland.com’s Jake Zuckerman is reporting, “Ousted FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones again asserts his innocence, after Householder guilty verdict.” One day after a jury convicted ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder of taking a bribe, the former CEO accused of orchestrating it denied wrongdoing. Charles “Chuck” Jones, former CEO of FirstEnergy Corp., denied breaking either the law or company policy in a statement Friday. This comes after prosecutors presented evidence over the course of a seven-week trial accusing Householder of heading up a racketeering conspiracy fueled on bribe money from FirstEnergy that Jones directed. Jones has not been charged with any crime. In a statement, Jones’ attorney, Carole Rendon, said if he were ever called upon to defend himself, he would demonstrate he didn’t do anything wrong. “Mr. Jones did not make or authorize any payment of any money to any public official in exchange for any official act,” she said. “He did not engage in any unlawful activity or violate any of FirstEnergy’s policies. Mr. Jones is not aware of any other FirstEnergy employee engaging in unlawful activities in their dealings with government officials.” · Mental health. The Statehouse News Bureau’s Erin Gottsacker is reporting, “In Ohio health care deserts, schools step up.” In parts of rural Ohio where the closest doctor is hours away, telehealth can be a godsend for accessibility. But there’s a problem. “We are in these dead zones in terms of broadband,” says Dr. Mike Fuller, the director of school psychological services for the Muskingum Valley Educational Service Center. “People go to McDonald’s to get on WiFi.” While high speed internet is commonplace in Ohio’s major cities, nearly a million Ohioans in rural parts of the state are still without broadband access. “Particularly in the Appalachian counties, the topography is very hard for wireless technologies to connect,” says Lt. Gov. Jon Husted. Because of this, private internet providers have little incentive to invest in rural communities. That’s where the state comes in. It’s partnering with telehealth administrator OCHIN to bring health care access to kids right where they’re at – local schools. THAT’S ALL FOR NOW, FOLKS. Mahalo!

  • WHAT’S INSIDE Join The Donkey Club Today Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond Volunteer To Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio Free Online Training Reading Room Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Party Committee Meetings Next Issue Publication Dates Join The Donkey Club Today It’s that time of year! We need your support. The Clermont County Democratic Party relies solely on donations from our friends to operate. Our Donkey Club is our major source of funding and we hope you will become a member today. Member benefits below. A headquarters located centrally in the county in Batavia A bi-monthly e-newsletter A robust Internet presence on our Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Support for our Democratic candidates Click the Donate button below and make your donation securely online through ActBlue or mail a check. Make Checks payable to: Clermont County Democratic Party (CCDP), PO Box 475, Batavia, OH 45103 Thank you for your support! Raymond W. Lembke, Party Chairman Clermont County Democratic Party WORD FROM THE CHAIR- Raymond Lembke Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dodd decision last summer overruling Roe v. Wade our gerrymandered state legislature has passed legislation intended to make it impossible for a woman to obtain an abortion in Ohio for any reason. When asked why abortions are being banned even for rape victims, one of our Clermont County legislators said publicly that a woman who becomes pregnant from a rape has been given an “opportunity.” There are groups working to put an issue on the ballot to amend our Ohio Constitution to give women a state constitutional right to obtain an abortion in some circumstances if the woman chooses to do so. This effort has now passed a critical second step. The Ohio Attorney General has approved the language that these groups want to put on the ballot for voters to read. CONTINUE READING What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Click on the headline to access the full article In Selma, Biden says right to vote remains under assault The visit to Selma was a chance for Biden to speak directly to the current generation of civil rights activists. Many feel let down because of the lack of progress on voting rights and they are eager to see his administration keep the issue in the spotlight. CONTINUE READING Analysis: Love it or loathe it, you need to get familiar with Ohio’s new voter ID law now Up until January House Bill 458 — a set of sweeping changes to the way Ohio conducts its elections — was a subject of intense debate in Ohio political circles. Now that Gov. Mike DeWine has signed it, it is still being debated, but it is now the law of the land. CONTINUE READING Ohio abortion rights amendment takes next step after petition language certified The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has certified petition summary language for a proposed amendment to protect abortion rights in the state constitution, which organizers hope to place on the November ballot. The Ohio Ballot Board will now determine whether or not the initiative only involves changing only one amendment, as required. If approved by the Ballot Board, it gets sent back to the Attorney General, who turns it in to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, at which point full signature-gathering can begin. CONTINUE READING Volunteer To Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio Learn how to circulate petitions and help Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom effort to get a Constitutional amendment on the ballot to #ProtectChoiceOhio SIGN UP FOR TRAINING HERE ACLU of Ohio Abortion Defenders Campaign Launch Online Large Meeting Monday, March 13, 2023 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET The time is NOW to protect Abortion access in Ohio. The ACLU of Ohio, along with a multitude of organizations, is working to put abortion on the ballot this year through a citizen initiated effort. REGISTER HERE What We’re Fighting For: The Legal Landscape of Abortion in Ohio Tuesday, March 14, 2023 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET Virtual Finding it hard to keep up with the ever-changing state of abortion access in Ohio? Want to know more about the effort to enshrine reproductive rights into the Ohio Constitution? Join Red Wine & Blue Team Ohio for a virtual event featuring Jessie Hill, the lead attorney with ACLU Ohio, which successfully won the injunction on the 6-week abortion ban that went into place immediately after Roe v Wade was overturned. SIGN UP HERE Editors Note: There is a statewide coalition of groups to protect reproductive freedom in Ohio. Each group named above is a link to their website with opportunities to volunteer in this important effort. Please take time to explore their sites and consider how you can help. Free Online Training Troublemaker Training: Comms 101 w/ Jess McIntosh Wednesday, March 8, 2023 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET Virtual In order to defeat extremism in our communities, we need to be able to effectively talk to our friends about the issues. Want a little help having effective and persuasive conversations? We got you! Join us to hear from Jess McIntosh, a communication strategist, CNN commentator and former host of Signal Boost. She can help you with tips and advice on what to say (and what not to say) and how to connect with others. SIGN UP HERE   Learn (on Zoom) to Register OH Democrats (In Person)! Tuesday, March 21 5 – 6pm EDT Location Virtual event Join from anywhere Hosted in Columbus, OH 43016 Want to do something concrete to fight voter suppression?Learn to register Democrats, the Field Team 6 way! It’s the #1 most direct, effective way to swing elections – and it’s also incredibly fun. LEARN MORE Civics 101- The basics they no longer teach in school Time Tuesdays (multiple dates available) April 11, 2023 8 – 9pm EST Location Virtual event Join from anywhere We cover topics from how a bill becomes a […]

  • WHAT’S INSIDE President Biden’s Surprise Visit to Kyiv Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond Become A Digital Media Activist Free Online Training Run For Office In 2023 Tour The Ohio Underground Railroad Join The Donkey Club Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Party Committee Meetings Next Issue Publication Dates Biden declares ‘Kyiv stands’ in surprise visit to Ukraine KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Joe Biden swept unannounced into Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called “a brutal and unjust war” days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion.  CONTINUE READING WORD FROM THE CHAIR- Raymond Lembke It is useful on occasion to step back from the practical concerns of recruiting, trying to elect candidates and the latest Republican outrages. Instead think about why we are Democrats and what we ultimately seek to achieve. A very helpful tool for framing those questions is a 137 page book by J.M. Purvis, Democrats 101: A Primer for Us CONTINUE READING What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Click on the headline to access the full article Ohio abortion rights groups merge and set sights for amendment on November ballot Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights announced Thursday that they are joining together to “file language with the Ohio Attorney General to place a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment to restore and protect reproductive rights and abortion access on the November 2023 statewide general election ballot.” CONTINUE READING Déjà vu? Advocates worry proposed GOP bill could cause next Ohio corruption scandal COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is in the middle of the largest corruption trial in state history, yet Democrats and advocates are raising red flags that another scandal is brewing. CONTINUE READING An activist group is spreading misinformation to stop solar projects in rural America Citizens for Responsible Solar is part of a growing backlash against renewable energy in rural communities across the United States. The group, which was started in 2019 and appears to use strategies honed by other activists in campaigns against the wind industry, has helped local groups fighting solar projects in at least 10 states including Ohio, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, according to its website. CONTINUE READING   Become a Digital Media Activist As much as we hate to admit it, digital media, for better or worse, is a major part of our lives. The Internet has opened avenues of communication that keep us informed, but unfortunately, misinformed as well. Now more than ever we need to push back and make our voices heard. Dems For Action is one of many groups looking for volunteers as researchers, content creators, graphic designers, influencers and writers. To learn more and sign up to volunteer visit their site at demsforaction.org. Free Online Training Say This, Not That- Control Your Democratic Narrative Thu, Feb 23, 8:00pm–9:00pm EST Virtual event Join from anywhere To win elections and support progressive issues, Democrats need to communicate with the most effective messaging. Each workshop will provide background information, provide examples of good and bad messaging and time to discuss messaging on current topic. Multiple dates available. REGISTER HERE Moving Up in Democratic Politics National Democratic Training Committee presents virtual live training Feb 24, 2023 1:00pm – 2:00pm (ET) Join the National Democratic Training Committee on Friday, February 24th from 1-2 pm ET for a free virtual live training on Moving Up in Democratic Politics, which will propel your career in politics to the next level. LEARN MORE Civics 101- The basics they no longer teach in school Time Tuesdays (multiple dates available) First session Feb. 28, 2023 8 – 9pm EST Location Virtual event Join from anywhere We cover topics from how a bill becomes a law to who your representatives are to when elections are held and so much more. LEARN MORE Run For Office in 2023 Consider running for Township Trustee. This is an opportunity to run for office on a smaller scale. Your campaign will be confined to the boundaries of the township where you reside and the cost minimal. To get started download The Nominating Petition and Statement of Candidacy For Township Office which must be filed with the Board of Elections no later than 4 p.m. on August 9, 2023. Download the Nominating Petition here. Download the 2023 Candidate Requirement Guide PDF here. What is a township trustee and what do they do? The Board of Trustees is responsible for the day-to-day operation of township government activities, the township budget and other duties required by county, state and federal law. LEARN MORE Clermont County Townships Map Tour The Ohio Underground Railroad Did you know that Clermont County played a prominent role in the Underground Railroad? Have you heard of Thomas Fee, Jr., Dr. William E. Thompson or Dr. John Rogers? Did you know you can explore the Clermont County Freedom Trail that includes 22 historical sites that were part of the Underground Railroad for free? The Clermont County Visitors Bureau has created a mobile audio tour that includes 42 historical sites, 22 of which are approved to the National Underground Railroad Network and it’s free. SIGN UP HERE Join The Donkey Club Our Donkey Club is our major source of funding and we hope you will become a member by joining. Member benefits below. A headquarters located centrally in the county in Batavia A bi-monthly e-newsletter A robust Internet presence on our Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Support for our Democratic candidates Click the Donate button below and make your donation securely online through ActBlue or mail a check. Make Checks payable to: Clermont County Democratic Party (CCDP), PO Box 475, Batavia, OH 45103 Thank you for your support! Raymond W. Lembke, Party Chairman Clermont County Democratic Party Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings   Democracy In Action Ohio will meet Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 6:30pm. Moms Demand Action will present. RSVP […]

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