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UPDATES2021-08-10T12:38:45-04:00

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From The Statehouse to The Schoolhouse

Word From The Chair

  • Amending the Ohio Constitution II  Republicans control all three branches of Ohio government. They have been using that control to pursue an ever-more far right, pro-gun, anti-women, anti-education agenda. The only effective avenue Ohioans have had to modify Ohio law in favor of Ohioans has been through citizen-initiated state constitutional amendments. This is a right Ohioans have had since 1912. We saw it used in the two anti-gerrymandering amendments which a substantial majority of Ohio voters supported just a few years ago. We are seeing that process working again as petitions are being signed all over Ohio to put the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment on the ballot this November. Polling shows that approximately 59% of Ohioans support the amendment. The Republicans in the General Assembly intend to effectively end the right of Ohioans to make laws that the Republicans do not want. In the closing hours of May 10, the last day to do it, the Ohio House, in a party-line vote, passed Senate Joint Resolution 2 and created a special election on August 8, 2023 for Ohio voters to approve or reject SJR 2. The details of SJR 2 SJR 2 changes the requirements for putting a citizen-initiated amendment on the ballot.  Not satisfied raising that hurdle, SJR 2 also increases the vote necessary to enact any citizen-initiated amendments which reach the ballot. SJR 2 makes no changes to the process for placing amendments proposed by the General Assembly on the ballot or to the vote required to enact such amendments. Under the law that has been in effect since 1912, to place a citizen-initiated amendment on the ballot requires petition signatures from registered Ohio voters equal to ten percent of the vote cast in the last Governor’s election. Current law also requires that those petitions include signatures from registered voters in at least 44 counties equal to five percent of the vote cast in that county in the last Governor’s election. SJR 2 would change the second part of the petition signature requirement to require signatures from five percent of the registered voters in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.  If 87 counties submit double the required five percent but one county submits only 4.9%, a proposed amendment cannot go on the ballot. SJR 2 would double the number of petition signatures required in Clermont County.  If a citizen-initiated amendment manages to reach the ballot, it would not pass under SJR 2 unless it receives at least 60% yes votes. Current law requires only 50% plus one vote. Under SJR 2, fifty percent plus one yes votes would still pass a constitutional amendment proposed by the General Assembly.  No petitions are required for amendments proposed by the Republican dominated General Assembly to be put on the ballot. Special interest groups claim they are protecting the Ohio Constitution from…special interests Some Republicans have tried to justify SJR 2 as protecting the Ohio constitution from amendments sought only by special interests. This is a hypocritical argument since the effort to pass SJR 2 is being heavily funded by a right-wing billionaire in Illinois. Business groups are lining up behind SJR 2 to thwart a proposed amendment expected in 2024 to raise Ohio’s minimum wage. The August special election on SJR 2 is being justified as necessary to impose the 60% requirement for the Right to Reproductive Freedom amendment, expected to be on the ballot this November. In Republican eyes, Ohio women and workers are “special interests” but abortion opponents and big business are not.  SJR 2 would not change any rules for amendments initiated by the General Assembly.  As was amply demonstrated by the Larry Householder/First Energy bailout scandal, the General Assembly is much more receptive to the wants of special interests than Ohio voters. The “tyranny of the majority” Republican Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman recently tried to justify SJR 2 as a means to prevent the “tyranny of the majority.”  This should be understood as what it is: an admission that much of the Ohio Republican agenda is not acceptable to the majority of Ohioans. The Republican solution is to impose minority rule. Low voter turnout for special elections Ohioans will get the opportunity to vote on SJR 2 on August 8, 2023.  After outlawing August special elections earlier this year, Republicans created an August special election just for SJR 2.  Why?  Because people do not vote in August elections.  While statewide August elections are rare, we had one in 2022.  Only eight percent of Ohio’s registered voters voted.  For Republicans, putting SJR 2 before the voters in a low-turnout election more than justifies the over $ 20 million in tax dollars which will be spent to hold this statewide election. Ironically but intentionally, SJR 2 will pass if it receives 50% plus one yes votes at in the August 8 special election. Republicans created an August special election just for SJR 2 on the assumption that few Ohioans will vote in August, allowing a small minority of Ohio voters to pass SJR 2 and prevent the majority from amending our state constitution going forward. We must prove that assumption wrong. Ohioans registered to vote by July 10 are eligible to vote on SJR 2. If you are not registered, do it NOW. If you are registered, check your registration record to make sure it is up to date.  You can register to vote and check your registration record at the Ohio Secretary of State website: ohiosos.gov/elections/.       Early voting on SJR 2 starts in July – VOTE NO! Early voting on SJR 2 should start on July 11. Vote early.  If you vote by mail, you can apply for an absentee ballot now.  Remember that the Republican General Assembly changed the rules this year on what identification you need to show to be allowed to vote. You need a government-issued photo ID, but not all count. The primary forms of acceptable ID are a valid Ohio driver’s license, a valid state-issued ID card, and a valid US […]

  • Amending the Ohio Constitution  Republicans hold super-majorities in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly. Republicans hold all statewide elected executive offices (Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor). Republicans hold a majority of seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. Currently Ohio citizens who do not agree with the governing elite’s right-wing agenda can put provisions into the Ohio Constitution by petition. This is the only option Ohio citizens have to limit the self-perpetuating power of the GOP in state government. Amending the Ohio Constitution without first obtaining permission from the General Assembly is a right Ohio citizens have had for over 100 years. That right is now under concerted attack. This is something you will be hearing about from me a lot over the next few months. At present, there are two paths by which amendments to the state constitution may be adopted. Amendments can be proposed by a two-thirds of both houses of the General Assembly or amendments can be proposed by citizen petitions.  Currently in either case, the proposed amendment is put to a statewide vote and the amendment becomes a part of the Ohio Constitution if more than 50% of voters approve it. The Republicans in the General Assembly intend to make it practically impossible for Ohio citizens to amend the Ohio Constitution. They propose to do this through two essentially identical pieces of legislation called House Joint Resolution 1 (“HJR 1”) and Senate Joint Resolution 2 (“SJR 2”). Citizen-initiated amendments to the Ohio Constitution are already difficult to do First, at least 1,000 registered Ohio voters must sign a petition which must be submitted to the Ohio Attorney General along with the proposed constitutional amendment and a summary of the amendment. The Attorney General decides whether the summary, which will go on the ballot, is a fair and truthful summary of the proposed amendment. If the Attorney General approves the summary, the proposed amendment then goes to the Ohio Ballot Board. The Ballot Board must decide whether the proposed amendment may go on the ballot as a single amendment or must be treated as multiple proposed amendments. If the proposed amendment makes it past the Attorney General and the Ballot Board, the hard work begins Under current law, an amendment to the Ohio Constitution proposed by citizens can only go on the ballot for Ohioans to vote on if two requirements are met. Petitions must be filed with the Secretary of State containing valid signatures of registered Ohio voters equal in number to ten percent of the vote cast statewide in the last election for Governor. Based on the 2022 gubernatorial election, that currently means that it takes 413,488 signatures from registered Ohio voters to put an amendment on the ballot. The petitions must also contain signatures from registered voters in at least 44 of Ohio’s 88 counties equal in number to five percent of the vote in that county in the last gubernatorial election. In Clermont County, that currently means signatures from 4,022 registered Clermont County voters. There are also a myriad of rules about the form of the petitions, how voters sign the petitions, and how signatures are collected. Those rules are too numerous and too complicated to discuss here, but the net effect is usually that somewhere between 25% and 50% of signatures on petitions submitted to the Secretary of State are not counted. If a citizen-proposed amendment clears all these hurdles, it goes on the statewide ballot and is adopted if more than 50% of Ohio voters vote for it. HJR 1 and SJR 2 aim to change those rules for CITIZEN-INITIATED amendments only Most of you have probably heard about the headline change: citizen-initiated amendments will only pass and become part of the Ohio Constitution if at least 60% of Ohio voters vote for the amendment. Sixty percent is a landslide in an election.  When Frank LaRose ran for re-election as Secretary of State last year against a little-known opponent, Frank did not get 60% of the vote. Secretary LaRose is a vocal proponent of HJR 1 and SJR 2. The 60% requirement is not, however, the most significant change that will be wrought by HJR 1 and SJR 2. Republicans also want to make it much more difficult for citizens to put proposed amendments before the voters For an amendment to reach the ballot, HJR 1 and SJR 2 would require petition signatures by registered voters in all 88 counties equal in number to five percent of the registered voters in that county. This change gives any county in the state the ability to keep an amendment off the ballot. It also increases the number of signatures required in each county by applying the percentage not to the number of people in that county who vote, but, instead, by applying the percentage to the number of registered voters in the county. Looking at our own county shows how significant the change in the petition signature requirement would be. In 2022, Clermont County had 145,532 registered voters. Only 80,436 of those voters cast a vote in the election for Governor.  Thus, under current law, getting an amendment on the ballot calls for 4,022 signatures of registered Clermont County voters.  Under HJR 1 and SJR 2, getting an amendment on the ballot would require signatures of 7,277 registered Clermont County voters.  Thus, HJR 1 and SJR 2 would increase the signature requirement in Clermont County by 81%. There is another twist to Republicans’ efforts to put the Ohio Constitution off limits from Ohioans Since HJR 1 and SJR 2 themselves propose an amendment to the Ohio Constitution, Ohioans must vote on it. Because this amendment is being put forth under current law, it passes if it gets over 50% of the vote, even if it clears that threshold by only one vote.  However, Republicans do not want Ohioans to vote on this in the November general election when we vote on other candidates and issues.  Rather, under Senate Bill 92, […]

  • Think Globally Over the weekend, I read the Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (“The January 6th Report”) (Cleadon Books 2022). While the 724 pages of the commercially published version might seem daunting, each chapter is followed by several pages of end notes citing the evidence which supports the statements in the text. These end notes are important to show that the Report’s statements are not made up, and material in many of the notes is interesting in itself, the actual text of the Report is much shorter. What emerges clearly from the Report is that the January 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol was not a spontaneous event. It was a calculated part of a strategy, begun before the 2020 election, to keep donald trump[1] in power no matter how Americans voted. The most distressing and frightening element of the Report is the number of Republicans who were committed to keeping trump in the White House despite knowing he had lost the election. I’m not talking about people like the “QAnon Shaman” who actually invaded the Capitol and battled police. I’m talking about Republicans in government, in academia, and in the private sector who would normally be thought of as “mainstream” conservatives. Many of them knew and acknowledged that the strategy to overcome the result of the lection was illegal. They pursued the strategy anyway. While the illegal strategy to keep trump in power despite losing the 2020 election failed, barely, Republican disregard of the law has not always been unsuccessful. In Ohio Republicans have gerrymandered our General Assembly and Congressional districts in violation of the Ohio Constitution. We had to vote last year using those illegal districts despite three decisions of the Ohio Supreme Court that the districts are illegal. While Republicans tout themselves as the party of “law and order,” it is, in fact, the party committed to the principle that the end justifies any means, whether or not that end is desired by the people they govern. This is a relatively new approach to government and politics in America having had its first visible applications under Richard Nixon in the 1970s. It is an approach popular with world leaders as well; “strong” leaders like Stalin, Mao, Castro, Mussolini, Hitler and, currently, Vladimir Putin. It is not hyperbole to say that this is the direction many conservatives obviously wish to take our country. Act Locally There are ways to defeat the Republican movement to government by the will of the few. One is in process as you read this.  Petitions are being circulated to put the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment on the ballot for Ohioans to vote on this November. A substantial majority of Ohioans believe that a woman’s decision to carry a pregnancy belongs to the woman, informed by her doctor. Ohio Republicans believe, and have legislated, that this decision belongs to the Government. The Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment will enshrine that decision as an individual right in our Ohio Constitution. Getting the amendment onto the ballot requires hundreds of thousands of signatures by registered Ohio voters on petitions by mid-June. In Clermont County, the effort needs between 6,000 and 8,000 petition signatures.  People are circulating petitions in many places. One place you can count on being able to sign the petition is at Clermont County Democratic headquarters at 174 East Main Street in Batavia. Hours listed below. Please make your voice heard in support of individual freedom.  Please sign the petition. The petition effort in Clermont County needs not only signatures but also more circulators gathering signatures. Being a circulator is not difficult. It involves standing in a public space and making it known you have the petition. It can also involve door-to-door canvassing. Circulators who have knocked on doors with petitions so far report that they are being welcomed by our fellow Clermont Countians and that it is a very effective way to gather signatures. If you have the time to be a circulator, please contact Patty Lawrence at (513) 919-4857. Run for Office Another way to fight our slide into autocracy is to serve in government yourself. Offices such as school board members, township trustee, township fiscal officer, and municipal council members will be on the ballot this November. These are “non-partisan” races, meaning that the candidates do not have to identify as Democrat or Republican. These offices provide the opportunity to have a major impact and do good in your community. Petitions to run for these offices are due at the Board of Elections by 4:00 p.m. on August 9, 2023. If you may be interested in making this contribution to your community, please call me at (513) 621-9603 or e-mail me at rlembke@fuse.net. Stay safe.   [1] As noted in previous columns, I do not use initial capital letters for trump’s name.  Initial caps are a sign of respect.  It is now clearer than ever that donald trump deserves only loathing, not any respect.

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  • WHAT’S INSIDE CCDP Picnic In The Park Is This Saturday May 20 Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond ODP Statement On 60% Threshold Constitutional Amendment Next Steps To Protect Ohio Citizens’ Rights To Ballot Initiatives Sign The Petition To Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio Is Your Ohio General Assembly Working For You? Free Online Training Join The Donkey Club Today Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Party Committee Meetings Next Issue Publication Dates CCDP Picnic In The Park- This Saturday! The 2023 Donkey Dinner will be a picnic this year! Join us on the afternoon of Saturday, May 20, 2023 at American Legion Victor Stier Post 450, 450 Victor Stier Drive, Milford, Ohio 45150 on the banks of the Little Miami River in historic Old Milford. This fundraising event is family oriented so bring the kids! We need young blood in the party! FOOD AND ACTIVITIES The grill will be on with hamburgers and hotdogs, whichever you choose! Sides and drinks too. Cake and Pie Auction Are you a prolific baker? Connoisseur of delicious sweets? Whether you’re baking or bidding, our Cake and Pie Auction is right up your alley. Bring your specialty cake or pie to be auctioned off at the picnic. Delicacies that have brought in the highest bids in the past are New York Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake and Chocolate Guiness Cake with Irish Cream Icing. Bids for these scrumptious delights have gone into the hundreds to support our organization. So pull out your recipe box and bring it on! There will be games and speakers, including Jill Schiller, Hamilton County Treasurer. Come enjoy the warmer weather, hear some future candidates and mingle with your fellow Clermont County Democrats. Hope to see you there! TICKETS $35 for adults $10 for children 12 and under You may purchase your tickets online and securely through ActBlue at this link: Purchase tickets online. WORD FROM THE CHAIR- Raymond Lembke The importance of defeating SJR 2 cannot be over-emphasized. Ohioans need an avenue to make needed changes in Ohio law that do not align with the far-right agenda. Ohio voters must vote and vote NO this August 8. Talk to your friends and family so they get out and vote NO. The Ohio Democratic Party and the Clermont County Democratic Party will be canvassing to bring out the NO vote. If you are willing to join that effort, call our headquarters at 513-732-2378 and leave us a message. We will call you back. VOTE NO IN AUGUST! CONTINUE READING What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Click on the headline to access the full article Ohio Voters Sue Over August Election on Resolution To Restrict Ballot Measures WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Friday, May 12, individual Ohio voters and One Person One Vote, a coalition representing Ohio voters, filed a complaint in the Ohio Supreme Court challenging recently passed Senate Joint Resolution 2, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would increase the threshold to pass constitutional amendments from 50% to 60%. As laid out by the resolution, Ohio voters will vote on whether or not to adopt this higher threshold in a special election set for Aug. 8, 2023. CONTINUE READING Additional reading on this very important issue: Supermajority amendment opponents sue, arguing ‘no legal basis’ for August election Commentary: Ohioans, you have a voice — for now. Be sure to use it So Ohio will have an election Aug. 8 to vote on a constitutional amendment to move the goalposts on citizen-initiated constitutional amendments. It would set a new standard for passing such amendments — they would have to pass by 60% instead of the 50%-plus-one that has been the standard in Ohio since 1912. In other words, 41% of the electorate could thwart the will of 59% of Ohio voters. CONTINUE READING U.S. House GOP wants spending cuts — and also $10B in home-state earmarks U.S. House Republicans have requested more than $10 billion in earmarks to be included in next year’s appropriations bills, despite demanding massive spending cuts as a contingent for raising the nation’s debt ceiling. CONTINUE READING Ohio Democratic Party Statement on Passage of GOP Legislation to Effectively End Citizen-Led Ballot Initiatives Columbus, OH, May 10, 2023 – Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement after Republicans in the legislature passed a bill – bankrolled by an out-of-state, out-of-touch billionaire– to effectively end citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio. “Today, Ohio Republicans sold out our Constitution to corrupt politicians and out-of-state billionaires. Despite opposition to this bill from Ohioans across the political spectrum, Republicans chose to pass it anyway, giving the middle finger to voters across our state. But make no mistake: the fight isn’t over. We’re ready to mobilize voters across the state to fight this Republican power grab and protect Ohioans’ fundamental rights at the ballot box.” Next Steps Vote NO Campaign Volunteer Leader Zoom Training Time Friday, May 19 12pm EDT + 3 more days Location Virtual event Join from anywhere Make no mistake: A 60% vote threshold to pass citizen-led constitutional amendments is an existential threat to many progressive causes we hold dear in the state of Ohio. However, we needn’t despair: If we undertake a robust canvassing operation and knock 500,000 doors in the next few months, we can turn out our Democratic base and WIN. Volunteer leaders will be tasked with hosting canvasses twice a week that other volunteers can attend. This training will thoroughly prepare and equip you with everything you need to be a effective volunteer leader. We’ll also get you queued into our support systems: The ODP organizing staff is here to help you every step of the way and to make sure you have everything you need to be an effective leader throughout the rest of this Vote NO Campaign. REGISTER HERE Vote NO Campaign Virtual Phonebank and Training Time Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 – 7:30pm EDT Location Virtual […]

  • WHAT’S INSIDE CCDP Picnic In The Park Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond Sign The Petition To Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio Ohio Democrats Drinks With Dems Event Is Your Ohio General Assembly Working For You? Free Online Training Join The Donkey Club Today Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Party Committee Meetings Next Issue Publication Dates CCDP Picnic In The Park The 2023 Donkey Dinner will be a picnic this year! Join us on the afternoon of Saturday, May 20, 2023 at American Legion Victor Stier Post 450, 450 Victor Stier Drive, Milford, Ohio 45150 on the banks of the Little Miami River in Old Milford. This fundraising event is family oriented so bring the kids! We need young blood in the party! $35 for adults $10 for children 12 and under You may purchase your tickets online and securely through ActBlue at this link: Purchase tickets online. The grill will be on with hamburgers and hotdogs, whichever you choose! Sides and drinks too. There will be games, speakers (including Jill Schiller, Hamilton County Treasurer) and our infamous Cake & Pie Auction. Come enjoy the warmer weather, hear some future candidates and mingle with your fellow Clermont County Democrats. WORD FROM THE CHAIR- Raymond Lembke Republicans hold super-majorities in both houses of the Ohio General Assembly. Republicans hold all statewide elected executive offices (Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor). Republicans hold a majority of seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. Currently Ohio citizens who do not agree with the governing elite’s right-wing agenda can put provisions into the Ohio Constitution by petition. This is the only option Ohio citizens have to limit the self-perpetuating power of the GOP in state government. CONTINUE READING What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Click on the headline to access the full article Bipartisan former Ohio governors against raising constitutional threshold to 60% and August vote A group of Republican Ohio lawmakers are dead set on raising the threshold for passing amendments to the state constitution and resurrecting an August special election to do so. But some in the party aren’t comfortable with such an aggressive maneuver. Monday, former Ohio Governor Bob Taft, a Republican, spoke out forcefully against it. CONTINUE READING PAC backed by Illinois billionaire pushes for vote on making it harder to amend Ohio constitution A political action committee has been set up to push for the constitutional amendment requiring 60% voter approval for future amendments, before a vote on a reproductive rights amendment this fall. And most of the funding for the PAC is from a billionaire Republican megadonor from Illinois. CONTINUE READING DeWine isn’t swayed by concerns expressed by elections officials over a possible August election Ohio’s elections officials are coming out firmly against the idea of a statewide special election in August to consider a change to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments. But those arguments are not swaying Gov. Mike DeWine. CONTINUE READING Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio The Clermont County Democratic Party has launched a petition signing initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution to codify reproductive rights in Ohio. The Republicans have successfully framed the abortion issue as solely a birth control issue. But any woman who has suffered a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or a myriad of other complications associated with pregnancy would disagree with that assertion. The Republicans have also inserted their religious beliefs into government contending life begins at conception. This does not coincide with the science. See #3 and #4 in the summary above. Whether you believe in abortion, or not, we all have a right to bodily autonomy without politicians dictating our medical decisions or forcing government mandated pregnancies and births. Patty Lawrence and Democracy In Action are taking the lead on the petition drive. If you have questions you may contact them at info@democracyinactionohio.com We can never have too many volunteers. There are many ways you can help circulate petitions. House parties, canvassing, talk to your neighbors. This is a non-partisan issue. Reproductive rights affect women on both sides of the aisle. Click here to access the volunteer form for this petition drive. If you are not comfortable circulating petitions be sure to sign one. We must be sure every signature is valid. Here is a list of some tips when signing a petition. How to sign so that your signature does not get rejected. Sign the petition for the county where you are a registered voter. If you are not a registered voter, you may register online or fill out a form from one of the volunteers on site. Go here to register online. DO NOT SIGN MULTIPLE PETITIONS. You may sign only one petition only one time. Use blue or black ink only. Print legibly except for your signature. SIGN your name how it looks on your voter registration.  Printed signatures will not be counted. Only you can sign your name. Reproductive Rights Ballot Initiative Volunteer Leadership Training Time Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30pm EDT + 2 more times Location Virtual event Join from anywhere Throughout 2023, the Ohio Democratic Party is going all out on bringing an initiative to the ballot that would codify reproductive freedom in the Ohio Constitution. This is the only way to restore Ohioans ability to make reproductive decisions for themselves. Haven’t taken the dive into political volunteering before? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands! Whether you’re a seasoned politico or dipping your toes into political action for the first time, we have robust support systems in place that will equip you with everything you need to be a key contributor. Anyone that is willing to put in the work to protect abortion rights can get involved. We truly need all hands on deck if we are to succeed. LEARN MORE Is Your Ohio General Assembly Working For You? Unfortunately right now the Ohio General Assembly, also known as the state legislature, has been gerrymandered into […]

  • WHAT’S INSIDE Petition Drive to Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio CCDP Picnic In The Park – Save the Date Word From The Chair – Raymond Lembke What’s New From Clermont to Columbus and Beyond Pepperspectives – Downward Spiral Is Your Ohio General Assembly Working For You? Free Online Training Join The Donkey Club Today Clermont County Democratic Club Meetings Clermont County Democratic Party Committee Meetings Next Issue Publication Dates Protect Reproductive Rights In Ohio The Clermont County Democratic Party has launched a petition signing initiative to amend the Ohio Constitution to codify reproductive rights in Ohio. The Republicans have successfully framed the abortion issue as solely a birth control issue. But any woman who has suffered a miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy or a myriad of other complications associated with pregnancy would disagree with that assertion. The Republicans have also inserted their religious beliefs into government contending life begins at conception. This does not coincide with the science. See #3 and #4 in the summary above. Whether you believe in abortion, or not, we all have a right to bodily autonomy without politicians dictating our medical decisions or forcing government mandated pregnancies and births. Patty Lawrence and Democracy In Action are taking the lead on the petition drive. If you have questions you may contact them at info@democracyinactionohio.com We can never have too many volunteers. There are many ways you can help circulate petitions. House parties, canvassing, talk to your neighbors. This is a non-partisan issue. Reproductive rights affect women on both sides of the aisle. Click here to access the volunteer form for this petition drive. If you are not comfortable circulating petitions be sure to sign one. We must be sure every signature is valid. Here is a list of some tips when signing a petition. How to sign so that your signature does not get rejected. Sign the petition for the county where you are a registered voter. If you are not a registered voter, you may register online or fill out a form from one of the volunteers on site. Go here to register online. DO NOT SIGN MULTIPLE PETITIONS. You may sign only one petition only one time. Use blue or black ink only. Print legibly except for your signature. SIGN your name how it looks on your voter registration.  Printed signatures will not be counted. Only you can sign your name. Reproductive Rights Ballot Initiative Volunteer Leadership Training Time Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30pm EDT + 2 more times Location Virtual event Join from anywhere Throughout 2023, the Ohio Democratic Party is going all out on bringing an initiative to the ballot that would codify reproductive freedom in the Ohio Constitution. This is the only way to restore Ohioans ability to make reproductive decisions for themselves. Haven’t taken the dive into political volunteering before? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands! Whether you’re a seasoned politico or dipping your toes into political action for the first time, we have robust support systems in place that will equip you with everything you need to be a key contributor. Anyone that is willing to put in the work to protect abortion rights can get involved. We truly need all hands on deck if we are to succeed. LEARN MORE CCDP Picnic In The Park Save the Date! The 2023 Donkey Dinner will be a picnic this year! Join us on the afternoon of Saturday, May 20, 2023 at American Legion Victor Stier Post 450, 450 Victor Stier Drive, Milford, Ohio 45150 on the banks of the Little Miami River in Old Milford. This fundraising event is family oriented so bring the kids! We need young blood in the party! $35 for adults $10 for children 12 and under You may purchase your tickets online and securely through ActBlue at this link: Purchase tickets online. The grill will be on with hamburgers and hotdogs, whichever you choose! Sides and drinks too. There will be games, speakers (including Jill Schiller, Hamilton County Treasurer) and our infamous Cake & Pie Auction. Come enjoy the warmer weather, hear some future candidates and mingle with your fellow Clermont County Democrats. WORD FROM THE CHAIR- Raymond Lembke Over the weekend, I read the Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol (“The January 6th Report”) (Cleadon Books 2022). While the 724 pages of the commercially published version might seem daunting, each chapter is followed by several pages of end notes citing the evidence which supports the statements in the text. These end notes are important to show that the Report’s statements are not made up, and material in many of the notes is interesting in itself, the actual text of the Report is much shorter. CONTINUE READING What’s New From Clermont To Columbus And Beyond Click on the headline to access the full article Analysis: Ohio’s 2024 Senate primary is shaping up to be a repeat of 2022 The 2024 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate nomination, in which the winner will face the difficult task of knocking off Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown, is beginning to remind some of us of the 2022 Senate primary, one of the nastiest, ugliest on record. It ended up producing J.D. Vance as the GOP nominee and eventual winner of now-retired Sen. Rob Portman’s seat. CONTINUE READING Ohio SOS gives yet another reason to make it a lot harder for voters to amend Constitution Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Wednesday offered another rationale for making it much more difficult for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution. Now he’s saying it’s needed to fight a possible power grab like one that grew out of a massive bribery and money-laundering scandal. But LaRose didn’t mention in his op-ed that his name came up repeatedly in a criminal trial related to the scandal and that he appeared to be in close communication with some of its central figures. Nor did his office respond when asked whether LaRose ever spoke out […]

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