Vol 8 Issue 1

We WIN When . . .  

We Gather Together 

By: Crystal G, WIN President and WIN Leadership

     

     On March 14thWIN and our community friends came together for our (2nd Annual) Women’s History Month celebration. While we were gearing up to host this meaningful event, we learned that 2023 would be the centennial of women joining the legislators at the Ohio Statehouse. Just two short years after the Suffragists successfully fought for our right to vote, they would not only run for office, they would win. In January 1923 six women would enter the halls of the statehouse--four in the house and two in the senate. During their tenure they would serve on many committees. These women were not equipped with formal political training, but what they did have were skills they learned in the trenches working with women’s organizations during the Suffragist movement...read more

The History of Women's Issues Network 

By: Sue A


    What we know as Women’s Issues Network today, started as Clark Countians for CHOICE in the 1990’s. Cathy Tuckerman and Sue Allen recently sat down to try to remember our history, so dates are approximate to the best of our memory.

 

     As CcforC, we were a group of Planned Parenthood supporters that were concerned about reproductive rights. Our leaders were Sue A, Colleen B, Janet C, Jan D, Karen D, Nora P, Cathy T, and Peg V. We participated in marches, went to Washington DC, wrote “Letters to the Editor”, held small fundraisers, and had a booth at the county Fair. For many years, that booth was shared with Project Woman and Black Women’s Leadership Caucus...read more   

Moms Demand Action Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse 

By Crystal G


     I was invited to join Moms Demand Action members from all over the state of Ohio to participate in their annual Advocacy Day on March 22, 2023. We all gathered together in a packed church. There were stations set up to help partner us with MDA members that had previous experience with speaking to legislators.


     This was my first opportunity to join Moms Demand Action for their Annual Advocacy Day. Once I found parking and made my way inside our meeting place, I was surprised to find the pews packed with other likeminded parents. Once I was checked in I was paired with other volunteers...read more  

Time to Crime: Guns and The Buckeye State

By: Marcy W


     On Thursday February 23rd, Steven Dettelbach, ATF Director, was special guest speaker during an Ohio Moms Demand Action meeting to review the state of gun laws in Ohio.  He discussed a report recently released by ATF: "National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment: Crime Guns Volume 2," which lists detailed statistics on gun trafficking by state.

 

    This report is the first released report of its kind in the past 20 years.  During his presentation, he discussed “time to crime” as a metric reported by each state.  This metric measures the length of time between the date of a firearm’s purchase to the date of its recovery by law enforcement as a gun used in a crime....read more 

Where Are We With Redistricting  

By Kim S


     I have been actively involved in the Ohio redistricting process through Common Cause Ohio and Fair Districts since late 2020. Being a part of this process has been an eye opener into the world of politics as it was the first time I’d really delved into a project of this magnitude in the political arena. I had, and continue to have, a learning curve regarding the many rules and regulations when maps are being redrawn every 10 years. Monthly ‘huddle’ meetings are held by Common Cause Ohio and Fair Districts which provide expert speakers, lawyers, and even mapmakers which have proven helpful in understanding the mapmaking process but also keeps us abreast of other happenings affecting Ohio...read more

Ohio's New Voter ID Law 

By: Clark County Democrat Party Chair, Austin S  


     Ohio's new voter ID law, House Bill 458, is a blatant attempt to suppress the voices of Ohioans who have historically faced barriers to voting. This law represents yet another attack by Ohio Republicans on the fundamental right to vote and undermines the principles of democracy.

     The bill, which was recently signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine, requires voters to present a government-issued Photo ID in order to cast their ballots. While this may seem like a reasonable requirement, the reality is that many Ohioans, particularly those who are low-income or elderly, do not have the necessary identification....read more 

Updates From The Board Of Elections  

By Sue A. and Charlie B


All Signs Point to Yes for Ohio’s Reproductive Rights Ballot Petitions 

By: Jessica H  


      Attention readers, we have a vital opportunity to enshrine reproductive rights into the Ohio Constitution this year.  As of March 18, 2023, the window is open for Protect Choice Ohio (PCO) petitions to be signed to have this crucial bill on the ballot for the voters of Ohio to decide once and for all.  This is exciting news and a limited-time opportunity for voters to show their support for this crucial right for women. The petition process is stringent and there are specific requirements for signatures to be qualified.  But, with that said, there has never been a better time to rally around this great cause. Let’s start with a quick reminder of the voter signature requirements...read more

CCDP Adopts the Democratic Creed as presented in Democrats 101 

By: Karen D  
            

     The Clark County Democratic Party Executive Committee unanimously voted to adopt the Democratic Creed as presented in the book Democrats 101.  Below is the text of the creed that was adopted.  

 

WE BELIEVE all people are created equal, that this is America’s fundamental ideal.

 

WE BELIEVE that America is a democracy, by and for the people: ruled by the Constitution and its interpretations, protected by the Bill of Rights and inspired by the Declaration of Independence....read more

Why Senate Bill 1 is bad for Ohio’s Education 

By: Sheila S  


     The Ohio Senate passed a bill on March 3rd which would rob the state school board of most of its power. The bill is currently in the House.


     It would rename the Ohio Department of Education to the Department of Education and Workforce(DEW) with a director who would be a member of the governor’s cabinet. In other words, it would take education out of the hands of educators and put it in the hands of politicians. Currently, the Department of Education reports to the Ohio State Board of Education whose duties would be reduced to appointments, licensure, employee business, employee conduct, and territory transfers...read more     


Kathryn "Kathy" Estep Swisher

     Proud daughter of Mayford and Jewell Estep, I was raised not only by my parents but by the watchful eye of friends, family, and neighbors, I moved away when I was 18 and never thought that I would ever again live in Enon. But after graduating from The Ohio State University, marrying, having a baby and living in Columbus for over ten years, Bob, Kathy and 15-month-old Julia returned to Enon. The watchful eye I protested when young was exactly what I wanted now that I was a parent...read more here

Relevant Reads for Progressives

THEME: Renewal 

By Rebecca (Becky) W

Non-Fiction:

Title:  This One Wild and Precious Life | Author: Sarah Wilson | Publication Date: HarperCollins, 12/29/20

  Many of us today are living in a state of spiritual PSTD over horrible events that have shaken us to the core in the 2000’s: from terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 to the COVID pandemic, and every upheaval in between. Some individuals may have even retreated into a bubble of spiritual, psychological, or even physical separation. Our former joys, values, and activities may have gone by the wayside as we’ve given into despair.

    That being said, no matter to what degree we suffer from disconnection, it does unite us. We all long to experience a new, more positive way of living and thinking.

   In this book, Sarah Wilson draws on science, literature, philosophy, and some of the world’s leading experts to offer us a more hopeful path to a life we can love again...read more

Legislation Watch   


Ohio House Joint Resolution 1


     Did you know that less than half of the states across the nation allow for citizen led ballot initiatives? You might remember that Ohioans recently passed a fair maps ballot initiative in 2015 and 2018 to protect the redistricting process, but the Republican super majority ignored the will of the voters. The Ohio State Supreme Court struck down map after map but we were still forced to vote under unconstitutional maps and spent an extra 20 million dollars to hold an unnecessary special election...read more