June LLU
1. July All-Member Call 
2. DEI Statement: The History of Women's Equality Day 
3. State Legislative Update
4. Lunching with the League
5. Upcoming Activist Training Webinar 
6. Fundraising Tip of the Month
7. Resources & News from LWVUS
1. July All-Member Call
Please join us for our July All-Member Zoom Call on Tuesday, July 6 at Noon. 
The agenda includes: 
  • State Budget Review
  • Fair Districts Update
To join the call via computer, tablet or smart phone: 
To access the call via telephone:
  • Call 312-626-6799
  • Enter Meeting ID 863 0864 8047
  • Use Passcode 866083
2. DEI Statement: The History of Women's Equality Day

At the suggestion of Rep. Bella Abzug (D-NY), in 1971 and passed in 1973, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” The date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.

It commemorates three founders of America's women's suffrage movement: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott.  Women are still fighting for equality in the areas of equal pay and protection on discrimination.

 

3. State Legislative Update

Ohio’s Operating Budget has finally passed through the House and the Senate after the conference committee reached a unanimous agreement on the final document on Monday. SUB HB110 now awaits the governor’s signature. 

 

A major win among the LWVO’s priorities is the inclusion of the Fair School Funding Plan in the two year budget and the end of deduction funding for vouchers and charter schools. The plan creates a sound framework for a constitutional system of funding public education and by the second year will invest about a third of the full cost. Lawmakers declined to approve the six year phase in, so it is only secure for this budget cycle. Two other omissions from the original plan are funding additional cost studies and creating a commission to review changes in costs.

 

Other provisions in the budget include: 

  • the expansion of broadband, particularly targeting connectivity to households where it remains cost-prohibitive for providers to extend service;
  • an increase in state support for Ohio’s colleges and universities; and 
  • a restoration and revision of the Step Up to Quality child care program, with a requirement that the program and publicly funded child care be reevaluated. 
 

However, LWVO remains concerned about multiple last minute amendments that would endanger our democracy and increase inequity among Ohioans. Furthermore, these provisions are non-financial items that have no place in the budget, and would 

  • block public-private partnerships that support Ohio elections, which are desperately needed as elections continue to be under-funded; 
  • prohibit nongovernmental entities from collaborating with public officials for any election related activities, such as the League's work with Boards of Elections to promote civic engagement, voter education, and ballot access; and 
  • threaten the separation of powers by placing restrictions on challenges to state laws.
 

LWVO has signed onto a letter with OVRC which asks Governor DeWine to use his line-item veto power to remove these dangerous amendments from the budget, and has shared an action alert with members with the message that legislators cannot pass policies by circumventing the public hearing process.

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Visit the Advocacy Corner of the LWV Ohio Website to learn more about the LWVO Volunteer Lobby Corps, access our advocacy resources and training materials, and take action on critical issues to all Ohioans.

 

 

4. Lunching With The League

Join us every 2nd and 4th Monday for a power lunch you can really sink your teeth into! Each Lunch will feature a transformational leader in government, education, healthcare, criminal justice, and more. Learn about their vision and goals for 2021 and how their strategies are taking shape. Pull up a seat at the table and hear from the change-makers themselves. 

On Monday, July 12 at NOON, join us with the current and immediate past Presidents of the Ohio Association of Elections Officials, Brian Sleeth (BOE director of Warren County) and Michelle L. Wilcox (BOE Director Auglaize County), to hear about some of the opportunities and concerns that Ohio Board of Elections officials have about how Ohio currently runs its elections. 

We will also talk about possible legislative changes to Ohio voting laws that are being offered in the current Ohio General Assembly and discuss how we can make our elections run more smoothly and securely while also increasing voter turnout.

To register, click here!

 

5. Upcoming Activist Training Webinar: Let's End Prison-Based Gerrymandering
Join the CHARGE redistricting coalition on Thursday, July 8th from 1pm ET - 2pm ET as we discuss how activists can plug into prison gerrymandering reforms at the state and local level.

Last redistricting cycle more than 200 localities with prisons avoided prison gerrymandering, by drawing district lines around the prison, or simply adding the prison population to each voting district. Many folks don't know this is possible, and we are hoping encourage folks to include local reform apart of their asks to local decision makers.

There are also many states that have enacted reform at the state level, and will be implementing for the first time -- and due to the delay in redistricting data, will also have to accomplish this on a shortened timeframe. We hope to share lessons learned from NY and MD that have done reallocations of incarcerated people in 2010, in addition, facilitate information sharing between states enacting prison gerrymandering reform for the first time.

REGISTER HERE!
 
 
6. Fundraising Tip of the Month

Summertime = Fun(d)time

Summer is full of fun! Festivals, Art Shows, Farmer's Markets, County Fairs...so many ways to have fun AND raise funds! Leagues have historically set up Voter Registration Booths at summer events for decades, so why not add a little fun(d) to your next event? How about raffling a local goods gift basket? Or tickets to a local theatre? It is a great way to support local business at the same time as supporting your local league. Or how about a more passive ask by adding a donation jar to your table? Maybe selling mugs, pens, etc. with a voting saying something like this: https://bit.ly/LWVmugidea. Or "volunteer" to help with the county fair in exchange for a donation to your local league? The ideas are as endless as those beautiful summer blue skies! 

For more ideas or help with your next event, contact Sherry Rose, LWVO Development Director at srose@lwvohio.org.

 

7. Resources & News from LWVUS

Democracy Hangs in the Balance After a Tied Vote on the For the People Act 

The long-awaited Senate vote to begin debate on the For the People Act (S1) ended in a 50-50 split last week, falling short of the requirements to move the legislation forward. 

Regarding the vote, LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase Solomón stated, "Today's vote is hopefully just the beginning for this bill which will strengthen our democracy and ensure the freedom to vote for all Americans...we call on the Senate to work together to pass the For the People Act and find a solution for the American people." 

Let your Senators know that they must pass the For the People Act.

The Supreme Court Disappoints Equal Rights Activists...

On June 17th, the US Supreme Court ruled in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a case centered on the state's refusal to contract with Catholic Social Services (CSS) due to their unwillingness to place children in foster care with same-sex couples. 

The Court ruled that the state's refusal is unconstitutional because their system of individualized exemptions was inconsistently applied across foster care agencies. The decision will have a devastating impact on the countless children in foster care who might have otherwise been provided with loving homes. That said, it notably does not apply blanket restrictions across the entire country. 

The League of Women Voters was proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community as amicus partners in this case. We concur with the words of LWVUS board president Dr. Deborah Ann Turner, who called on Congress to "pass the Equality Act to enshrine the anti-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Civil Rights Act."

...But Preserves the Affordable Care Act

On the same day, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of California v. Texas, which challenged the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In their ruling, the Court determined to keep the current ACA legislation intact. 

The League commends the Court for upholding the ACA and preserving affordable healthcare for millions of Americans.

Our Legislature

We are excited to see that the Senate has unanimously voted to make Juneteenth, the anniversary of the end of chattel slavery in our country, a federal holiday. This is a step in the right direction, but it does not rectify the continued inequities in our country nor the racist violence we still see being perpetrated today. Bills like the For the People Act, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, and the Washington, DC Admission Act (HR 51) are crucial in ensuring true equity for and protection of Black people in our country.  
 

More importantly, I ask you to take the pledge to say something when you hear or see racist comments or acts. The duty to make America a country which truly exemplifies justice and freedom for all is on each of us—inside and outside of League. 

 

Recordings

Action

Resources

 

 

League of Women Voters of Ohio
100 East Broad Street, Suite 1310  | Columbus, Ohio 43215
614-469-1505 | lwvoinfo@lwvohio.org

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