Green Grassroots Emergency Election Protection
Monday, Apr.14, 2025
Regular Monday 5 P.M. ET/ 2 P.M. PT
Registration links:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuygpjIiHtc20uIOxdeqYRiAicjSLWUc
or (both are the same)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82795889843
Register once and you can choose one or more occurrences to attend without having to re-register for each meeting.
If you are able, please donate @ https://grassrootsep.org/donation
Equality Ohio Condemns Anti-LGBTQ+ State Budget Proposal, Calls for Action Against Sub. HB 96
Equality Ohio strongly opposes Sub. HB 96, the latest version of Ohio’s state budget, which directly threatens public education, democracy, and marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ Ohioans.
Free Press April Second Saturday Salon - Columbus City Council Candidates Town Hall
Saturday, April 12, 6-8:30pm, doors open at 5:30pm
Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd.
Join us at the Old First Presbyterian Church for an exciting opportunity to meet the candidates who are running for Columbus City Council! This in-person event will give you a chance to hear directly from the candidates about their platforms and ask them your burning questions. Don’t miss this chance to be an informed voter and make your voice heard in the upcoming election. See you there!
This event is also the April Free Press Second Saturday Salon, free and open to the public with refreshments.
The Right-Wing Takeover of Social Media
Thursday, April 10, 6pm
Enarson Classroom Building [Rm. 306], 2009 Millikin Rd., and online at corsrev.org/meeting
Given the domination of social media by right-wing billionaires, the reactionary drift in American politics is even more pronounced there than in other venues.
It’s time to get serious about organizing our side today!
Join us tomorrow at 6pm for a presentation and discussion on this question and more! Join us in person at Enarson Classroom Building, Rm. 306 on OSU campus, or online at corsrev.org/meeting.
Hosted by Central Ohio Revolutionary Socialists.
Columbus City Council Candidate Forum
Wednesday, April 9, 5:45-8pm
Bethany Presbyterian Church, 206 N Garfield Ave, Columbus, OH 43203
Join the Columbus Safety Collective Campaign tonight to gather signatures at this event. The campaign is focused on establishing an alternative emergency response system that serves all Columbus residents. The ballot measure, when appropriate, would dispatch EMS and mental health workers to help someone in a mental health or addiction crisis, instead of the police.
But first, we have to collect 25,000 valid signatures to get it on the ballot for November's election. We believe that together, we can build an anti-racist, health-centered approach to public safety that also promotes accountability and justice in our city!
We'll be meeting at 5:45 to gather signatures at the Columbus City Council District 7 Candidate Forum. As you walk into the event, look for our team with clipboards, petition books, and pens!
Harm Production: The “Columbus Way” co-opts another activists’ mission, and it isn’t going well
The “Columbus Way” is notorious for co-opting the ideas of grassroots activists for its own gain. Just ask former mayoral candidate Joe Motil, and it has happened again. This time to the “Saint of Sullivant Avenue,” the moniker the Free Press gave to Esther Flores who has worked tirelessly to help Hilltop and Franklinton “street sisters and brothers” in their struggle with addiction to illicit street drugs.
Flores, a registered nurse, runs the 1DivineLine2Health “harm reduction” drop-in at 2424 Sullivant Avenue. She’s been helping the addicted and all the challenges they bring, such as human trafficking, violence, homelessness, and disease, since 2015. She had the courage to be a Sullivant Avenue harm reduction pioneer and has risked everything to help thousands, many of whom are women and their children.
Defund Oligarchs
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Hoarded wealth that could transform millions of lives corrupts. The unprecedented wealth of today's multi-billionaires corrupts absolutely.
The incredible imbalance of wealth in today's United States corrupts not just the tiny number of people hoarding most of it, but also the political and social system in its entirety.
Forbes magazine recently introduced its list of billionaires like this:
"The world’s billionaires have always been rich and powerful—but never more than now. That’s particularly true in the United States, where Donald Trump was sworn in (again) as America’s billionaire-in-chief in January. This time around, he’s giving the billionaire class more control over the government than ever before. His right-hand man is the planet’s richest person. His administration includes at least ten billionaires and billionaire spouses."
Episcopal Church Immigration Updates
Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 1:00 – 1:30 PM
Due to the number of executive orders, immigration raids, and other policy changes, Episcopal Migration Ministries is scheduling weekly immigration calls. EMM will share updates and resources and will be joined by the Office of Government Relations and the Chief Legal Officer.
Spanish interpretation will be available.
Call on these legislators to protect our Ohio state parks
The Ohio Statehouse is in full swing, doing what it does best, which is to try to boost fracking of our beloved state parks, wildlife areas, and public lands. However, push back DOES work -- we've already gotten positive changes into one bill, and we need to keep pushing.
Help stop deportations
The federal government is escalating its outrages, snatching people off the street, sending people to a prison in El Salvador, claiming the power to act outside all laws including the U.S. Constitution.
You can add your name to a petition from a big coalition pushing back here.
The U.S. Congress is advancing legislation to strip sanctuary cities and states of rights and protections, as well as legislation to specifically do that to the city of Washington, D.C.