News

This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame.

Bans on conversion therapy on minors now cover 25% of the state’s population.

After doing some research on the topic during summer break, Lorain City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to ban conversion therapy on minors during the council’s regular meeting on Sept. 3. 

“It was a great thing to do for the young people in our community,” said Council-at-large member Mary Springowski after the vote. Springowski had dedicated the ordinance to her brother Seán Donovan, who died in 2006 from an HIV-related illness. “I’m very glad that the council got on board with this.”

Wherever you live – whether it’s a Deep Red State or a Deep Blue State – you no longer have to feel the election has already been decided because you already know how your state’s going to vote. I am here to tell you, as you sit there 100 miles east of Bentonville, AR, or smack dab in the middle of the sweet aroma of Super Silver Haze in Berkeley, CA, you can have a powerful effect on this election! 

Beginning today and running all weekend long (and throughout September), the Democratic Party is organizing virtual phone banks for the Harris-Walz campaign, and for other Democrats down the ballot.

Click here for more information and to sign up! 

These are easy to do, simple to follow and a great way of impacting this election without ever leaving your apartment, house, or dorm room. 

This article first appeared on the Ohio Capital Journal

As promised, supporters of an anti-gerrymandering amendment have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to intervene regarding language the Ohio Ballot Board approved for the November ballot, saying the language violates the Ohio Constitution.

A brief filed Monday with the state’s highest court cites constitutional provisions that dictate the way in which titles and language can appear on Ohio ballots, according to the court document written by attorneys for Citizens Not Politicians, the authoring group for the redistricting reform.

It took the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission (OGLMC) just 22 minutes Monday to rubber stamp fracking under Keen Wildlife Area and four Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) parcels.

The four-member, unelected commission appointed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ignored shouted questions and concerns from Save Ohio Parks audience members about the harms of fracking under Ohio’s state parks and public lands, and did not allow the public to speak either before the meeting or afterward.

EOG Resources, Inc. of Houston, Texas was selected to frack 84 acres of Keen Wildlife Area in Harrison County. The lease bonus is expected to bring in $211,650 to the state, plus royalties of 12.5 percent and an additional amount of 5.5 percent of production, according to an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) press release.

The ongoing debate over redistricting in Ohio highlights a critical issue within the democratic process: the manipulation of ballot language by people in power to influence voter perception. This tactic is part of a larger national trend where biased ballot language is used as a tactic to defeat citizen-led initiatives. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is attempting to exploit the Citizens Not Politicians ballot language in an attempt to consolidate power and limit democracy.

On Thursday, civil rights leaders and advocacy groups released the following statements to the media condemning the biased ballot language released by LaRose: 

“Public service should be a calling, where elected officials honor the sacred trust instilled in them, but the language presented to the Ohio Ballot Board on redistricting is another sad example of politicians abusing their power.  This is another obvious attempt by Secretary of State LaRose to use his power to mislead voters, and as civil rights organizations, we believe the public will not buy it.” – Bria Bennett, Communications Director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative.

August 13, 2024 - Today marks a solemn victory in the pursuit of justice for Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn daughter, whose lives were tragically and unjustly taken at the hands of Blendon Township Police Officer Connor Grubb. Grubb now faces four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. On August 1st, Ta’Kiya and her family would have been celebrating her 22nd birthday. Instead, we remember and honor her, not as a footnote, but as the true victim in this tragic and unnecessary encounter, and as the actual beneficiary of the right to utilize Marsy’s Law, alongside her unborn daughter.

This indictment speaks to the resilience and persistence of those who demand accountability when gross misuses of power occur. Contrastingly, Connor Grubb and his partner are not victims. To use Marcy's Law to cloak officers from facing the consequences of their actions is an insult to every victim of police violence, an inversion of justice and moral accountability.

Tamie Wilson of Delaware County is looking to finally end the tortuous reign of Jim Jordan and his smirk in Ohio’s 4th congressional district. This will be the second try for this self-described “common sense candidate.” The odds are against her, as some polls have Jordan at a double-digit lead.

But the Democrat doesn’t see it that way. She’s steadfastly optimistic. She’s been at county fairs talking to District 4 voters, something Jordan rarely does. A third candidate, a libertarian, has entered the race, and she believes they will siphon votes away from Jordan. But there’s also a wild card about to be thrown down in her favor by George Clooney. His documentary on Jordan’s role – or lack thereof – in the Ohio State University sexual abuse scandal of its male athletes by Dr. Richard Strauss is scheduled to hit HBO in September or October.

 Klutch Cannabis, one of the Midwest’s premier vertically integrated cannabis companies, announced that its Ohio dispensaries were among the first to receive Dual Use Dispensary licenses from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control on Friday, August 2. The licenses will be effective on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Sales to eligible adults will begin at 10 AM Tuesday morning at the following locations:

The Citizen by Klutch in Canton – 401 Cherry Ave NE, Canton, Ohio 44702

The Citizen by Klutch in Lorain – 5152 Grove Ave, Lorain, Ohio 44055 

Both stores are open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days per week.