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The ballot for this coming November 7 may offer another monumental chance for progressive voters in Columbus to take needed action – and this in case, to ensure legal and safe access to abortion. This week the Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom announced they are joining together to place a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment on November’s 2023 statewide general election ballot.

The jointly drafted amendment will be similar to a constitutional amendment approved by Michigan voters last November.

A distinction between the two is the Ohio Physician for Reproductive Rights is mostly backed by 1,400 doctors and healthcare professionals while Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of statewide reproductive rights and justice organizations such as the ACLU of Ohio, Abortion Fund of Ohio, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, Ohio Women’s Alliance, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

Nothing stinks worse than a cover-up that’s been exposed, but then again, Norfolk Southern is donating to each resident of East Palestine a $5 bill for their troubles.

“They’ve offered the town $25,000, or $5/person. The railroad is worth $55 BILLION,” Tweeted Nina Turner former national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign.

That’s just for their immediate challenges, like being forced to run for their lives. But what about any long-term issues for residents? Or anyone else, for that matter, who may become exposed to the vinyl chloride spilling into the Ohio River.

Former Columbus City Council candidate and long-time community advocate Joe Motil’s Declaration of Candidacy petitions for Mayor of Columbus  were certified this afternoon by the Franklin County Board of Elections. Mr. Motil and current Mayor Andrew Ginther will face off in the November 7,2023 General Election.   

As a community leader and advocate for fairness, opportunity, equality, and justice, Mr. Motil has been involved with city government for 37 years in numerous capacities. His advocacy and commitment is well known and respected throughout Columbus’ neighborhoods. He is recognized especially for his fights against the city’s tax abatement policies, proposing solutions for truly affordable housing, advocating for the unsheltered, exposing corruption and the unethical conduct of city officials, police reform, and advancing the rights for all Columbus citizens voices to be heard.       

Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery facilitated the February salon on Zoom. The theme was “Listen to voices of peace in the world of conflict.”

Watch salon video here.

First, he introduced Yurii Sheliazhenko of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement who was tuning in to speak with us live from Kyiv, Ukraine at 2am in the morning. It is close to a year from the anniversary of the Ukraine war. His group provides legal aid for war resisters. He spoke about the universal unjust system of militarism – blaming or conquering the enemy just foments more violence. He opposes the war and has been threatened. The hope is for a ceasefire

He noted that officially they say over 7000 civilians have been killed, which is a conservative estimate, and could be 40,000. Counting soldiers, the number could be 100,000 on each side. He pointed out how there have been war crimes on both sides, using people as human shields and setting landmines.

Somewhere in a secure office bunker outside Washington, D.C. …

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, convenes a meeting of his top political advisers.

The octogenarian minority leader has placed winning the Ohio Senate seat on the agenda today.

“Gentlemen,” he says, “We must win Ohio in 2024 in order to regain control of the Senate. I am tired of the near misses of the past two elections and I am getting too damn old to wait any longer to reclaim my rightful destiny as majority leader.”

“What do we know about this Ohio State Senator Matt Dolan, who just announced?”

An aide replies, “Dolan ran in the primary in 2022 and finished third to J.D. Vance and that former state official who has a robotic personality. Can’t think of his name. Dolan is the likable scion of the wealthy family that owns the Cleveland Indians, err Guardians. The family put millions into his last campaign. He comes from the not completely crazy wing of the Ohio party.”

“Who else?", says Mitch.

Sports betting is legal in Ohio, as if anyone needed reminding. And at Hollywood Casino on the West Side, its “Sportsbook” – a 12,000 sq. ft. area strictly for sports betting – is opening February 11 with seven betting windows and 30 kiosks.

Sports betting is becoming Columbus’s newest addiction. Through phone apps, kiosks at both Crew and Blue Jackets games, and soon at Kroger. Adults can also make bets during the game – it’s called “live betting” or “in-game betting”. Also known as “micro betting” considering gamblers can bet on what team scores the next touchdown or what athlete scores the next goal.

The Oil and Gas Land Management Commission met Wednesday morning to discuss a change to the Ohio Revised Code which will compel state agencies starting April 7 to approve any request from the oil and gas industry for extraction on public land. 

In attendance at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources office on Morse Road was a group of dedicated users of Ohio state parks and forests who demanded robust public notice and commenting procedures before any state lands are fracked or drilled, as well as calling out the oil and gas industry’s grab of our public land. 

The meeting follows the passage of HB 507, signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on January 6. HB 507 forces any state agency, which owns a parcel of public land, to allow the oil and gas industry to extract from public land. It changed the phrase “may lease” to “shall lease” under the law.

Former Columbus City Council candidate and long-time community activist Joe Motil is submitting more than 2,000 petition signatures to the Franklin County Board of Elections at noon on Wednesday February 1, 2023. This officially confirms his campaign for mayor in the 2023 non-partisan May primary election.  

As a community leader dedicated to fairness, opportunity, equality, and justice, Motil has been involved with city government for 37 years in numerous capacities. His advocacy and commitment is well known and respected throughout Columbus’ neighborhoods. He is recognized especially for his fights against the city’s tax abatement policies, proposing solutions for truly affordable housing, advocating for the unsheltered, exposing corruption and the unethical conduct of city officials, reforming police, and advancing the rights for all Columbus citizens voices to be heard.       

Former Columbus City Council candidate and long-time community activist Joe Motil is submitting more than 2,000 petition signatures to the Franklin County Board of Elections at noon on Wednesday February 1, 2023. This officially confirms his campaign for mayor in the 2023 non-partisan May primary election.  

As a community leader dedicated to fairness, opportunity, equality, and justice, Motil has been involved with city government for 37 years in numerous capacities. His advocacy and commitment is well known and respected throughout Columbus’ neighborhoods. He is recognized especially for his fights against the city’s tax abatement policies, proposing solutions for truly affordable housing, advocating for the unsheltered, exposing corruption and the unethical conduct of city officials, reforming police, and advancing the rights for all Columbus citizens voices to be heard.       

When Ohio Attorney General David Yost went judge shopping to permanently ban Columbus City Council’s effort to enact even the mildest of gun safety laws, the Free Press was certain the Fairfield County judge he found would side with the State of Ohio.

Many were confused or not paying attention: How could a Fairfield County judge have authority over Columbus? Unfortunately, and almost unimaginably, is how a tiny sliver of southeast Columbus extends into neighboring (and mostly conservative) Fairfield County.

But the Free Press was thankfully wrong. Fairfield County Common Pleas Judge Richard Berens on January 20 denied the State of Ohio’s motion for a preliminary injunction to forever ban Columbus’s gun safety measures passed in December.