ODP Weekly Update: Staying Focused On Helping Hard-Working Ohioans
FROM HEALTH CARE TO EDUCATION TO THE DIGNITY OF WORK, DEMS FOCUSED ON HELPING HARD-WORKING OHIOANS
As Republicans become mired in cultures of corruption in Washington and Columbus, Ohio Democrats are laser-focused on the issues that matter to hard-working Ohioans: Affordable and accessible health care, cleaning up corrupt charter schools and the dignity of work.
This was illustrated when Donald Trump came to Columbus Friday for the Ohio Republican Party dinner, and Ohio Republicans publicly aligned themselves with him and his disastrous health care agenda. Trump’s sabotage of health care is projected by the Congressional Budget Office to increase insurance premiums by 16 percent in Ohio next year.
From the Columbus Dispatch:
“Tonight, they are all signaling this is Donald Trump’s Ohio Republican Party … their presence at tonight’s dinner is a slap in the face of Ohioans” concerned about the Trump administration’s fight to overturn key parts of the Affordable Care Act, including guaranteed insurance coverage for pre-existing conditions, said Betty Sutton, the lieutenant governor running mate to Democrat Rich Cordray.
In a conference call with reporters, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper said Trump is “leaving the stench of his own corruption” in Washington D.C. for the trip to Columbus.
Chairman Pepper observed “the elephant not in the room” was Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who has fought Trump to protect Medicaid expansion, while Mike DeWine has refused time and again to protect Ohioans’ health care.
Trump took a swing at Rich Cordray during the ORP dinner and whiffed as Cordray and others shared the truth on his record of fighting for everyday people against Wall Street exploitation.
Fighting for everyday people is important to Ohio Democrats up and down the ticket, and the Ohio Democratic Party launched a new tool this week at OhioDems.org/ECOT to show county-by-county exactly how much public money was ripped off during the ECOT ‘Chartergate’ scandal, and what that money could have paid for instead.
The rollout of this new tool was part of the Ohio Democrats’ Back-to-School ECOT ‘Chartergate’ Tour that featured stops in Dayton and Cincinnati last week and continues this week in Northern Ohio.
Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has been fighting for everyday Ohioans his entire career, which he highlighted during an appearance with Chris Matthews on MSNBC this week.
Here’s what Sherrod had to say about making hard work pay off for all Ohioans:
“You fight for the little guy, whether she punches a clock, whether he works in a diner, whether she works construction, whether he works in manufacturing or works in a nursing home… As a party, we’ve got to show we’re fighting for the little guy.
“That’s what that ad is about — it’s about the dignity of work, respecting all work, no matter what you earn, no matter where you work — that the dignity of work is what drives this country and gives people a decent standard of living. And we’ve too often forgotten that.
“That’s the kind of government people in Ohio want: a government that’s responsive to workers, that helps our country, that brings prosperity to our communities.”
WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY
Today we are celebrating National Women’s Equality Day — the 98th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
The day serves as a reminder that Betty Sutton and Rich Cordray have put forward a plan for an Ohio Commission on Women and Girls:
The Cordray/Sutton administration is committed to making Ohio a state that advances the representation, status, needs, and opportunities of women and girls.
This dedication to uplifting women and girls goes beyond paying attention to “women’s issues,” it means implementing a concerted, focused plan to root out inequalities in every facet of daily life — including, but not limited to, education, health care, economic security, and representation.
KATHLEEN CLYDE EMERGES AS CHANGE CANDIDATE AT LWV FORUM
Democratic Secretary of State candidate and state Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) joined panelists at a Cleveland League of Women Voters and Plain Dealer Voting Issues Forum Wednesday to discuss her plan to ensure fair, secure and transparent elections in Ohio.
During the forum, Clyde emerged as the change candidate, highlighting her commitment to fair districts, cybersecurity, transparency in campaign finance and making voting more accessible for Ohioans.
DETTELBACH HOLDING PUBLIC SAFETY ROUNDTABLES
As news broke this week that Mike DeWine allowed state Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents to go into the field with expired kevlar vests, Democratic AG candidate Steve Dettelbach launched his “Got Your Back” tour — a series of public safety roundtables across Ohio.
“Not listening to law enforcement on the front lines is how you end up sending them out on the streets with expired bulletproof vests. That’s wrong, and we’ve got to do better,” Dettelbach said. “My campaign is launching the ‘Got Your Back’ tour to listen to these men and women and to share these ideas all over the state. Whether it is talking about how to put an end to the culture of corruption in Columbus, how to better support law enforcement, or how to fight human trafficking and protect our kids, I look forward to these conversations this fall.”
DNC MEMBERS REFORM PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS
Meeting in Chicago this week, DNC members passed the most wide-ranging reforms in decades to the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating process. These reforms will grow the Democratic party, increase participation, rebuild trust with voters, and put our next nominee in the strongest position possible to win.
Here are the specifics:
Superdelegates: The reforms passed by the full DNC require superdelegates to refrain from voting on the first presidential nominating ballot unless a candidate has enough votes from pledged delegates (based on the outcomes of primaries and caucuses) that superdelegates wouldn’t overturn the will of the people. While superdelegates have never in history reversed the will of the voters, this proposal rebuilds trust and addresses even the perception that this could occur. This proposal still gives superdelegates access to credentials, housing, and the convention floor; it maintains their voting privileges on all other party business like the platform, it maintains diversity of the 2016 delegate pool; and it does not preclude superdelegates from endorsing a candidate of their choosing.
Caucuses: The DNC passed reforms that make caucuses more inclusive, transparent, and accessible to participants. Specifically, these reforms require caucuses to have absentee voting or another mechanisms that would give folks who can’t participate in person a way to join in the process. In addition, these reforms mandate that states provide a written vote to allow for a recount if needed.
Primaries: While caucuses definitely have their place in the nominating process, the reforms encourage state parties to use a government-run primary where possible and to help ensure that primaries are more accessible to anyone who wants to participate as a Democrat. In addition, the reforms encourage state parties to work with states to strive for same-day or automatic registration and same-day party switching in Democratic primaries.
Party Reforms: The DNC passed reforms focused on strengthening the party and making it more competitive in all regions by investing in technology, empowering grassroots participation, diversifying the donor base, and supporting state parties in building infrastructure. Specifically, these reforms will combat voter suppression tactics; make the party competitive in every state and territory; increase grassroots participation; make the party more transparent, including in its Joint Fundraising Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding; and strengthen inclusivity and build on the great diversity of the party.
PRIDE ON DISPLAY IN AKRON
Ohio Democrats were on hand at Akron Pride Saturday sharing information on all our great candidates who will fight for equality and inclusiveness for all Ohioans.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- Sunday, Aug. 26 — Parma Democratic Party Picnic
- Tuesday, Aug. 28 — Stop Judge Kavanaugh Rally in Cleveland with NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio
- Tuesday, Aug. 28 — OPEN TO ALL UNION MEMBERS — Louise Valentine for Ohio Senate, Allison Russo for Ohio House, Beth Liston for Ohio House, and Representative Kristin Boggs speak at Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) meeting in Columbus
- Wednesday, Aug. 29 — Lucas County Democratic Party Blue Cocktail Hour
- Thursday, Aug. 30 — Clermont County Young Dems “Skate Jill to the Hill” Event
- Thursday, Aug. 30 — OSU College Dems Fundraiser in Columbus
- Thursday, Aug. 30 — Health Care Town Hall with Vanessa Enoch
- Tuesday, Sept. 4 — Ottawa County Blue Cocktail Hour
- Tuesday, Sept. 4 — Franklin County Treasurer’s Office Art Exhibit Opening Reception with Cheryl Brooks Sullivan
- Monday, Sept. 10 — League of Women Voters of Greater Dayton Meeting in Miamisburg
- Thursday, Sept. 13 — Grab ’Em By the Midterms Rally in Cleveland
- Friday, Sept. 14 — Women and Youth Empower Ohio Kickoff in Columbus
- Tuesday, Sept. 18 — Montgomery County Blue Cocktail Hour
- Wednesday Sept. 19 — Hardin and Hancock Blue Cocktail Hour
YOUR HEALTH CARE IS ON THE PODCAST
This week’s Ohio Democratic Podcast features a roundup of the Ohio Democratic Party’s health care tour media events around Ohio with a wide variety of statewide candidates and Statehouse candidates speaking about their commitment to making sure Ohioans have affordable, accessible health care.
