ODP Weekly Update: Health Care Is On The Ballot in 2018
Text NEWS to 90975 to get this update from the Ohio Democratic Party every week (standard rates may apply).
HEALTH CARE IS ON THE BALLOT
Ohio Democrats in Summit, Portage and Montgomery counties this week reminded Ohio voters that “health care is on the ballot in 2018,” as Republicans continue to push to repeal the Affordable Care Act and end Gov. John Kasich’s Medicaid expansion, which provides health coverage to 700,000 Ohioans.
David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said Good Samaritan is “symbolic, unfortunately, of what might happen if we don’t get it right in November.”
“This November we have on the ballot a group of candidates like the candidates here today who are fighting for things like Medicaid expansion, they are fighting for people with pre-existing conditions,” he said. “On the other side we have opponents who have voted again and again against Medicaid expansion.”
Protecting Kasich’s Medicaid expansion is critical for Ohio — and PolitiFact this week highlighted how Mike DeWine has done a “Full Flop” on the issue.
Ady Barkan — the father who confronted Sen. Jeff Flake last year and went viral — is bringing his “Be A Hero” tour to Ohio this week, with events in Cincinnati on Tuesday and central Ohio on Wednesday.
Come out to meet Ady and hear his story — and be inspired to be a hero for health care!
- Tuesday, July 24 — Be A Hero Community Conversation in Cincinnati
- Tuesday, July 24 — Three Beers for Democracy! Pledge to Vote with Be A Hero in Cincinnati
- Wednesday, July 25 — Health Care Town Hall with Ady Barkan in Hilliard
HRC ENDORSES BETSY RADER
This week he Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced its endorsement of Betsy Rader for U.S. House to represent Ohio’s 14th Congressional District.
“Betsy Rader has dedicated her life to fighting for equality, fairness and justice and will stand up for Ohio’s working families in Congress,” said HRC Ohio State Director Shawn Copeland. “The Human Rights Campaign is proud to endorse her candidacy to represent the people of Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, and we look forward to working with her in the fight for full federal equality.”
“It’s a true honor to have the support of the Human Rights Campaign,” said Rader. “One of the reasons I got into this race is because the Trump Administration announced that it would argue in court against the rights of LGBTQ Americans and, as the proud mother of two gay sons, I will fight with everything I’ve got to stop such discrimination. And this is personal; Congressman David Joyce has repeatedly voted to permit discrimination against LGBTQ individuals.”
AG RACES HEAT UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY
A national media outlet this week is highlighting top attorneys general races across the country, including Ohio — where Steve Dettelbach is running to take on the state’s broken political system and enforce one set of rules that applies to everyone.
From U.S. News & World Report:
In the Midwest, Ohio and Michigan are hosting open-seat contests that Democrats are attempting to swipe away… even Republicans acknowledge that Democrat Steve Dettelbach in Ohio is one of the more impressive candidates of the cycle….
Dettelbach, a former U.S. attorney, is outraising his opponent and attempting to carve a nonpartisan profile in a state dominated by Trump two years ago. Instead, he’s focusing on rooting out corruption in Columbus surrounding a politically influential charter school that drastically overbilled the state.
“My race is about something fundamentally people care about: The rule of law. Attorneys general: They don’t set tax policy, they don’t set foreign policy. What they do do is make sure everybody’s playing by the same set of rules,” he says. “People are sick of the back and forth, Republican this, Democrat that. They just want to make sure the system is fair.”
LIVE THE WAGE CHALLENGE
State Rep. Kent Smith this week participated in the #LiveTheWage challenge and attempted to live on just $17 a day — the average amount an Ohio minimum wage worker takes home after taxes and paying rent.
Smith is the sponsor of House Bill 86 with Rep. Hearcel Craig, which would raise the state’s current minimum wage from $8.30 per hour to $10.10 per hour.
The Cleveland-area lawmaker said an Ohio United Way study, showing 40 percent of Ohio families have trouble maintaining daily expenses on minimum wage, in part, motivated him to try living on $17 per day.
If Ohio were to raise their minimum wage to $10.10, more than 1 million Ohioans would get a raise, which would result in approximately $2.1 billion additional dollars being circulated throughout our economy.
DCCC TARGETS BALDERSON ON RAISING RETIREMENT AGE
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is up on the air in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District with a new television ad targeting Troy Balderson’s support for the GOP tax scam and raising the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security benefits.
The ad, “Happy,” holds Balderson accountable for the threat he poses to retirement security for central Ohioans. Specifically, the DCCC highlights Balderson’s support for the Republican tax bill that will add $2 trillion to the debt and could lead to cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits and his willingness to raise the retirement age for Medicare and Social Security.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Next weekend will mark 100 days to Election Day — click here to sign up and join a Campaign for Ohio Day of Action event near you!
- Monday, July 23 — Monday Seminar Series with Lucas County Democratic Party
- Tuesday, July 24 — Be A Hero Community Conversation in Cincinnati
- Tuesday, July 24 — Three Beers for Democracy! Pledge to Vote with Be A Hero in Cincinnati
- Tuesday, July 24 — Licking County Democratic Party Annual Picnic
- Tuesday, July 24 — Delaware County Democratic Party Summer Fundraiser
- Tuesday, July 24 — Avon Lake Democrats Picnic
- Tuesday, July 24 — Perrysburg Area Democratic Club Family Potluck Picnic
- Wednesday, July 25 — Health Care Town Hall with Ady Barkan in Hilliard
- Wednesday, July 25 — Frank LaRose Voter Purge Protest in Summit County
- Thursday, July 26 — Coffee with Janet Garrett in Urbana
- Thursday, July 26 — Country Over Party Town Hall with Ken Harbaugh in Canton
- Friday, July 27 — Portage County Democratic Party Chair’s Circle Cocktail Benefit
- Saturday, July 28 — Jill to the Hill Day of Action in Cincinnati
- Saturday, July 28 — Clintonville Canvass with Rick Neal and Danny O’Connor
- Saturday, July 28 — Ohio Young Black Democrats Black Votes Matter Brunch in Cincinnati
- Sunday, July 29 — Sandusky County Democratic Party Blue Wave BBQ
- Monday, July 30 — Ohio Young Black Democrats Community Action Meeting in Cincinnati
- Tuesday, July 31 — Country Over Party Town Hall with Ken Harbaugh in Coshocton
- Tuesday, July 31 — Jazz and Politics Event with Rob Richardson and Judge Melody Stewart
- Wednesday, Aug. 1 — Ohio Democratic Party Truth Team Digital Training in Athens County
- Thursday, Aug. 2 — Montgomery County Democratic Party Ladies Luncheon
- Saturday, Aug. 4 — Federated Women of Summit County Meeting with Susan Moran Palmer
- Monday, Aug. 6 — Meet and Greet with Vanessa Enoch in Troy
- Tuesday, Aug. 7 — Judge Melody Stewart Meet and Greet in Lorain County
- Wednesday, Aug. 8 — Coalition of Democratic and Progressive Organizations of Central Ohio Picnic with David Pepper
- Sunday, Aug. 12 — Northwest Montgomery County Democrats Annual Picnic
- Wednesday, Aug. 15 — Logan County Democratic Party Annual Picnic
- Thursday, Aug. 16 — Elyria Democratic Party Hilltop Park Cookout
PODCAST: AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ON THE BALLOT
This week’s Ohio Democratic Podcast features two African-American women running for the Ohio Statehouse — Juanita Brent, who is running in Ohio House District 12 in Cuyahoga County, and Erica Crawley, who is running for Ohio House District 26 in Franklin County.
