A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIR, JOHN HASELEY
John is taking a break from today’s column to celebrate the wedding of his son Jack! Congratulations to the newlyweds and their families!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Turn Out the Vote for Allison Russo and our Local Candidates!
We’re in the home stretch and need your help now. Can you commit to taking one or more of the following actions to get Democrats elected up and down the ballot?
- Door-to-door canvassing: We’ll be canvassing for 5 consecutive days starting Friday October 29 through Tuesday, November 2. For more information and to sign up to help, click here.
- Campaign Rally for Allison Russo: Join us Saturday, October 30 at 1 PM outside the Athens County Courthouse. Invite your friends and meet Allison in person!
- Athens Farmers Market Booth: Stop by Saturday, October 30 from 9 AM – 12:00 PM.
- Yard Signs: Athens City Council and Allison Russo for Congress signs are available at the Dems office. For delivery to your home, email Solveig Spjeldnes.
- Donate: Join Allison’s mailing list and make a donation.
Lunch & Learn
Join us Wednesday, November 3 from 12-1 PM via Zoom for our post-election Lunch & Learn. Register here. Have ideas for a speaker? Let Andrea and Solveig know. If you are not receiving our weekly emails about Lunch & Learn, please reply to this newsletter, info@athensdems.org, to be added to the list.
Extended Office Hours
Our Athens County Dem office is now open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12 -6 PM through November 3. Come get your yard signs!
Newsletter Schedule
The last ACDP Newsletter of 2021 will be Sunday, November 14. Look for the first edition of the New Year in your inbox Sunday, January 31.
THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO ELECTION DAY
Important Voting Dates!
- Early Voting Hours at the Board of Elections
- October 25 – 29 from 8 AM – 7 PM
- Saturday, October 30 from 8 AM – 4 PM
- Sunday, October 31 from 1 PM – 5 PM
- Monday, November 1 from 8 AM – 2 PM
- October 30 – The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 12 PM noon.
- November 1 – If mailed, absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than this date in order to be counted.
- November 2 – Election Day! The polls are open 6:30 AM – 7:30 PM. Confirm your Athens County polling place here. NOTE: Hand-delivered absentee ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 7:30 PM to be counted.
For complete information about voting, visit the websites of the Ohio Secretary of State or the Athens County Board of Elections.
To get personalized voting information including the specific races and issues on your ballot, go to vote411.org (supported by the League of Women Voters Education Fund).
Poll Workers Needed
Athens County is still short on its minimum number of poll workers required for November 2. If you want to be a poll worker and you’re a resident of Athens County, call the Board of Elections office directly at 740-592-3201. To see poll worker FAQs, click here.
COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE NEWS
Cards Delivered to Nursing Homes
Thanks to all who wrote cards this past month for nursing home residents! On October 13, 200 cards were delivered to 4 local nursing homes. We are sure that the images and kind messages brought smiles to the faces of many residents and brightened their day.
Got Feedsacks?
We are in need of feedsacks to turn into reusable bags! Please drop your empty clean feed sacks (bird seed bags are especially appreciated with their beautiful images) at the Dems office during office hours. Contact Janalee for more information about all our community service projects.
RECENT EVENTS
Allison Russo for US Congress Fundraiser
Over 40 Athens Dems came out Thursday, October 14 to support Allison at Pleasant Hill Vineyards. It was a beautiful day, a great event, and we are proud to have such a smart, experienced candidate running to represent the 15th District!
OU Homecoming Parade
Thanks to all the democrats who marched in the October 9 OU Homecoming Parade. We had quite a turnout! The spirited group included Mayor Steve Patterson, City Law Director Lisa Eliason, and representatives from the Allison Russo Campaign. Kudos to OU College Dems president Grant Perry and our own Patrice Beard for getting us organized!
LEGISLATION AND REDISTRICTING UPDATES
Bills
SB209 The extemely controversial bill prohibiting public schools from requiring facial coverings for students, staff and visitors looks like it will not pass! Hooray! The OEA was a strong voice opposing this dangerous legislation. Read more in this Oct. 21 Columbus Dispatch article.
SB123 The Anti-Abortion Trigger Ban bill received sponsor testimony on Sept. 29 as over 100 protesters marched in opposition. Sen. Kristina Roegner (R) and Sen. Sandra O’Brien (R) introduced the “Enact the Human Life Protection Act” in March to ban all abortions if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. This is copycat legistlation that has been passed in at least 12 other states controlled by Republicans. Read more in this Sept. 29 Cleveland.com article.
HB454 The so-called “Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act” is yet another assault on Ohio’s transgender community. The cruel bill would prohibit children under age 18 from obtaining hormone treatments, puberty blockers and surgery to transition genders, even with parental consent. Maria Bruno, Equality Ohio’s public policy director, said “[t]his bill attempts to ban evidence-based medical treatment that is supported by medical professionals, including but not limited to the American Academy of Pediatricians, the Endocrine Society, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychiatric Association.” Read more in this Oct. 19 Cleveland.com article.
HB 322 and 327 Both bills aim to ban the teaching of truthful, accurate history about race in this country in Ohio’s public schools. Republican attempts to rewrite history and not educate our children about the legacy of racism in this country will have dire consequences. Our children deserve honesty, not to be set on a path of ignorance by avoiding discussions about race and inequality. Rep. Jay Edwards is a co-sponsor of both of bills. Read more in this Sept. 22 post by the ACLU of Ohio.
State Board of Education Rescinds Its Resolution Condemning Racism
In its 10-7 vote, “the board eliminated a resolution passed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder that acknowledged there had been racism and inequity in state schools against Black students, Indigenous students and students of color.” If you live in the 9th district (Nelsonville York and Trimble Local Schools), you might want to reach out to Michelle Newman and thank her for standing firm in her dissent. If you live in the 8th district, which includes the rest of Athens County, you might want to reach out to John Hagan and give him a piece of your mind. Hagan is seen as the leader on the state board in opposition to critical race theory. Read more about the vote and the profiles of the 10 members who rescinded the resolution in this Oct. 15 Cleveland.com article. Read Newman’s Oct. 17 guest column for the Newark Advocate.
Redistricting
State Redistricting: The Republican majority of the bipartisan Redistricitng Commission approved a redistricting plan that preserves the GOP’s lopsided majorities – a direct violation of Ohio’s new constitutional amendment. There are three different lawsuits challenging the map. Governor DeWine’s son sits on the Ohio Supreme Court which will hear the cases. Even though his father is a defendant who will likely give testimony, Justice DeWine has refused to recuse himself. Justice Jennifer Brunner has publically criticized his decision. Read more about the recusal issue here.
Ohio Congressional Redistricting: The Ohio Redistricting Commission is supposed to be drawing the new Congressional district map after state lawmakers failed to agree on one before the constitutional deadline of Sept. 30. The commission has until October 31 to reach a bipartisan agreement for a 10-year map. If they fail to do so, the process heads back to the legislature. So far, the commission has not scheduled any public hearings, frustrating groups fighting for Fair Maps. Read more here.
Why should I care about the Congressional District 15 Special Election to replace Steve Stivers?
Congressional District 15 voters have a stark choice this November 2nd. We have an experienced, reasonable legislator and health policy expert or a Trump lackey, career-long coal industry lobbyist.
I’m all in for Allison Russo! I have talked with her and she is for real. Allison is ably serving as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for the 24th District. She worked as a healthcare consultant for government policymakers before becoming a legislator. She supports investing in transportation, broadband, utilities, schools, and affordable housing. Her goals are to ensure that our loved ones have access to healthcare, childcare, and treatment for substance use disorders – especially during this troubling time. Allison exemplifies the character and skills needed to serve us – not just the rich and corporate presidents.
Russo is endorsed by the AFL-CIO, The Federation of Teachers, National Federation of Independent Business-Ohio, Innovation Ohio, the League of Women Voters, the League of Conservation Voters, the Ohio Environmental Council and 314 Action and more.
In contrast, Mike Carey, has served coal industry interests by lobbying for Murray Energy (renamed American Consolidated Natural Resources, Inc.) as Vice President of Government Affairs. Carey has spread disinformation about climate change, denied the environmental impacts of coal waste, favored subsidies for coal companies costing Ohioans millions of dollars a year in tax revenue, and opposed the creation of well-paying green energy jobs. Bankruptcy proceedings show that Murray Energy, contributed to the dark money slush fund Generation Now that financially supported the career of (since expelled) Ohio Republican House Leader Larry Householder, in exchange for Householder promoting HB 6, a bill that gave large subsidies to nuclear plants. On his watch, an Ohio mining company declared bankruptcy forcing the union to pick up retiree’s pension.
Carey is only endorsed by the National Rifle Association.
In LinkedIn, he wrote “My passion truly lies in exploring and advocating for energy issues affecting the coal mining business at both the state and national levels.”
For more information about Allison Russo’s positions and voting record, click here.
DONATE TO THE ACDP
We are so grateful to everyone who has financially supported the ACDP in the past. The fight to defend democracy and turn Ohio blue is far from over. If you have not donated recently to the ACDP, and have the means, please do so today