Chairman’s Update
Good Evening, Corruption of any kind must be rooted out and condemned, no matter who or what it involves. Unfortunately, greed and a thirst for power are not unique to any one political party. Everyone deserves the presumption of innocence, but holding a seat in public office is a privilege, not a right. That is why I called for the resignation of Larry Householder from his position as both legislator and Speaker of the House. Ohioans deserve better. The charges against Matt Borges, former Chairman of the Ohio GOP, are similarly shocking, although not quite as surprising. Under Borges’s direction, the party endured several Federal Election Committee violations, including improperly funding a voter database. The issue has been resolved and the ORP is now in good standing with the FEC. It does not come as a surprise that Matt Borges proved to be irresponsible once again. One thing we should all be able to unite in is the notion that people who break the law should be held accountable. I am confident that the FBI and DOJ will conduct a thorough review of all allegations against those involved, and that we will soon have more answers than questions. On a positive note, we are officially 100 days out from the November election. I know Ohioans are fired up and ready to re-elect President Trump, who has fought for Americans throughout his first term. He kept the promises he made to people across the nation, and I am confident voters will turn out to support him strongly on November 3rd. ICYMI: President Trump has put the health and safety of Americans ahead of political interests by canceling the 2020 Republican National Convention. Although we may not be able to celebrate in Jacksonville next month, we will continue working hard to ensure another victory! Sincerely, Jane M. Timken
Portman’s Restore Our Parks Act (ROPA) Heads to President Trump for Signature This week, the House of Representatives passed Senator Portman’s Restore Our Parks Act, landmark legislation he has pushed for years to protect and preserve America’s national parks. This bill passed the Senate in June and now heads to President Trump’s desk for signature. The bill will support more than 100,000 jobs over the next five years by rebuilding critical park infrastructure to help address the more than $12 billion backlog in long-delayed maintenance projects at the National Park Service (NPS). Notably, the measure would help tackle the more than $100 million maintenance backlog at Ohio’s eight national park sites. The Restore Our Parks Act is a part of a broader legislative package, the Great American Outdoors Act, that addresses the deferred maintenance backlog across federal land management agencies and provides permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Governor DeWine Issues Out-of-State Travel Advisory Governor DeWine announced a travel advisory for all individuals coming into Ohio from states reporting positive COVID-19 testing rates of 15 percent or higher. Those traveling from one of the following states should self-quarantine for 14 days at home or in a hotel.
The self-quarantine recommendation applies to those who live in Ohio and to people who are traveling into Ohio from any of these states. “I know this will be hard and is a sacrifice, especially as summer vacations are in full force, but when we have a higher likelihood of being exposed, we should take precautions to limit the exposure of others,” said Governor DeWine. Ohio’s positivity rate, which is an indicator of the percentage of people who have tested positive for COVID-19, has been around 6.2 percent. Husted Advances Broadband Expansion Plan Last week, Lt. Governor Husted announced the next steps being taken to advance Ohio’s Broadband Strategy, which was released through InnovateOhio in January. The Ohio Department of Transportation has fulfilled its commitment to streamline the permitting process for companies seeking to grow broadband infrastructure, and the DeWine-Husted Administration is now seeking funding to help get internet access to families across Ohio with no access to high speed internet to help them prepare for the coming school year in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The move has garnered praise from businesses and local officials across the state. Yost Discusses Police Reform, Protests & Constitutional Challenges Attorney General Dave Yost recently joined the National Constitution Center and National Association of Attorneys General for a bipartisan discussion on police reform, protests, and other constitutional challenges. Yost discussed Ohio’s efforts to bring increased training and oversight to the state, while denouncing the dangerous defund the police movement. “The vast majority of officers are good-hearted, patient, disciplined professionals who are doing a very difficult and dangerous job,” Yost said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing we can do is get rid of the few bad actors so that the good actors can resume their day-to-day work.” You can watch Yost’s full interview here. LaRose Announces Initiative to Recruit Lawyer to Receive Continuing Education for Serving as Poll Workers The Ohio Supreme Court issued an order allowing Ohio attorneys to receive required Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit for serving as precinct election officials on Election Day this fall. The decision supports the Secretary’s Ready for November initiative by recruiting new poll workers to ensure Ohio voters have a safe, secure and fair election. “Safe and accessible in-person voting is essential, and that requires large numbers of dedicated poll workers who will deliver accurate, accessible, secure, elections for their fellow Ohioans,” Secretary LaRose said. “The smart, hard-working, patriotic men and women who practice law in our state are ideally suited for this crucial public service.” Sign up to defend democracy as a poll worker at VoteOhio.gov/DefendDemocracy Auditor of State Faber Hosts Roundtable in Akron This week Auditor of State Keith Faber hosted a roundtable in Akron with citizens who have struggled with Ohio’s unemployment system. The pandemic has put incredible pressure on the state’s unemployment system, exposing problems and leaving thousands of Ohioans without the benefits they desperately need. Auditor Faber has been meeting with citizens to hear firsthand how the system is failing.
Treasurer Sprague Announces $161,000 in Savings for the City of Youngstown On Friday, Treasurer Sprague announced that the City of Youngstown will save approximately $161,300 in interest costs by taking advantage of the Ohio Market Access Program (OMAP). Through the program, the city has refinanced two one-year notes that were issued to renovate its city hall annex and pay costs related to construction of its convocation center.
“During these challenging times, we should be using every tool we have to increase efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars – and we’re proud to help Youngstown do just that,” said Treasurer Sprague. “Through the Ohio Market Access Program, we’ve put the state’s high credit rating to work for the city and provided them with significant savings.”
Kennedy Meets with Cleveland Pastors
From the bench to meetings around the state – Justice Sharon L. Kennedy found time to knock doors, participate in meet-ups on Zoom, speak at a backyard community event, and meet with Pastors in Cleveland. While her meetings focused on the important work of the court, Sharon also addressed treatment in-lieu of incarceration and restorative justice through re-entry partnerships. “Treatment and stopping the revolving door of detention and incarceration is a problem a community can address,” she said. “The faith based community have a deep understanding of what is needed in their communities and I am grateful for the opportunity to share my knowledge with them and bring partners who share their passion together.” Team French Meets Voters Around Ohio
Social distancing didn’t keep Judi and her team from connecting with Ohio voters. With both virtual and in-person meetings, Team French spread the message of just how important her re-election is. |