Chairman’s Update
Good Evening, Last night, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacant seat left on the Supreme Court by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Barrett will be only the fifth woman to ever serve on the nation’s highest court, and will do so with great deference to the Constitution. A successful student, lawyer and judge throughout her legal career, along with her dedication to her family, Barrett has already shown Americans she is capable of it all. Democrats have tried for four years now to obstruct President Trump’s goals. Democrats in the Senate will try to hinder our democratic processes for their own gain. These are the same Democrats who, in the 2016 election year, supported President Obama’s own Supreme Court nominee. President Trump is following precedent by moving to fill the vacant seat, and Americans deserve a fully staffed court of nine as soon as possible. Ohioans can rely on Senator Portman to take Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination into thorough consideration, and with a Republican majority in the Senate, I look forward to the rest of his colleagues doing the same. Sincerely, Jane M. Timken
Portman Highlights OneFifteen’s Efforts to Help Those Recovering from Addiction On Monday, Senator Portman released a video discussing his recent participation in the ribbon cutting ceremony for OneFifteen Living, a residential housing facility in Dayton dedicated to help people suffering from addiction get their lives back on track. Click here to watch the video and learn more about how this organization is helping save lives in the Dayton region. Portman has been a leader in Congress fighting addiction. He is the author of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and recently introduced a new bill called the TREATS Act to make permanent some of the telehealth options that are being used now for treatment due to Covid-19.
Governor DeWine Announces Nursing Home Indoor Visitation Governor DeWine announced two new health orders that will allow for indoor visitation at nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and intermediate care facilities in Ohio. Intermediate Care Facilities: The Ohio Department of Health issued the Director’s Order to Limit Access to Ohio’s Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and to Permit Visitation. Intermediate care facilities for Ohioans with developmental disabilities can resume indoor visitation beginning on Monday, September 28, if safety standards outlined in the order are met. Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities Nursing homes and assisted living facilities can begin allowing indoor visitation on Monday, October 12. This date was selected to allow adequate time for the facilities to prepare their physical plants, adjust staffing levels, update visitation policies, and communicate expectations with residents and families. Indoor visitation at nursing homes and assisted living facilities should only resume if certain safety standards are met. These standards will be outlined in a forthcoming public health order. When visitation resumes, a Long-Term Care Facility Dashboard will be added to the COVID-19 data dashboard at coronavirus.ohio.gov where users can access facility-specific visitation information. Husted Announces 1,400 STEMM Choose Ohio First Scholarships Lt. Governor Jon Husted last week called for Ohio colleges and universities to submit proposals for the next round of Choose Ohio First Scholarships. The program, founded by Husted while serving as Speaker of the Ohio House, is designed to get more Ohio students skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine – all skills that are in high demand in today’s economy. The new round of scholarships will help 1,400 students fund studies in these growing fields. Yost Provides Resources to Help Women and Children of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Attorney General Dave Yost announced $59 million in grants was being provided to help women and children of domestic violence and sexual assault last week. General Yost made it a priority that the funds, mostly provided by the federal government, go to groups that have direct, frontline interactions with victims of crime, including domestic violence and sexual assaults. “The organizations receiving these grants provide vital resources to families during one of the most difficult times of their lives,” Yost said. “It is important that every dollar go to support these victims and help them recover.” The federal grant money comes from the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. You can read more about the grants here.
LaRose Partners with Anheuser-Busch to Boost Voter and Election Worker Safety
To help make voting in person safe for voters and poll workers alike, Secretary LaRose joined Anheuser-Busch to announce their production and donation of hand sanitizer for county boards of elections. Close to 3,000 gallons are being distributed to boards throughout Ohio. LaRose has made it clear that in-person voting will be available and safe. “If you are comfortable going to your grocery store, you can go to your polling place” said LaRose.
Auditor Faber Speaks at Trump Rally This week, Auditor of State Keith Faber joined President Trump in Swanton to remind Ohioans how important it is to re-elect the president. President Trump has kept his promises to Ohioans. He’s cut taxes, reduced regulations, and appointed constitutionally conservative judges. President Trump will bring our economy back from the pandemic caused downturn and make America stronger than ever.
Sprague’s Small Business Grant Proposal Draws Support from Across Ohio Business leaders, community advocates, and policymakers continue to place their support behind Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague‘s proposal to create a statewide small business grant program by leveraging $100 million of the state’s remaining CARES Act allocation. Last week saw several county and regional chambers of commerce and economic development organizations come out in support of the proposal, as well as Congressmen Troy Balderson (OH-12) and Anthony Gonzales (OH-16).
Funds made available through the CARES Act must be allocated and spent by December 30.
Kennedy Continues to Travel Ohio Touching 9 Counties This Week
With only 37 days left until Election Day, Justice Sharon L. Kennedy continues to criss-cross the state. Visiting 9 counties this week, beginning in Northwest Ohio at a church service in Trumbull, ending in Southern Ohio with stops at the Vinton and Hocking Republican victory centers, and finding time in between to knock doors in Lake and Muskingum, and attend events in Cuyahoga, Marion, Hamilton, and Jackson. Sharon also participated in multiple virtual forums and meetings which included speaking to the Urbana Rotary, the Women’s International Network of Utility Professionals’ Ohio chapter, and a UC Clermont College politics class.
While visiting the victory center in Hocking, Sharon thanked the volunteers for their efforts.
“These volunteers work tirelessly,” said Sharon. “And their only reward is a sense of giving for the greater good and words of gratitude from candidates. I was grateful for the opportunity to stop by, thank them, and meet a steady stream of voters.”
Justice French Visits Gallia County GOP Fall Rally
Justice French spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the Gallia GOP Fall Rally this week. The crowd gathered for food, fun, and rousing speeches from 2020 candidates. Judi thanked the crowd and party volunteers for their support and tremendous efforts on her behalf. She asked them to keep up their energetic support for early voting and Election Day. |