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• Posted Ayotte Supporters Heckle Father of Murdered Daughter at Vigil to Remember Victims of Gun Violence to ProgressOhio
  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE A press release issued by Granite State Progress reported that a speaker and affected victim, John Cantin, was heckled during the "No More Names" bus tour stop in New Hampshire. Gun Rights supporters attended to rebut the anti-gun message but did so in a way that was described as "heartless display...
• Posted Obamacare Rate Shock to ProgressOhio
  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE It is no secret that President Obama's Affordable Care Act, "Obamacare", has been under a great deal of scrutiny since it was signed into law in 2010. While the act attempts to provide healthcare that is both affordable and more comprehensive, it has left many citizens up in arms about the...
• Posted Sequester Continues to Hurt Ohio to ProgressOhio
  Today, Policy Matters Ohio reported on the across the board spending cuts that takes $284 million out of Ohio's budget this year. These cuts, (although across the board), have disproportionately affected young, elderly and lower income Ohioans through the cuts to social services, public health programs, Head Start and preschool slots, and more.Policy Matters Ohio reports: "The sequester will hurt...
• Posted Ohio's New State Budget- Great for Few, Bad for Most to ProgressOhio
  Over the past few months, ProgressOhio has been a loud voice against the Republican controlled Ohio House and Senate, and their new state budget that disproportionately favors wealthier Ohioans. The Toledo Blade reports on the latest status of the budget, and how you might be affected- State lawmakers are wrapping up work on the new two-year budget that takes...
• Posted Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Sends Letter to Kasich on JobsOhio to ProgressOhio
  From the Ohio Democratic Party-   ODP CHAIRMAN CHRIS REDFERN SENDS LETTER TO GOVERNOR KASICH REGARDING JOBSOHIO'S IN-STATE ADVERTISING PUSH, USE OF DUBIOUS SURVEY   COLUMBUS - Ohio Democratic Party chairman Chris Redfern today sent the following letter to Governor John Kasich regarding JobsOhio's placement of campaign-style advertisements in media outlets across Ohio this past weekend which rely on a dubious,...
• Posted Ohio House Votes Down Senate Amendments to State Budget to ProgressOhio
  The Capital Bureau Chief reports on the expected Ohio House rejectin of the Senate amendments to Ohio's $61 billion-plus biennial budget:The vote against concurrence was a unanimous 94-0. The conference committee is controlled by Republicans and includes three members from each chamber. The two-year spending plan must by finalized by lawmakers and signed by Gov. John Kasich before July 1,...
• Posted Ohio's Charter Schools Spend More on Administration Than Public Schools to ProgressOhio
  0 0 1 33 190 ProgressOhio 1 1 222 14.0 Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Today, Innovation Ohio published a rundown on how Charter Schools spend a significantly larger portion of...
• Posted Gov. Kasich Boasts About Wage Increases to ProgressOhio
  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE It seems that since the 2010 gubernatorial race, topics such as Ohio's economy and job growth have consistently been on the tip of Governor John Kasich's tongue. According to Kasich and his representatives, there have been tremendous strides in these areas. During elections he stated that his pro-business agenda would bring...
• Posted Felon Thanks the NRA to ProgressOhio
  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Late last week a letter was submitted to the Hartford Courant from an inmate at the "Supermax" prison in Florence, Colorado. One might expect this letter to contain a heartfelt apology to the community or perhaps the begrudged ramblings of an aggravated prisoner. In fact, it was neither; the letter, instead,...
• Posted Easing Restrictions On Semi-Automatic Magazines to ProgressOhio
  Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE A new bill proposed by Rep. John Becker would alter the definition of automatic weapons such that it would permit the use of magazines exceeding 30 rounds with semi-automatic weapons. Cincinnati.com covered the story and explained that "Under the Ohio Revised Code, a semi-automatic weapon becomes an automatic weapon once the...
• Posted Experts, Locals Talk About Impact of Budget on Zanesville to ProgressOhio
  Today's  Zanesville event was one of many press a statewide swing across the state on how the proposed budget will effect local communities and middle class families. Ohio is left with over $4.3 billion more in this state budget than the last. Instead of using that money to restore the nearly $3 billion they cut from schools and local governments...
• Posted Fox News Caught In Misleading Ohioans on ACA to ProgressOhio
    Media Matters debunks a flawed Fox News study that falsely claims that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will increase health insurance market premiums by 88 percent in the state of Ohio, ignoring the counter effect of the premium tax credit subsidy and deceptively suggesting that premium increases will affect the state's entire population.     But the 88 percent...
• Posted Toledo Choice Clinic Closes Its Doors to ProgressOhio
  After years of providing reproductive health serives to women in Northwest Ohio, the Center for Choice located in Toledo closed its doors Monday afternoon. The closure comes in part due to an Ohio provision that requires ambulatory surgical facilities to have a written transfer agreement with a local hospital, and of the three hospitals in the Toledo area, all found themselves...
• Posted Kasich Dodges Questions about the Budget to ProgressOhio
  Earlier today, NARAL published a press release from the Chamber of Commerce forum citing Gov. John Kasich's response to questions regarding the recent budgetary proposals that would severely cut funding to vital health services for women:   Columbus, OH - Today at a Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce forum, University of Toledo medical student Avneet Singh asked Governor John Kasich...
• Posted The Strange Case of Jobs Ohio and Public Auditing of Private Firms to ProgressOhio
  An Ohio law signed by Gov. John Kasich last week would block public oversight of state liquor store revenues that are now being funneled to a private economic development entity. But a bipartisan effort is already underway to prevent the measure from taking effect. The new law forbids Ohio Auditor Dave Yost from auditing $100 million in wholesale liquor...
• Posted League of Women Voters Ohio Sound Off on Husted's "Chilling Effects" to ProgressOhio
  Columbus, OH - Today, the League of Women Voters of Ohio issued the following open letter to Ohio election officials, a full copy of which is available at www.lwvohio.org: Dear Secretary Husted and President Herron, The League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) is a nonpartisan organization committed to protecting Ohio citizens' right to vote.  We are deeply disturbed by recent actions...
• Posted Immigration Reform Gets Backing from Ohio Business Group to ProgressOhio
  The Greater Cleveland Partnership endorsed immigration reform this week, citing the current system as "broken" and saying it was a drag on the economy. A recent study from the Center for American Progress looked at this very issue and found that Ohio would see a clear economic benefit from reform: 100,000 undocumented immigrants in the state $414 million increase in...
• Posted Dems Document Thousands of Cases of Voter Suppression Missed by Secretary Husted to ProgressOhio
  Legislators Release Report on Real Problem in Ohio Elections: Voter Suppression  COLUMBUS- State Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) and State Representative Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent) today released a report documenting thousands of instances of voter suppression - discouraging people from voting, denying voters their ballots, and throwing out votes - that took place during the 2012 general election.  Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted...
• Posted The Meltdown at America's Most Conservative, Most Christian Political Consulting Firm to ProgressOhio
  Buzzfeed covers the inside of the meltdown at America's most conservative, most Christian political consulting firm: DELAWARE, Ohio -- About 30 miles north of Columbus, down the road from a Walmart and across the street from a Walmart-sized Baptist church, a brick-faced Victorian estate stands alone in a meadow of persimmons. The building blends nicely into the landscape, except...
• Posted Conservatives Take on Ricin Sent to Gun Violence Group to ProgressOhio
  We recently found out that an organization that we've worked with on gun violence for years, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, received a threatening letter that tested positive for ricin.  While searching for a link to the story, a Free Republic thread came up as one of the top search results.  Here is a sampling of comments on the story:  ...
• Posted Post-Newtown Gun Deaths Top Iraq War Losses to ProgressOhio
  Americans United for Change has the statistics: 4,488: U.S. Military Casualties During Iraq War4,494: U.S. Gun Deaths Since Mass Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, as of May 30th Washington D.C. -  4,494 lives have been ended by guns in America since the mass child shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary less than six months ago, according to Slate, including 184 in Ohio. The post-Newtown death toll now surpasses total U.S. military casualties during...
• Posted Kasich Backing the Bus Up over the Public's Right to Know to ProgressOhio
  Today we found out that Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio House were "rocketing" through a bill to stop Republican State Auditor David Yost from fully auditing JobsOhio. Once again Kasich chose the concerns of corporate contributors over the red flags raised by our state auditor. This bill is plainly contrary to anyone's idea of good governance, which is why...
• Posted Ed FitzGerald's Time at the FBI to ProgressOhio
  Ed FitzGerald is the current Cuyahoga County executive and, as of yet, the only announced opponent for John Kasich in next year's race for governor. Perhaps the most eye-catching line on his resume, however, is his stint at the FBI. Over the weekend the Cleveland Plain Dealer published the first in-depth look at this part of his career. FitzGerald stayed...
• Posted Could Kasich Take a Page from Jan Brewer? to ProgressOhio
  Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's time in office has been less than inspirational (see here and here, for starters). However, John Kasich may want to keep an eye on Brewer's latest tactic - a "moratorium" on new legislation until the Arizona state legislature agrees to expand Medicaid: "I warned that I would not sign additional measures into law until we see resolution of...
• Posted Gun Owners Finds More Loopholes Around Laws. to ProgressOhio
  Bryan Schatz attends a "building party", where gun enthusiasts privately collect and assemble pieces from various assault rifles: Although US customs laws ban importing the weapons, parts kits--which include most original components of a Kalashnikov variant--are legal. So is reassembling them, as long as no more than 10 foreign-made components are used and they are mounted on a new receiver, the...
• Posted Increased Natural Disasters Linked to Climate Change to ProgressOhio
  This week, as our nation still mourns those lost from the Oklahoma tornado, a new report released by Environment Ohio suggests link between global climate change and increased natural disasters. The report states that seven out of ten Ohioans have suffered from a weather disaster in the past six years.Julian Boggs, state policy advocate for the green group, said that,...
• Posted How the Tea Party Could Hurt Kasich to ProgressOhio
  The IRS scandal has put the Tea Party back in the news, and Ohio conservatives have been featured prominently in stories about the targeting of groups because of their political affiliations. But an invigorated Tea Party may not be the best news for some Republicans, including Gov. John Kasich, who has alienated some members of his party just 18...
• Posted Connie Pillich Running for Ohio Treasurer to ProgressOhio
    Today State Representative Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) announced that she will seek the Ohio Treasurer's office in 2014.  "I'm running for Treasurer because working families, small business owners, and seniors need someone who will fight for them.  Ohioans deserve a Treasurer who will do the job she was elected to do and will make sure our tax dollars are protected...
• Posted Statewide Medicaid Expansion Day of Action Event in Whitehall Draws Concerned Ohioans to ProgressOhio
  Concerned Ohioans and the media attended an event in Whitehall today.  This event is one of 10 around the state, which occurred today to bring attention to the need for the legislators at the statehouse to support Governor Kasich's Medicaid Expansion Plan. The health care for 275,000 Ohioans depends upon expanding Ohio's Medicaid Program.    Speakers included: Bob Thurman, Trustee...
• Posted Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial: More Public Scrutiny Needed with Jobs Ohio to ProgressOhio
  Major newspaper's editorial calls for the State Auditor's oversight needed with Jobs Ohio. In a Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial Published yesterday entitled, What JobsOhio does with public money ought to be open to the scrutiny of the public's auditor; the newspaper's editorial staff discussed the need for public accountability and oversight by State Auditor Dave Yost. "JobsOhio is the...