Policy deep dive on Ohio Independent Redistricting Commission
The statewide “Citizens Not Politicians “coalition hosted a webinar Sept. 28 with retired Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor to explain the reforms to Ohio’s redistricting process in the constitutional amendment which proponents are working to qualify for the ballot in 2024. Here’s the link to the recording of the webinar.
Oct. 11, 6 p.m.: Fair Districts Huddle
will analyze the finalized Ohio House and Senate districts including a short training on how to use Dave’s Redistricting App. Register here.
Four opportunities from the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations
I have been seriously deficient in reporting to you on federal policy and foreign aid, since state legislatures make so many decisions that directly shape our everyday realities. But here are four great resources from the Office of Government Relations (OGR) of the Episcopal Church:
- International Climate Advocacy Day – October 10, 12 to 1:30 p.m. EDT. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 28 is rapidly approaching. During this conference, political leaders from around the world will gather to discuss the next steps in the global approach to climate change. One of the most crucial aspects of meeting the goals set in place by the COPs is advocating to the U.S. federal government. During this advocacy training, we will give an overview of what progress has been made, what still needs to be done, tips for setting up and having meetings with elected officials, and more! Register here.
- LBGTQIA2S+ Advocacy Days – November 7 OR Nov. 8 and 9. Join the Office of Government Relations in one of two chances to advocate for federal protections for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions! Participants will first go through a half-day of advocacy training to learn best practices, hear from Office of Government Relations staff, network with other Episcopalians, and connect with key coalition partners in the LGBTQIA2S+ advocacy space. Then, depending on which training you attend, we will prepare you for your own congressional office meetings. There are two ways to participate: please sign up for one or the other. There will be a virtual advocacy day on the 7th and an in-person option on the 8-9th. Click here for more information.
- Network at Night: The Office of Government Relations (OGR) hosts a weekly Episcopal Public Policy Network call on Thursdays at 1 p.m. EDT. Thanks to feedback from EPPN members, OGR is testing out an additional time slot, the first Thursday of every month, 7 to 7:30 p.m. EDT. OGR will update you about the policies and legislation we are advocating for with Congress and the Administration, [and] provide an overview of the political environment and legislative outlook, tips for advocacy, and time for questions from you. Register here!
- Episco-Pols Season 2! Season two of OGR’s podcast is here, focusing on content to help Episcopalians prepare for General Convention 2024 and learn more about the Church’s policy positions. Using OGR’s Policy for Action resource, the team will explore past resolutions of General Convention and share how they implement them. They will also explore a couple of tools of the trade to help inspire your own advocacy. As with last season, OGR may have a surprise episode or two along the way. Check out the first two episodes of season two, and subscribe so you never miss a new release!
Redistricting wraps up, and the quest to reform it for next time
The Ohio Redistricting Commission voted unanimously Sept. 26 to approve new maps for the state’s House and Senate districts. The decision came just days after draft maps were released. The Commission hastily convened four public hearings, including two on Yom Kippur in northeast Ohio, which is home to a third of Ohio’s Jewish population. The Commission negotiated in private after the last hearing, revised the maps further, and voted on them late at night without public review.
The new maps are expected to increase the Republican supermajority in both houses. They were criticized as an unconstitutionally partisan gerrymander by the Ohio NAACP and the statewide Fair Maps coalition which includes the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “This is a bipartisan gerrymander by politicians who decided to protect themselves and their friends, ignoring the people of Ohio. It could not be more clear that we need citizens — not politicians — drawing legislative maps that put the people first,” said former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.
In interviews with the Ohio Capital Journal, the two Democrats on the seven-member Commission defended their votes. Commenting on the initial draft maps, Senate Minority Leader Nikki Antonio said “what we were presented… was a map that would have devastated us even more, and put us in a further minority than we are right now.” She commented that in these final discussions with Republicans on the Commission. “There was give and take. I do believe we were listened to.” She went on to cite a handful of Senate districts that she feels are more competitive. But both Democratic members of the Commission endorse changing Ohio’s constitution to create a redistricting process that excludes politicians.
The OCJ article reports confusion and debate among legal experts over how long the new maps will be in effect: two years or until the conclusion of the next census.
Advocates continue working to advance their proposed constitutional amendment to create an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, barring elected officials and lobbyists and spelling out a process to ensure public input and transparency. The current Ohio Constitution specifies that all of the members of the Commission are all elected officials, who clearly have a vested interest in garnering as much power and influence for their party as possible.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has rejected two successive drafts of the summary of the amendment. His approval of the summary is required before petitions to put it on the ballot can be circulated. Proponents have revised it a second time and resubmitted it.
Kentucky’s child care solution
NPR’s Sept. 30 Weekend Edition reported that Kentucky’s Division of Child Care found an effective solution to the huge shortage of daycare staff: paying for child care for daycare workers’ children so they could afford to take these jobs, despite the fact that providers’ wages are significantly below many other employers. Should we launch a campaign to get the Ohio Legislature to make a similar investment?
The NPR story was especially timely because federal pandemic subsidies for childcare expired on Sept. 30, with predictions that Ohio will lose 6,300 child care jobs and over 2,000 child care programs could close,putting over 130,000 Ohio children at risk of losing their child care. The federal funding enabled child care centers to raise salaries. To keep paying those salaries, they will have to charge parents more.
In Kentucky, reported Andrea Hsu, child care workers average $12 or less an hour, while Target started paying $17 and hour and Domino’s Pizza $15. Kentucky’s program was launched during the pandemic by Sarah Taylor Vanover, EdD, a scholar of early childhood education who has written about the crisis in American child care and who heads Kentucky’s Division of Child Care. She told Kentucky’s PBS station KET that child care for her two children costs more than her mortgage.
“Vanover thought about the child care workforce,” says NPR reporter Andrea Hsu. “These are people who love kids, who have kids, who struggle to pay for their own child care. A year ago, she helped push through a rule change, making all child care workers eligible for subsidies regardless of household income.”
Two Ohio Senators introduce bill to raise minimum wage to $15/hr and eliminate tipped worker distinction
Ohio Sens. Kent Smith, D-Euclid, and Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus introduced SB 146 in the Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee on Sept. 27. The increase would be phased in starting 2024, reaching $15/hr in 2027. Ohio’s current minimum wage is $10.10/hr and $5.05 for tipped workers. “Ending the tipped working penalty and creating an economy where workers do not have to work 76 hours a week to cover basic expenses is good for Ohio families,” Sen. Smith said in his sponsor testimony.
Although the chances of passing this bill are tiny, you may want to advocate for it after reading these economic data shared by OCJ reporter Megan Henry in her article.
“An Ohioan without children must earn $15.33 an hour to have a living wage in Ohio, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator,” she reports. “ For housing, full-time workers need to make at least $19.09 an hour to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in Ohio — a $2.04 increase from last year, according to a joint report from the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC).”
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com
