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WOW — Women Organizing Women Newsletter — 5.20.20

Ohio Democratic Party

Ohio House Passes Aisha’s Law

Ohio House Democrats today applauded the unanimous passage of Aisha’s Law, Democratic priority legislation sponsored by state Rep. Janine Boyd that would change how law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence cases and provide added protections for those in high-risk situations. Democrats say the bill’s passage comes at a critical time as prolonged isolation during the state’s stay-at-home order has led to a spike in domestic violence cases.

Aisha’s Law would change how law enforcement agencies respond to domestic violence cases and create a continuum of protections for victims of domestic violence that are in extreme risk and lethal situations. The bill is named for Aisha Fraser, a former Shaker Heights sixth-grade teacher who was brutally murdered by her ex-husband, former state Rep. Lance Mason, following years of domestic abuse.

“I was asked once if I thought that because Aisha’s murderer had formerly been a judge and a state legislator if that would make it harder to pass Aisha’s Law,” Boyd said. “My response then resounds in me today, and that is, no one is above the law. His previous titles remain irrelevant. He was a person who tortured his children by brutalizing their mother in front of them. He ultimately murdered her leaving them without a mother or father, and leaving her parents and entire community devastated and heartbroken. No title should be a cover to abuse or harm another person. I am grateful that Aisha’s Law passed out of the House today, and I look forward to passing it out of the Senate.”

Clean Water for All

State Rep. Erica C. Crawley announced legislation to regulate water utility providers’ ability to curtail, disrupt or disconnect water service to customers. The legislation would ensure that customers would not have their service curtailed, disrupted or disconnected due to the nonpayment of fees and charges for the service. Each public water system would also develop a water affordability program to establish a sliding scale based on customer income to set water service fees and charges, as well as an affordable and attainable payment schedule.

“We all know that water is a necessity. Drinking water, washing hands, bathing, cleaning, and maintaining overall health all require access to water. Therefore, shutting off water service because people have delinquent accounts should never be the response,” said Crawley. “In the midst of COVID-19 the need for water access has become even more apparent. Increased attention to hygiene is one of the main tools to fight the virus. However, those who are already at higher risk for contracting and developing complications to the virus are also those who may face water shutoffs. This legislation is needed to protect Ohioans access to safe, clean water.”

Call Out the Ohio House GOP

The majority of the Ohio House GOP voted to limit Dr. Amy Acton’s ability to keep Ohioans safe and healthy. There are several representatives in swing districts that you can call out for voting with out-of-touch extremists instead of the majority of Ohioans.

These representatives are:

You can call their offices to let them know you’re disappointed in their vote, here is a list of phone numbers and a sample script.

You can also call them out on social media, here is a social media toolkit with sample tweets and a list of handles.

All of the Democratic candidates in these districts are women! Show your support for these great women candidates:

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