SAVE THE DATE‼

The Ohio Scoop

The Ohio Scoop is your weekly campaign fix, filled with the most up-to-date information about Ohio Democrats and everything happening on the campaign trail here in Ohio. We’re here so you can get your political scoop, all in one place.

If you’re new to the list, welcome. You were added because you are one of Ohio Democrats’ best supporters. For those of you who are returning, welcome back.

We need to fill you in on everything that happened this week, so let’s jump right in.

SAVE THE DATE
Ohio Democrats Family Reunion

Bust out your Saturday best, prepare your potato salad and lemonade, the Ohio Democrats are BACK with another Family Reunion on Saturday, July 15th.

Be sure to save the date and keep an eye out for tickets, on sale soon.

Drinks with Dems

Ohio Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Walters will be in Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 16th for an evening cocktail reception. Read up on the details BELOW!

If you’re interested in joining us for some libations with Liz, RSVP here.

The Big Scoop

Attorney General Dave Yost joined 14 Republican state attorneys general to file an amicus curiae brief that says states have the power to remove locally-elected prosecutors from office if they refuse to pursue criminal charges against abortion providers.

The brief was filed in a case where Florida Governor DeSantis removed a County State Attorney after he signed a pledge not to prosecute abortion cases as crimes.

We’ll let that sink in for a second.

Yost believes that locally-elected prosecutors who refuse to pursue criminal charges against abortion providers should be removed from office.

I guess it isn’t a surprise that a man who questioned the story of a 10-year-old rape victim and who rushed to outlaw abortion after 6 weeks in Ohio mere hours after the Roe decision fell would take such an extreme position.

We think that Yost is Gross.

If one thing is clear it’s that reproductive rights are under attack in Ohio. Keep reading for more on how to get involved in the reproductive rights ballot measure below.

A Sprinkle of News

Signature collection to put reproductive rights on the ballot is well underway. Ohio Democrats are partnering with reproductive rights champions who are leading the ballot initiative as we work together to tell GOP politicians: we won’t go back.

And there’s good news! We have expanded the ways that you can get involved.

If you are interested in circulating petitions yourself, you can sign up BELOW to for a Zoom training. Upon completion of the training you will receive a petition to circulate.

If you want to help out but can’t circulate petitions yourself, you can sign up to make calls with us! These are vital calls to recruit people to our signature gathering canvasses throughout the state. Every person we recruit to canvas with us helps us immensely in our signature collection.

Add Some Nuts

Warren Davidson, a Representative from Ohio’s 8th Congressional District is the latest Republican considering throwing his hat into the chaotic primary for US Senate.

Davidson is a member of the House Freedom Caucus (yes, the one with Jim Jordan) and Club for Growth, a conservative anti-tax group who’s policy goals include Social Security reform, Medicare and Medicaid Reform, and school choice.

Also this week, Bernie Moreno officially entered the race and the mud-slinging has already begun! During his announcement in Milford, Moreno went on the attack of Millionaire Matt Dolan and Fraudulent Frank LaRose.

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but the 2024 race could be even nastier and more expensive than the one last year! Especially because the Republicans know they’re up against the ultimate opponent, Senator Sherrod Brown.

Speaking of Senator Sherrod Brown, last week his campaign team announced a major fundraising haul. Brown’s campaign raised $3.5 million in Q1 and started Q2 with $5.8 million cash in hand.

Gone Bananas

This week Statehouse Republicans advanced anti-voter bills that would effectively end citizen-led ballot initiatives in Ohio and create a taxpayer-funded, $20 million special election in August.

HJR 1 and SJR 2 would make it harder for voters to amend our Ohio Constitution by raising the threshold for passage from 50% to 60%.

Citizen-led initiatives in Ohio have given union members the ability to keep their collective bargaining rights, created an independent redistricting commission (we still have yet to see Ohio Republicans play by the rules here), and right now Ohioans are in the process of putting reproductive rights on the ballot, all against the wishes of the GOP Supermajorities.

It’s clear that Republican politicians in Columbus know they’re on the wrong side of the issues that are important to working Ohioans. So now they’re attempting to rig the rules and make it nearly impossible for citizen-led ballot initiatives to pass – all so they can consolidate power for themselves and do the bidding of their special interest pals.

Ohio Democrats are riled up over this and will be working over the coming days, weeks and months to fight these attacks on Ohio voters and keep power in the hands of the people, not politicians.