The Ohio Scoop

Friends,

The Ohio Scoop is your weekly political 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.

ACTION NEEDED

As you know by now, Ohio Republicans in the Statehouse passed SJR 2 this past Wednesday forcing a special August election to decide whether or not a 60% threshold is needed to pass citizen-led constitutional ballot initiatives.

The legislature passed the resolution despite opposition from four former Ohio governors, two Democrats and two Republicans, bipartisan county election officials, and hundreds of Ohioans who showed up to protest the vote on Wednesday.

Senior leaders from Ohio Dems were on the ground on Wednesday in opposition to the resolution. Check out their photos below.

After removing spectators from the chamber (including our Ohio Dems staff), the House voted in favor of the bill by a margin of 62-37. Shortly after, the Senate concurred and the bill currently sits on DeWine’s desk.

I’m not one to mince words so I’ll put it plainly– the gerrymandered GOP legislature sold out our Constitution to corrupt politicians and out-of-state billionaires. They gave the middle finger to voters across our state when they decided to use the legislature to sabotage the rights of Ohioans to amend the constitution.

One thing is clear. This August election presents an existential threat to the many progressive causes we all hold dear, including our ongoing fight to codify reproductive rights into the constitution.

We must turn out our base and WIN in August.

So What’s Next?

Over the next 90 days, Ohio Dems are committed to knocking over 500,000 doors and making 135,000 calls to educate base Democratic voters and turn them out to vote “NO” on August 8th.

We have an immediate funding gap of just over $360,000 to complete our goals.

If you would like to help fund our commitment to turn out Democrats to vote “NO” on August 8th, you can contribute here. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for standing in the fight with us and for making this work possible.

Help fund effort to vote NO on August 8th

Additionally, we invite you to attend our Vote NO Campaign debrief over Zoom this upcoming Monday, May 15th, at 6:00pm. Ohio Dems will cover our collaborative and comprehensive statewide GOTV plan and how you can get plugged in. We will also discuss the tools, resources, and framework we have constructed to support you as you engage in this vital work.

We look forward to fighting closely alongside you in the trenches. The very future of Ohio depends on it. Please reply to this email with any questions on how to get involved.

Ohio Democrats Family Reunion

Please join us at the Ohio Democrats Family Reunion on Saturday, July 15th.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW. We hope you will join us for a fun afternoon with our Democratic stars!

Buy your tickets HERE

If you are interested in sponsoring the Ohio Democrats Family Reunion, please reach out to Emily Feltz at efeltz@ohiodems.org.

Flavor of the Week

This week, we are featuring a co-host of Tuesday’s Drinks with Dems event, Cincinnati City Councilwoman Meeka Owens.

We asked Councilwoman Owens her favorite Ohio ice-cream maker and flavor. With no hesitation she picked Aglamesis Bro’s Ice Cream and said she can’t go there without getting the strawberry!

With the weather heating up we’re sure she’ll be enjoying more ice cream soon. Click here to learn more about all of the amazing work Councilwoman Owens does for Cincinnati and here to support that work.

And don’t miss a chance to hang out with the Councilwoman at Drinks with Dems on Tuesday, May 16th in Cincinnati!