The Rundown: How 97% could rise above poverty
Center for Christian Virtue's The Rundown is the most important political and cultural news for Christians in Ohio. If you find this newsletter insightful, don't forget to share it!
What's Happening
Ohio
ICYMI: Ohio ranks 29th in the nation for family stability, according to the Family Structure Index, which measures marriage rates, single-parent households, and family fragmentation across the US. With family structures tied to social outcomes like educational achievement, happiness, and economic stability, the ranking underscores the necessity for Ohio to focus on strong family formation.
77th: When comparing 100 large US cities, Columbus ranks 77th for middle-class income, with a range of $41,563 to $124,700, depending on household size. Unfortunately, Columbus' rank is Ohio's best with Cincinnati ranked at 93rd, Toledo at 98th, and Cleveland at 99th, where the income range is $26,025 to $78,082. However, the story doesn't have to end there. Following the "Success Sequence"—graduating from high school, securing full-time employment, and getting married before having children—would mean that as many as 97% of young adults would rise above poverty.
US
Winning the War: The war on women is unfortunately alive and well. Earlier, US Senate Democrats killed a bill to prevent men from participating in women’s sports but President Trump again affirmed the truth during his joint address to Congress that no child is born in the wrong body. In good news, a school district in Washington state voted to protect girls’ sports, despite the state’s refusal to comply with President Trump's executive order, "No Men in Women's Sports," while Iowa became the first state to remove gender identity as a protected class.
No More Border States: CBS News reports that illegal border crossings have drastically decreased under policies enacted during the Trump administration, their lowest levels in over 25 years. Enhanced security measures, including border wall construction and stricter immigration policies, have played a key role in this reduction. In the last month, the Trump administration has apprehended about 8,000 illegal aliens, while the Border Patrol recorded the same number in a single day when attempted crossings spiked under the Biden administration.
Gains for Choice: School choice is gaining momentum across the US, with more states expanding options like charter schools and private school vouchers. According to Education Week, 29 states and the District of Columbia now offer at least one school choice program. This trend, fueled by rising demand for alternatives to public schools, is evident in the growing enrollment and achievements of Catholic schools. In fact, according to the Nation's Report Card, Catholic schools have surpassed public schools in national scores for fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics and reading.
Resurrection Power: The 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study from the Pew Research Center reveals that the decline of Christianity in the US may have leveled off. While overall religious affiliation continues to decrease from a high of 78% in 2007, the decline in Christianity has been relatively stable since 2019, with 62% of US adults now describing themselves as Christian and 44% of adults saying they pray at least once a day. However, new data from the American Worldview Inventory 2025 shows a majority of adults are rejecting biblical truths about God, and instead holding a contradictory mix of beliefs from competing worldviews.
Social Contagion: A recent Gallup poll reveals that the percentage of US adults identifying as LGBT has reached a record of 7.2% in 2023, up from 3.5% in 2012. The data shows that women (9.4%) are more likely than men (5%) to identify as LGBT and liberals (19%) are far more likely than conservatives (3%) to do so. The trend is also more prominent in urban areas (9%) compared to rural ones (3%). Additionally, the increase is skewed in younger generations with 21% of Gen Z identifying as other than straight, compared to just 4% of Baby Boomers, adding weight to the evidence of the peer influence of the LGBT spread. Interestingly, a survey by The Times revealed that only 21% of Gen Z young adults view marriage as an "irrelevant institution." The survey also revealed significantly less pornography and one-night stands among peers compared to a 2004 survey.
Listen Up: Unpacking the Hope and a Future Report with Brad Wilcox
Too few young people are taking advantage of the key to stability, happiness, and well-being: marriage.
Brad Wilcox, a leading sociologist, joins The Narrative to dive into our report on family, Hope and a Future, and how marriage determines the nation's trajectory and its long-term benefits for both couples and society at large.
Whether you're married or single, this conversation offers valuable insights that will make you rethink the importance of commitment and its impact on our future. Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion!
Worldview Development
As a Christian, whether Evangelical or Catholic, knowing how to engage in social-political conversations can be hard. Here is our top recommendation this week for developing your worldview to be equipped to tackle today's top issues:
How to Fix Education by John Stonestreet and Shane Morris
But it’s not enough to focus on what’s wrong with the status quo of education standards. We must also build a consensus around what education should look like. After all, as T.S. Eliot observed, education always assumes a basic philosophy of humanity and the world. It’s not enough to educate merely for skills or future employment, producing cogs who can take their place in the machinery of society. Eliot argued that education must also answer the fundamental question, what is man for?
Legislative Update
The Cost of Domestic Violence
A study commissioned by the Ohio Domestic Violence Network (ODVN) reveals that domestic violence costs the state $1.2 billion annually, a figure higher than originally anticipated. The research identifies key economic impacts, including $264.8 million in healthcare for victims, $239.9 million in lost lives, and $227.7 million in lost worker productivity. The study also identifies significant expenses incurred by abusers, including law enforcement, the judicial system, and incarceration.
Expanding School Choice
Last week, families and administrators urged the Senate Finance Committee to extend state support for tuition at non-chartered schools. The committee heard testimony on SB68, sponsored by Senator Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario), which would create educational savings accounts (ESAs) for students at nonchartered private schools, offering awards up to 90% of the EdChoice Scholarship. Around two dozen individuals provided testimony, including families from three member schools of CCV's Ohio Christian Education Network.
School Board Elections
State and local school board candidates would be required to run in partisan primaries and appear on the general election ballot with a party designation under legislation proposed by Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware). "School districts across the state elect board members in non-partisan races. This may lead people to believe we are keeping politics out of the classroom. However, non-partisan elections do not mean the candidates running in these races are non-political. Instead, non-partisan elections can hide political beliefs from voters, leading to a mismatch between board members and the communities they are meant to represent," Brenner shared during his sponsor testimony on SB107.
Reducing Drugs
The Ohio Senate voted 23-9 to pass SB56 to correct the disastrous marijuana legalization law voters approved in November 2023. All Democrats opposed the bill. Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City) said SB56 will help ensure cannabis is regulated more like alcohol. "I'm not sure why people voted for the initiated statute," Huffman said on the Senate floor. "But we do know that they should have known they were voting to put it into the Revised Code—not the Constitution, but the Ohio Revised Code—with full knowledge that the General Assembly could change it at any time, in any way. That's what we're going to do today, and more than likely it will happen multiple times in the future."
Take a moment to review where the CCV-backed bills currently stand in the 136th General Assembly!
Click here to learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio.
Elections
This year, there are two major elections: the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 6, and the General Election on Tuesday, November 4.
Important Dates
Monday, April 7: Deadline for voter registration for the Primary Election.
Tuesday, April 8: Early in-person and absentee voting begins for the Primary Election.
Tuesday, April 29: Boards of Elections must receive applications for absentee ballots by the close of business.
Tuesday, May 6: Primary Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm.*
To Do:
Are you registered to vote? You can easily register to vote or update your voter registration information online at olvr.ohiosos.gov.
Review what's on your ballot. Each county Board of Elections office has a list of the candidates and issues appearing on your ballot.
Learn more about Ohio elections, request an absentee ballot, and more here.
*Please note: a photo ID is required to cast a ballot. View accepted forms of ID.
Don't Miss
Thursday, March 13
Christian Business Partnership's Legislative Luncheon with Attorney General Dave Yost
We are excited to invite you to join Attorney General Dave Yost and Christian Business Partnership Executive Director Monty Lobb on Thursday, March 13, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm for a Legislative Luncheon!
Join us as we gather for a time of fellowship, networking and discussion on Center for Christian Virtue's new report on the state of the family, Hope and a Future, and its implications for businesses, Ohio, and the nation. Register here.
Thursday, April 10
Strong Families, Strong State: Future of Ohio's Economic Success
Please join the Catholic Business Network at St. John XXIII Church (24250 North Dixie Highway, Perrysburg, Ohio) for their next free-will offering breakfast event on Thursday, April 10. from 7:00 am to 9:00 am. Aaron Baer, Center for Christian Virtue President, will be presenting the topic.
Open to men and women of all faiths, the Catholic Business Network (CBN) is a ministry of Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo. Register here.
Friday, October 3
2025 Ohio March for Life
Our fourth annual statewide march will take place on Friday, October 3. Learn more and register to stay up to date here!
Prayer
Scripture calls us to pray for those in authority and to have confidence that God hears our prayers. Join the CCV team this week in praying for the below intentions.
Let's honor 1 Timothy 2 by praying for our Ohio United States Representatives.
For Pope Francis as he continues to battle a complicated infection and prologued hospital stay.
For the right candidates to join CCV's team.
For our anticipated eight school plants opening this fall! We have dozens more in the pipeline that need prayers for fundraising, buildings, and staffing.
As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.
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