The Rundown: AG Yost leads lawsuit against Target for defrauding investors over DEI
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
Bad Investments: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is seeking to lead a class-action lawsuit against Target, accusing it of misleading investors about the risks of its aggressive push for DEI and ESG activism. The lawsuit says Target downplayed market concerns about promoting social goals and lied to investors, claiming that the company was more focused on maximizing shareholder value. Most notably, a 2023 Pride campaign led to widespread boycotts, causing Target’s first sales decline in six years and wiping out $25 billion in market value, leading to a 23-year low stock losing streak.
Reality Check: Columbus City Schools is returning to using students' legal birth names and sex on official records. This change ensures clarity and consistency as students were previously allowed to use "preferred names" and to change their listed sex. The policy update was partly inspired by the passage of Senate Bill 104, which was signed into law in November and ensures students in K-12 schools and universities have single-sex bathrooms, locker rooms, and more.
US
Punishing Parents: Colorado has introduced radical new transgender legislation that, among other gender activist initiatives, would punish parents who don't use preferred names and incorrect pronouns for their children who identify as transgender with the loss of custody or visitation rights. On Tuesday, the Colorado House Committee on Judiciary voted 7–4 to send the bill to the full chamber.
Designer Babies: The New York Times recently published an opinion piece on selective IVF, which proponents tout as a way to ensure everyone can "win the genetic lottery." The technology screens embryonic children for preferred traits—from mental health and obesity risks to sex, intelligence, and personality, but those deemed lacking are discarded. This inhumane practice not only devalues human life but is also nothing less than modern eugenics seeking to engineer a so-called 'ideal' society by killing anyone who doesn't meet arbitrary standards.
Down to Business: FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has initiated an investigation into Disney and its flagship company, ABC, to assess compliance with FCC equal employment opportunity regulations concerning their DEI practices. With DEI requirements that at least 50 percent of writers, directors, crew, and vendors be selected based on group identity, the investigation will focus on whether these DEI initiatives promote invidious discriminatory practices based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, or gender.
Watching SCOTUS: The US Supreme Court’s current term includes numerous pivotal cases involving guns, transgender hormones and surgeries on minors, online pornography, religious freedom, TikTok, Planned Parenthood funding, job discrimination, federal regulatory powers on nuclear waste storage and vape products, and voting rights. Learn more about these cases on Reuters.com.
Hidden Motives? The founder of OnlyFans has entered the race to acquire TikTok, with US President Donald Trump set to consider a proposal that will determine by Saturday the fate of the app, which is used by 170 million Americans. The White House is taking on the role of an investment bank, with Vice President JD Vance overseeing the auction. OnlyFans, known for explicit adult content, could be a problematic owner for TikTok, raising concerns about the platform’s image and user safety.
World
Pray for the Peace of Israel: In 2024, anti-Christian incidents in Israel increased to 111 reported cases, including physical attacks, damage to church properties, and harassment. The Central Bureau of Statistics reported in December that roughly 180,300 Christians live in Israel, making up 1.8 percent of the country’s population, while a survey found that nearly half of Christian respondents under 30 were considering leaving the country.
From the President
"If you watch one thing today. Or this week. Or this month," CCV President Aaron Baer:
Listen Up: Dismantling the Department of Education
What if the key to improving education in America is as simple as dismantling the Department of Education (DOE)?
In this episode of The Narrative, Heritage Foundation's Jonathan Butcher—a leading expert in education policy— joins to talk about President Trump's recent executive order to abolish the DOE and how ending the bloated bureaucracy could unlock a new era of innovation, local empowerment, and real reform.
Jonathan takes us through the potential benefits of dismantling the DOE, offering a fresh perspective on how we can reshape education to better serve students, parents, and communities.
Listen anywhere you get your podcasts!
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:
Stop Lying to Women by John Stonestreet
Many young women believe they will be happier if they remain single and without kids. Yet studies continue to show that the happiest people on average are women who are married with kids. In other words, there is an incredible gap between perception and reality. God designed humans for relationships. For most, that means marriage. He made women to be child bearers and mothers, uniquely equipping their bodies, hearts, and minds to be life-givers in this way. Scripture says that there is joy in following the precepts of the Lord, which align with God’s works in creation. If true, we ought to expect that living out God’s design will bring happiness. God’s burden is light, after all.
Protecting Kids Online Means Empowering Parents by Ken Blackwell
As a Senior Fellow at Family Research Council and someone who has served as a trustee at Grove City College, Xavier, and Wilberforce University, I have spent significant time and effort throughout my career thinking about how to promote the healthy physical, mental, and spiritual development of young people... Too often, young people interact with harmful and inappropriate content online. It’s not just sexual and violent material that poses risks to young users, but also bullies, scam artists, and bad actors attempting to victimize teens. We need to protect kids on the internet, that’s a given, but we don’t need to give the government censorship power of the internet to do it. We just need to give parents the tools they need to keep their own kids safe.
Legislative Update
Fiscal Year 2026-2027 State Operating Budget Highlights
Nonchartered/Nonpublic ESA: Continues funding for educational savings accounts (ESAs) benefiting students in nonchartered/nonpublic schools.
Success Sequence Initiative: Promotes encouraging young adults to complete high school, secure full-time employment, and marry before having children.
Two Sexes Defined: The bill legally defines male and female in state law.
Monthly Abortion Data Reporting: Requires more frequent and detailed state reporting on abortion statistics.
Increased Homeschool Tax Credit: Expands financial relief for homeschooling families through a higher tax credit.
Weeks of public hearings and behind-the-scenes discussions culminated earlier this week in the first major changes to Gov. Mike DeWine's FY26-27 budget proposal, as the House Finance Committee adopted its substitute bill, HB96. While this budget draft includes a number of incredible wins for families, nearly three months of deliberations remain before it is finalized.
ICYMI: HB68 Lawsuit
The 10th District Court of Appeals recently ruled to block enforcement of provisions in HB68, which became law last year, that restrict the provision of drugs and hormones for gender transition to minors, deciding that the language violates the Health Care Freedom Amendment to the Ohio Constitution. Attorney General Dave Yost told appellate judges he will challenge their ruling against a new law on health care restrictions for trans minors very soon but filed a motion for a stay earlier today in the meantime.
Take a moment to review where all of the CCV-backed bills currently stand in the 136th General Assembly!
Click here to learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio.
Elections
Take Note! This Monday, April 7, is the deadline to update your voter registration ahead of the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 6. There are no statewide offices on the ballot for the primary, but there will be a statewide ballot measure called Issue 2 to allow the state to issue up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds to assist local governments in funding public infrastructure improvement projects.
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, 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 (7:00 to 9:00 am). Aaron Baer, Center for Christian Virtue President, will be presenting.
Open to men and women of all faiths, the Catholic Business Network is a ministry of Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo. Register here.
Wednesday, April 16
Prayer at the Statehouse
Join us as we worship the Lord and pray over our state, Ohio's legislators, and the current culture of our nation.
Reverend Jeffrey Greenway, Bishop in the Global Methodist Church, will lead the devotional.
Rekindle Worship Band—an all-female worship ministry led by young ladies studying worship at the Department of Music and Worship at Cedarville University—will lead worship.
Senior pastors from Radiant Life Church, Manna-Fest Christian Cathedral International, Family of Faith Community Church, and New Beginning Ministries will lead corporate prayer.
You can register for free at CCV.org/Pray.
Friday, May 9
Cincinnati Celebration Gala with Sage Steele
Join us for an elegant evening at our Cincinnati Celebration Gala, where you'll enjoy fine dining, receive the latest updates on Ohio politics, and hear about CCV's strategic efforts to strengthen marriage and family. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with hundreds of candidates, legislators, business leaders, ministry professionals, and passionate advocates from across Ohio.
Don’t miss this powerful, faith-centered event with Sage Steele, host of The Sage Steele Show and former ESPN sportscaster! Sponsor a table today.
Saturday, May 10
Columbus Celebration Gala with Ohio US Senators
Can't make the Cincinnati Gala? You're invited to join us in Columbus for dinner and the latest updates on Ohio politics and CCV's efforts to strengthen marriage and family, with Ohio US Senators Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted as the keynote presenters! Sponsor a table.
Friday, October 3
2025 Ohio March for Life
Our fourth annual statewide march for life 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 Senators, Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted.
Praise the Lord for the newest team members who have joined CCV! We ask that this season of transition would be an opportunity for a new outpouring of God's grace.
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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