The Rundown: Path to Overriding the Governor's Veto Begins Today!
The Rundown is back in 2024! This biweekly newsletter is the most important political and cultural news for Christians in Ohio. Thanks for reading!
What's Happening
Ohio
Under the Knife: The state and national backlash has been swift and sweeping following Governor Mike DeWine's veto of HB68–the Save Women's Sports Act and SAFE Act–on December 29. While publicly claiming parental involvement is a necessary component of their gender clinic, internal training videos from Cincinnati Children's Hospital, a major opponent of the bill and donor to Gov. DeWine, prove otherwise. Gov. DeWine's hollow proposals after his veto fall short of the mark, and can be easily undone by the next governor.
Social Media Pause: Despite parental support of the Parental Notification by Social Media Operators Act that passed in the state budget last year, NetChoice, whose members include nearly every major social media platform, is suing Ohio in federal court, temporarily blocking the law from taking effect on January 15. The new law would require that children under age 16 get parental consent to open social media accounts. As author, professor, attorney, and political strategist Mark Weaver pointed out, it's noteworthy that NetChoice did not retain any local Ohio counsel in the lawsuit.
Keep Calm and Constitutional Carry: On June 13, 2022, Ohio became the 23rd state to allow constitutional carry. In the year following the law's enactment, gun crime dropped across Ohio’s eight largest cities combined and in six of the eight individually when compared to the year prior, according to a study published by the Center for Justice Research.
U.S.
Abortion isn't Emergency Healthcare: The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Biden administration cannot illegally use the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) to force ER doctors to commit abortions in emergencies. The EMTALA only prevents hospitals from refusing to care for patients who can't pay for their emergency treatments and does not specify any procedure. In other words, EMTALA requires hospitals to stabilize both the pregnant mother and her unborn child during an emergency regardless of the woman's ability to pay.
WATCH: 2 pm House Session Vote to Override HB68
The Ohio House of Representatives has a session scheduled for 2:00 pm today–Wednesday, January 10–which includes a vote on whether to override the Governor's veto of HB68, the Save Women's Sports Act and SAFE Act.
The Ohio Senate currently has a session scheduled for Wednesday, January 24, which would be the soonest they could vote on overriding the veto.
If the General Assembly successfully overrides the Governor's veto, Ohio will join four other states who did the same to enact versions of the SAFE Act, and nearly two dozen states overall that now have a SAFE Act in their state law. Contact your legislators now!
Reading The Rundown after the live session? Check out CCV.org/News for CCV's statement.
Listen Up
Following the Governor's veto of the Save Women's Sports Act and SAFE Act (HB68), CCV President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, and Communications Director Mike Andrews sat down for an emergency episode of The Narrative podcast to discuss what happened and what's next for this critical bill.
As Mike mentioned during the conversation, you can listen to our episodes with Scott Newgent and Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosley for additional context to the heart-wrenching consequences that HB68 would prevent.
Volume 9 of The Narrative will begin releasing later in January,
Worldview Development
As a Christian, it can be hard to know how to engage with social-political conversations from a Biblical worldview. Here's our top recommendation this week for developing your worldview to be equipped to tackle today's top issues:
What Good Has Christianity Ever Done for the World?
Christian beliefs and actions had consequences. Here is a small starter sampling. The Benedictine monastic order preserved European culture for centuries through the so-called “dark ages,” and without them, Europe as such would not have survived. Their contribution is acknowledged in Euro currency notes bearing images of Benedictine monasteries. Don Sweeting wrote of the Magna Carta on its 800th anniversary in 2015, “Rule by law, rule under God, religious liberty: these are all theological ideas with deep Biblical roots. They are all affirmed in the Magna Carta.” Thomas Aquinas saved Christianity in Europe from intellectual Islam in the 13th century. William Wilberforce and the abolitionists, the women’s suffragists, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Rev. D. Martin Luther King all used pointedly biblical Christian reasoning for their efforts (as seen here, here and here). It is difficult to envision how the world would be better if they had kept their teaching “within the four walls of the church.”
Legislative Update
Take a moment to review where other CCV-backed legislation currently stands in the 135th General Assembly.
Take Action: Make a Difference. Get in Touch.
Elected by voters like you, our state legislators are highly motivated to listen to their constituents. It only takes 60 seconds to make your voice heard by using our Action Center to learn about the critical bills being debated at the Ohio Statehouse and to urge your Ohio legislators to take action on:
Overriding the Governor's veto of HB68–The SAFE Act and Save Women's Sports Act
The Innocence Act
Protecting Children from Obscenity
Preserving Single-Sex Bathroom Privacy
And more!
Elections
There are two major elections this year: the Presidential Primary Election in March and the General Election in November. There is also a Special Election on June 11 to fill the soon-vacant 6th District seat held by Marietta Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson.
Important Dates
February 20: Deadline for voter registration for Presidential Primary Election
February 21: Early in-person absentee voting begins for the Presidential Primary Election.
March 12: Applications for absentee ballots to be mailed for March 19 presidential primary election must be received by boards of elections by the close of business
March 19: Presidential Primary Election Day. Polls open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.*
To Do:
Are you registered to vote? It's easy to 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 that in-person voting law has changed; a photo ID is now required to cast a ballot. View accepted forms of ID.
Don't Miss
Prayer at the Statehouse
Join us on Wednesday, January 17, from 10:00 to 11:30 am for this popular prayer event. Register today to join us.
2024 Ohio March for Life
Keep an eye out for the date for our third annual statewide march taking place this fall.
CCV will be participating in and hosting a number of incredible events through out 2024–stay tuned for more details!
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.
Our elected officials: Sen. Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls), Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville), Auditor Keith Faber, Rep. Ron Ferguson (R-Wintersville), Rep. Elliot Forhan (D-South Euclid), and Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Rock Creek).
Pray for the House and Senate during their upcoming chamber sessions to vote on critical legislation, including HB68.
Cover our policy team in prayer as they gear up for legislators to be back in session, and ask the Lord to especially bless them with wisdom, courage, discernment, and protection as they navigate Statehouse politics.
Pray for our school plants–Westside Christian School and Crown Preparatory Academy–as they come back from Christmas break and head into their spring semester.
That's all we have for this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for our next edition, and don't forget to share CCV's Rundown with others.