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

• The baby deficit: The Department of Development recently reported that Ohio is in the beginning of a long-term population decline, with an estimated loss of 675,000 people by 2050–a nearly 6 percent decline. While the population replacement rate requires a minimum fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman, Ohio's total fertility rate is only 1.7 children per woman. A declining population comes with a host of consequences, including reduced tax income to maintain government services and city upkeep, decreased GDP, and a smaller workforce. The issue, however, isn't limited to Ohio or even the US: one Japanese company is switching from manufacturing baby diapers to adult diapers, while China is now paying couples to have children.

• Student safety over propaganda: Yesterday, the Ohio Senate passed Amended Senate Bill 104 to protect single-sex student bathrooms, showers, locker rooms, and overnight accommodations, ensuring they cannot become co-ed. Since the Ohio House of Representatives approved the measure before their summer break, SB104 now heads to Governor DeWine for his approval. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has encouraged the governor to sign the bill, promising to defend it in court if challenged.

• One small step for sobriety: Senate Bill 326, sponsored by Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), would ban the sale of hemp-derived products that soared in popularity after legalization in 2018. While federal rules regulate how much THC the hemp products can contain, gaps in the law allowed businesses to increase the intoxicating capabilities of the drug. As-is, gas stations and other businesses can sell hemp-derived products that give a high to anyone, including children.

• A hopeful outlook: The Toledo Blade has a favorable review of the election for pro-life, right-leaning voters, noting that the defeat of Issue 1 may put a pause on the enthusiasm of left-leaning Big Money sponsoring Democrat priority constitutional amendments, and that the newly elected "GOP justices, all endorsed by anti-abortion rights groups, will ultimately decide what current abortion restrictions in Ohio law will survive or fall in the wake of last year’s passage of a reproductive rights amendment." Union County GOP Chair Sarah Herbert added her take on the Issue 1 campaign on X, noting the efficacy of messaging to different groups.

• Time for a budget cut? The Franklin County Commissioners' Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office has spent $320,000 in taxpayer funding on four DEI trips for their officials and employees, including a tour on LGBTQ+ history and a private drag show. While they sent upwards of 20 employees on each of these tours, their Chief Economic Equity and Inclusion Officer hopes to send all 1,600-plus employees under the Commissioners on similar tours in the future.

US

• A new merger: Ohio‘s Vivek Ramaswamy has been tapped by President-elect Trump to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Elon Musk. The DOGE will work with the White House and Office of Management and Budget to "dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies," Trump’s X release stated. Vivek has been a guest on CCV's podcast The Narrative and was most recently our 2024 Celebration Columbus Gala keynote speaker.

• Building a solid cabinet: Outside of Vivek and Elon, President-elect Trump has been releasing a flurry of other cabinet nominations, including former NY Congressman Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the US Environmental Protective Agency, Congressional Chairwoman Elise Stefanik as US Ambassador to the United Nations, former AR Governor Mike Huckabee as US Ambassador to Israel, FL Congressman Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, SD Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, former Trump cabinet member William Joseph McGinley as White House Counsel, Witkoff CEO Steven Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East, decorated Veteran and Fox News Host Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe as Director of the CIA, FL Senator Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State, Congresswoman Lieutenant Colonel Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, and Fl Congressman Matt Gaetz as US Attorney General. He also named four long-time campaign members as Senior Staff: Dan Scavino, Stephen Miller, James Blair, and Taylor Budowich.

• Counting the cost: Out of 10 states that had abortion constitutional amendments on the ballot last week, only three of the states defeated their abortion amendments, with Nebraska additionally voting for an amendment to prohibit abortions after the first trimester, with exceptions for medical emergencies, rape, and incest.

Listen Up: The Narrative's 2024 General Election Recap

With the results of the 2024 election in, CCV President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, and Communications Director Mike Andrews share their perspectives and break down the implications of a wide range of election outcomes. 

Listen in to hear the guys talk about how Ohioans toppled Issue 1, Bernie Moreno's relentless work on the campaign trail, and the factors that led to Donald Trump's decisive victory. Plus, you'll get a preview of what the results mean for our state in 2025 and beyond!

Worldview Development

As a Christian, 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:

• For The Children by Emma Waters
  Many Christians, for example, have the right sentiment when it comes to their political views, but often lack the necessary data or knowledge to rightly understand a given issue. Indeed, no Christian should succumb to the ploys of "toxic empathy" or identity politics. As Pro-Child Politics illustrates, misguided compassion can be just as dangerous as outright hostility when it comes to the well-being of children, and the nation.

• The myth of the "secular" classroom by Maria Baer
  The idea that we might somehow "separate" the pursuit of the knowledge of God’s physical world from knowledge of His moral order is a futile one. Yes, we can teach kids geology and long division without explicitly citing the author of those truths. But the weightier things are more difficult to plagiarize. If public school boards like the one in Westerville are concerned about problems like social pressure and bullying and kids being distracted or struggling in class or not having their "social and emotional" needs met, perhaps more emphasis—not less—on character formation is needed.

Legislative Update

With newly elected legislators preparing to be sworn into office in January and current legislators finishing their term on December 31, the Lame Duck Session has begun.

In addition to the bathroom privacy bill mentioned in the news section, House Bill 475 received a hearing this past week and CCV Legislative Liaison Nilani Jawahar provided expert testimony in support of the bill to prohibit state funding of abortion.

Take a moment to review where all of the CCV-backed bills currently stand in the 135th General Assembly.

Click here to learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio.

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.

• We have a number of incoming elected officials, so pray for them in their transition.

• Pray for SB104 to find favor on the governor's desk, and for the speedy passage of HB475 before the year's end.

• As legislators are hurrying to get their own priority bills passed by December 31, pray that only righteous legislation would become law and that unrighteous legislation would die, as well as for unity within the pro-family, pro-freedom lawmakers.

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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