COLUMBUS — Today, as President Joe Biden visited Ohio, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, released the following statement praising the American Rescue Plan and its impact on the state:
“We are so grateful to have President Biden in Ohio today as the American Rescue Plan continues to help our state recover.
“The president’s plan is having a real, direct impact on Ohioans’ lives. It provides support in so many ways — from child tax credits, to rental assistance, to small business relief, to protecting our veterans. It’s exactly the boost our communities needed.
“I’m also thrilled to see the president place such a high priority on infrastructure. Rebuilding our state will mean stable, good-paying jobs in dozens of industries for thousands of people. And the result will be a stronger Ohio that’s ready to grow and flourish for years to come.”
Desiree Tims Condemns DeWine Decision to Reject Federal Unemployment Aid
COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, released the following statement condemning Governor DeWine’s decision to reject federal unemployment aid:
“Throughout the pandemic, Ohio’s Republican supermajority has made clear they’re willing to sacrifice human lives for the economy.
“Today we learned they’re also willing to starve Ohioans out of their homes to help their donors turn a profit.
“Some politicians are claiming businesses can’t find workers because people make more on unemployment than they could at a job. They’ve convinced Governor DeWine to reject free unemployment dollars from the federal government in order to terrify Ohioans back to work.
“The problem? These politicians are either misinformed or lying to you.
“In reality, many of the industries struggling to find workers tend to pay better than unemployment. Americans are probably worried about applying for jobs where they would have to work in-person during an ongoing global pandemic.
“Sadly, despite the dangers, many Ohioans have been forced to trade their safety for shamefully low pay just to feed their families during the pandemic.
“During this time, employees learned that their employers and their government viewed them as disposable. Many were forced to serve clientele who ignored health orders, refused to wear masks, and placed everyone around them at risk.
“Now that the economy is starting to recover and more jobs are available, these workers can be more selective. And they should be.
“There are plenty of employers who aren’t worried about a staffing shortage. In a competitive market, many employers have learned they can attract quality staff by paying them better and offering good benefits.
“The loser companies are the ones complaining. They don’t want to pay a living wage, so they’re trying to starve Ohioans into submission instead. And Ohio’s Republican supermajority is helping them do it.
“Today’s decision is another attack on hardworking Ohioans who deserve better. It’s also meddling in the free market.
“Ohio politicians have managed to make a decision that’s bad for both workers AND the economy.”
New Citizens’ Redistricting Commission Launches in Ohio to Spotlight Community Needs
COLUMBUS, OH — Today, a new multiracial commission of top Ohio leaders announced the launch of the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC). This nonpartisan and highly diverse commission will hold public hearings in a wide range of communities to provide robust public input throughout Ohio’s map-drawing process.
“This past week, we witnessed an attempt by Statehouse leadership to shorten the redistricting process and decrease opportunities for public input. This new citizens’ commission will help hold the map drawers accountable to ensure no one can silence Ohioans during the redistricting process,“ said former State Representative Kathleen Clyde.
The OCRC aims to: 1.) Model a thorough and robust public engagement process for Ohio’s official redistricting commission, 2.) Develop and demonstrate citizen-derived principles of redistricting, and 3.) Draw unity maps based on community input and feedback. OCRC’s work will culminate in mapmaking recommendations and a report that includes model unity maps, which will be submitted as public testimony in the official redistricting process.
The project is co-sponsored by the Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), Ohio State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) of Ohio. The Commission will partner with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University and MGGG Redistricting Lab at Tufts University for data collection, analysis and community mapping.
“Whether you’re in Akron, Toledo, or Cincinnati, gerrymandering harms all of our communities. The Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission will ensure the people’s voices are heard during this critical redistricting process,” said Ohio Organizing Collaborative Policy and Advocacy Director, Jeniece Brock. “This commission will engage the most marginalized communities to make sure they provide their input. All Ohioans deserve a say in how their districts are drawn and who gets to represent them.”
The OCRC is composed of academics, political party officials, community representatives, and others from across the state. It will be chaired by former State Rep. Kathleen Clyde and Greg Moore of the Promise of Democracy Foundation. The Ohio Organizing Collaborative’s Policy and Advocacy Director, Jeniece Brock, will serve as the commission’s secretary.
Commission members will include:
- Barbara Sykes, Former state representative, Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OBLC) Foundation President & CEO
- Tom Roberts, Former state senator, President of the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP
- Andre Washington, President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Ohio Chapter
- Katy Shanahan, All On The Line Ohio State Director
- Kathleen Clyde, Former state representative
- Greg Moore, Promise of Democracy Foundation
- Jeniece Brock, Health Scientist, Policy & Advocacy Director for the Ohio Organizing Collaborative
- Sam Gresham, Chair of Common Cause Ohio
- Akii Butler, Ohio Student Association
- Dr. Richard Gunther, Retired professor
- Chris Tavenor, Ohio Environmental Council
- Dr. Lis Regula, Professor and LGBTQ activist
- Jeremy Blake, Newark City Council member, Equality Ohio board member
- Dr. Ellen Greene Bush, Clinical Psychologist
- Alan Bannister, Ohio political professional, former Ohio statewide political director for Joe Biden
- Amina Barhumi, Council on American-Islamic Relations CAIR-Ohio
Additional members may be added to the commission in the coming days.
“The OCRC is made up of a broad, diverse cross section of Ohioans from across the state who support a fair redistricting process. We are looking forward to giving the citizens who voted to reform the redistricting process in Ohio the opportunity to finally have their voice heard,” said Greg Moore, OCRC co-chairperson.
The OCRC’s activities will include hosting public hearings for community input, collecting publicly available data for mapmaking, and supporting public education on redistricting.
The Commission will hold public hearings on the redistricting process on every 2nd and 4th Thursday at 6:00 pm EDT from May 2021 through September 2021.
The public and the press will be encouraged to attend these hearings — which will be virtual — to ensure widespread public awareness of and attention to Ohio’s redistricting process. For more information, please visit www.mapohio.org.
Follow the Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission on social media:
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The Ohio Citizens’ Redistricting Commission (OCRC) is an independent, non-partisan commission made up of volunteer members. Commission members will include academics, political party officials, community representatives, and others from across the state. The Commission’s activities include: hosting public hearings for community input, collecting publicly available data for mapmaking, and supporting public education on redistricting. The work of the commission will be culminated into a report including recommendations and a unity map(s), which will be submitted as public testimony in the official redistricting process.
Equal Districts Coalition Strongly Opposes Proposal to Shorten, Weaken Ohio Redistricting Process
COLUMBUS — Today, the Equal Districts Coalition — a unified group of several prominent Ohio advocacy organizations engaged in the 2021 redistricting fight — announced strong opposition to Senate President Matt Huffman’s proposal to give Statehouse leaders complete power to unilaterally determine Ohio’s redistricting schedule, creating the potential to cut back on public engagement opportunities.
“Ohioans voted twice, with powerful majorities, to make our redistricting process more open, accessible, and fair. The people demanded to play a key role in drawing district lines,” said Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio. “Ohio must respect the voters’ wishes and maintain a redistricting timeline that allows everyone’s voice to be heard.”
President Huffman’s proposed constitutional amendment would allow Ohio’s legislature to change redistricting deadlines anytime Census data is delayed. Because the legislature is currently dominated by a supermajority of Republican members, this would likely create scenarios where one party has unilateral control over redistricting deadlines. This stands in direct opposition to the intent of the ballot reform measures that Ohio’s voters overwhelmingly passed in 2015 and 2018.
“No matter where we’re from or what we look like, our votes should count. We cannot allow selfish politicians to take electoral power away from the people. That’s exactly the problem Ohioans were attempting to solve with these new redistricting laws,” said Prentiss Haney, Co-Executive Director of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. “Gerrymandering has allowed certain politicians to rig district maps and election outcomes for far too long, diluting the power of Black and brown voters. We cannot condone any proposal that would take Ohio back in that direction.”
Ohio has known for well over two months that the state will receive its redistricting data by September 30, 2021. While this presents some challenges connected to meeting Ohio’s constitutionally-mandated redistricting deadlines, it does not change the fact that voters overwhelmingly demanded these new deadlines — and the related timeline — in two recent elections.
“When a bipartisan group of legislators and advocates came to the negotiation tables in 2015 and 2018, everyone agreed about the essential nature of ensuring a fair redistricting process. Missed deadlines, even those caused in part by the global pandemic, cannot and should not be used as an excuse to resurrect the political games of the past,” said Heather Taylor-Miesle, Executive Director of the Ohio Environmental Council. “We call on Ohio lawmakers to follow through on Ohio voters’ decisive mandate to end partisan gerrymandering and to ensure a thorough and transparent redistricting process.”
The census delay is absolutely not an excuse to cut corners in terms of how transparent or how inclusive the redistricting process is. “To best mitigate the impacts of the delay, we need to preserve as much of the existent redistricting process as possible – with an emphasis on maintaining ample opportunities for public engagement. As it stands, however, Senate President Huffman’s proposal is a complete non-starter,” said Katy Shanahan, Ohio State Director of All On The Line.
The Equal Districts Coalition includes the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, Ohio Organizing Collaborative, the Ohio Environmental Council, Innovation Ohio, the Ohio Student Association, ProgressOhio, All On the Line-Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Ohio Council of Churches, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, URGE – Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, LEAD Ohio, the Ohio Women’s Alliance, and more.
Desiree Tims Applauds Chauvin Verdict, Calls for Meaningful Police Reform
COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, released the following statement applauding the guilty verdict for former police officer Derek Chauvin in the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all counts.
“There is no verdict that could restore George Floyd’s life, but I’m relieved that his family will at least see his murderer brought to justice. Hopefully this will bring some peace to all who loved Mr. Floyd.
“Today must be the beginning, not the end, of the conversation around police reform. Too many unarmed Black men and women have died at the hands of law enforcement — cell phone videos make it impossible to ignore this reality.
“Holding bad actors accountable is only step one. We also need to address the causes of these preventable deaths, and implement meaningful changes to prevent them. We can start by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act through Congress. Let’s get to work.”
Innovation Ohio Announces New Communications Director
COLUMBUS — Today, Desiree Tims, President and CEO of Innovation Ohio, announced that Rachel Coyle has joined the team to serve as Communications Director.
Ms. Coyle brings a broad range of Ohio political experience to Innovation Ohio. She has held legislative and campaign roles with the Ohio Senate Democrats, directed communications for Joe Schiavoni for Ohio Governor and Cathy Johnson for Ohio Senate, and served as press secretary for the Ohio Democratic Party. She has previous experience with nonprofits as well, having managed grassroots advocacy and mobilization at ACLU of Ohio.
“Innovation Ohio has long been a leader in advocacy and coalition building around policies that support Ohio workers and families. Rachel will be a strong addition to our team as we work to broaden our reach and strengthen our state moving forward,” said Ms. Tims.
In her free time, Ms. Coyle operates a popular grassroots advocacy training program called “How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse,” which teaches Ohioans how to be effective Statehouse activists. She also manages the program’s social media presence. Her passion for cultivating public interest in Ohio politics and policymaking will help guide her work with Innovation Ohio.
“Desiree Tims and Innovation Ohio are working to shape the future of progressive Ohio politics. They know public pressure and advocacy will be the keys to lasting change. I’m thrilled to join such a vital organization as we build toward 2022 and beyond,” said Ms. Coyle.
Innovation Ohio will continue to build capacity in the coming months. Ohioans are encouraged to sign up for Innovation Ohio’s email lists for legislative updates, political resources, and more.
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Follow Innovation Ohio on social media:
Twitter — Facebook —Instagram
Equal Districts Coalition: Don’t Shortchange Ohioans By Gutting Redistricting Process
Delays in Census data are no excuse for limiting robust, transparent map-drawing process that leads to fair maps
Today, a new coalition of Ohio organizations announced their opposition to any attempts to shorten or minimize opportunities for the public to weigh-in on the redistricting process. The Equal Districts Coalition includes the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP, the Ohio Environmental Council, Innovation Ohio, the Ohio Student Association, ProgressOhio, All On the Line-Ohio, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, Ohio Council of Churches, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, URGE – Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, LEAD Ohio, and the Ohio Women’s Alliance.
This coalition strongly opposes any attempt to use the delay in the Census data to limit the redistricting process. Such a change would be a direct contradiction of the will of the Ohio voters who overwhelmingly passed redistricting reform in 2015 and 2018.
“We have all had to make adjustments during this pandemic to ensure our families and communities have what they need,” said Innovation Ohio President Desiree Tims. “It is important that Ohio elected officials step up to the challenge and not cut corners when it comes to making sure that every person counts in our democracy.”
Yesterday, a federal judge dismissed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s lawsuit that attempted to force the US Census Bureau to send incomplete redistricting data to the states. From the start, Ohio’s lawsuit has been a misguided attempt to cut corners at the expense of Ohio voters – the US Census Bureau needs as much time as necessary to ensure that the 2020 Census count is complete and that the redistricting data is as accurate as possible.
“Our priority is to protect the public’s ability to participate in how the maps are drawn and how their communities will be represented. For the last decade, Ohioans have been denied any real political representation because of our gerrymandered districts,” said Tom Roberts, President of the Ohio State Conference of the NAACP. “In 2015 and 2018, we came together to demand a redistricting process centered around injecting the people’s voice into how our districts are drawn. We will not negotiate away our ability to engage in a robust, transparent redistricting process that gives us fair, representative maps as a result.”
We now know – like we have known for the last month – that Ohio will receive its redistricting data by September 30, 2021. This certainly presents some challenges for the state given our constitutionally-mandated deadlines by when new maps are due. What the delay underscores, however, is that Ohio’s elected leaders need to begin the necessary work to prepare for redistricting immediately.
“There is no time to waste in preparing for the monumental task of redrawing our district boundaries for the next decade and ensuring every Ohioan can have an equal voice in the process,” said All On The Line Ohio State Director Katy Shanahan. “The delay in census data delivery is not an excuse to cut out any opportunity for members of the public to engage in the redistricting process or for there to be any less transparency in how the maps are drawn.”
Desiree Tims Named New President and CEO of Innovation Ohio
Today, Innovation Ohio announced that Desiree Tims will be the organization’s new President and CEO. She takes over from Janetta King, who founded the organization in 2011.
“I am elated to take the helm of Innovation Ohio, one of our state’s premier policy and advocacy organizations,” said Desiree Tims. “Through research, coalition building, and advocacy coordination, Innovation Ohio has long been on the forefront of fighting for innovative policies that help working families and create economic opportunity from the bottom up. I am committed to continuing and strengthening this vital work as we face some of our state’s and nation’s biggest challenges.”
Tims was born and raised in Dayton and is a proud product of Dayton Public Schools. After graduating from Xavier University, she worked in the Obama White House, and Capitol Hill for Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and a number of advocacy organizations. She is also a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center.
“Innovation Ohio has long led efforts to champion Ohio workers and honor the Dignity of Work, and I can think of no one better to lead the next chapter of the organization than Desiree Tims. Growing up in a working-class household in Dayton, Desiree has spent her career working for Ohioans like her, including through her work in my Senate office,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown. “I look forward to partnering with Desiree and Innovation Ohio in our continued efforts to create an economy in Ohio that works for working families.”
In 2020, Tims gained national attention for her campaign against Congressman Mike Turner. Her energetic campaign drew in new activists and set fundraising records against the entrenched incumbent.
“I am so excited to have this daughter of Dayton at the helm of one of the most important progressive organizations in Ohio,” said Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley. “Innovation Ohio has long been a resource and partner for myself and other progressives, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.”
Innovation Ohio was founded as a progressive policy and advocacy hub. It has become an integral part of the progressive ecosystem, connecting activists and everyday Ohioans with statehouse advocacy.
“Over the last decade, Innovation Ohio has become the go to resource for advocates and activists in Ohio,” said former Gov. Ted Strickland. “New, innovative leadership from Desiree Tims offers a great opportunity for this dynamic organization.”
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October Poll Finds Trump Underwater in Ohio, Trailing Generic Democrat
- Link to Ohio Poll Memo
- Link to Ohio poll cross-tabs
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