May Coffee with Common Cause Ohio - Links and Resources

Blog Post

May Coffee with Common Cause Ohio – Links and Resources

May 22, 2025

Thank you to those who were able to join us for May’s Coffee with Common Cause Ohio.

Click here for the slides and here for the recording. We talked about proposed changes to voting, the state operating budget, Article V, and more!

TAKE ACTION today: push back on the $600 bond for the new Browns Stadium in the budget bill. Send an email to your representatives and Governor DeWine.

This enormous subsidy of the very wealthy feels like the House Bill 6/FirstEnergy bailout bill all over again! This bond will cost taxpayers $1 billion over thirty years. Why should Ohio tax payers hold the bag for a stadium owned by a for-profit corporation? Jimmy Haslam is a billionaire and politically connected donor.

We talked about many other issues during the meeting! Please see the links below for more information and ways to take action.

Senate Bill 153 and companion HB 233 – Voting and Elections Administration Overhaul

Organizational Sign on Letter (130+ orgs so far!)
May 19 Open letter to members of the state legislature & Gov. DeWine
May 19 press release
One-pager summary and messaging tips
Op Eds and LTEs from fellow advocates

Ways to Take Action and Stop SB 153

Post on social media – SB 153 Toolkit: bit.ly/SB153Toolkit
NEW: Sign petition to protect direct democracy
Email your Ohio Senator and Governor DeWine
Log your call to your Ohio Senator
Sign up to testify or submit testimony (we’ll send alerts as it moves)
Submit a Letter to the Editor (Double duty for your testimony!)
- BOE LTE Toolkit
- Contact Kelly if you’d like help, kdufour@commoncause.org
- Example LTEs, Op Eds and Resources

Senate Bill 63 – Rank Choice Voting Ban

On May 14, the Ohio Senate passed SB 63 and on May 20, the bill was referred to the Ohio House General Government committee
This bill bans the use of rank choice voting at the state level and penalizes local communities
SB 63 appears to be being rushed through the legislative process to intimidate several Ohio cities with active local initiatives for Rank Choice Voting
With Senate vote, Ohio is closer to banning ranked choice voting, Ohio Public Radio, May 14, 2025
TAKE ACTION: Sign to Oppose SB 63 and Protect Home Rule

Voting News

Unofficial results (counties certify by May 27)
NEW absentee and early voting dashboard
The SAVE Act Faces An Uphill Battle. But Some States Want to Impose Similar Measures, Democracy Docket, April 29, 2025
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost turned an immigrant into a ‘political prop’ in voting case, judge says, Signal Cleveland, May 19, 2025

State Operating Budget Bill

The $600M bond will cost taxpayers $1 billion over 30 years.
Jimmy Haslam’s personal net worth is $8.5 billion, and the Haslam family worth overall is $14.4 billion.
Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman has said the state can’t afford to fully fund public education and cut the Fair School Funding Plan by two-thirds.

Between Jan. 1, 2024 and March 24, 2025, Huffman received $60,999 from Jimmy and Dee Haslam.

Jimmy and Dee Haslam jointly contributed $100,000 to the campaign opposing the Citizens Not Politicians/Issue 1 last year.
TAKE ACTION: Send an email to your legislators and Gov. DeWine

Make a Call: Cleveland Browns Stadium – $600 Million for New Stadium

What this does: Ohio lawmakers may spend $600 million through a bond package to fund Browns stadium while refusing to implement the last phase of the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan.

Contact your state senator (find your state senator here). Then tell Ohio Senate President Rob McColley (614-466-8150; mccolley@ohiosenate.gov) and these Senate Finance Committee members to HELP REMOVE the money for the Browns stadium from the state’s budget:

Jerry Cirino, chair – 614-644-7718; cirino@ohiosenate.gov
Brian Chavez, vice chair – 614-466-6508; chavez@ohiosenate.gov
Paula Hicks-Hudson, ranking member – 614-466-5204; hicks-hudson@ohiosenate.gov
Lou Blessing – 614-466-8068; blessing@ohiosenate.gov
Nathan Manning – 614-644-7613; manning@ohiosenate.gov
Tom Patton – 614-466-8056; patton@ohiosenate.gov
George Lang – 614-466-8072; lang@ohiosenate.gov
Susan Manchester – 614-466-7584; manchester@ohiosenate.gov

Sample call script:

My name is __________ and I’m calling from [give full address if leaving a message]. I urge [elected official] to REMOVE the money for the Browns stadium from the state’s budget. Saying that the full funding of the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan is “unsustainable” while allocating $600 million for the Browns stadium sends a bad message. Surely the 90 percent of Ohio’s children who attend public schools are more important than a stadium! Please REMOVE funds for the Browns stadium from the budget. Thanks for your consideration.

Some things that were eliminated in the House budget bill:

Funding for the Ohio Elections Commission, an independent body tasked with addressing campaign finance misdeeds. The Ohio Sec. of State is opposed and proposes some reforms.
All elected roles on the State Board of Education—cutting this governing body to 5 members, all appointed by the Governor.
Election of coroners.

Article V, Convention of States

DefendOurConstitution.org
House Joint Resolution 2 sponsored by Riordan McClain (R- Upper Sandusky) and Bernie Willis (R-Springfield)
House Joint Resolution 3 sponsored by Heidi Workman (R-Rootstown)
Senate Joint Resolution 3 sponsored by Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and George Lang (R-West Chester)
House Bill 67 sponsored by Riordan McClain (R- Upper Sandusky) and Bernie Willis (R-Springfield)
Senate Bill 112 sponsored by Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and George Lang (R-West Chester):
TAKE ACTION: Say NO to An Article V Convention