{"id":376,"date":"2023-12-04T14:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T14:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/"},"modified":"2023-12-04T14:23:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T14:23:50","slug":"ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/","title":{"rendered":"Ohio December Updates\u2014\u2019Tis the Season for Holding Elected Leaders Accountable"},"template":"","class_list":["post-376","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-blog-post"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"","featured_image":null,"article_type":153,"authors":null,"related_issues":false,"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":null,"name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve turned the page to December with a renewed sense of optimism and cheer. Thank you to those who supported our Giving Tuesday push last week. Contributions we receive from Ohio members are invested directly back into our programming and advocacy efforts. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We're pleased to share the updates below from our statewide work as we continue to advocate for access to the ballot and accountability across our government.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>Redistricting Updates<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve started \u2014 hundreds of Fair Districts Ohio coalition volunteers are picking up petition booklets and coming to a neighborhood event near you! More than 900 Ohioans have already registered for our volunteer training and dozens have stepped up to lead regional petition signature efforts.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what you need to know:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensnotpoliticians.org\/citizens-led-campaign-for-anti-gerrymandering-amendment-kicks-off-signature-gathering-effort\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Citizens Not Politicians signature collection launched last week<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with Republicans, Democrats and Independents working together to end gerrymandering.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our work is so important because, earlier this week, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/ohio\/articles\/2023-11-28\/ohio-supreme-court-dismisses-3-long-running-redistricting-lawsuits-against-state-legislative-maps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the redistricting lawsuits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and without reform, our state legislative maps won\u2019t change until 2030.<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also this week, Ohio Secretary of State <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/ohio-secretary-state-frank-larose-consulted-anti-abortion-groups-drafting-issue-1-ballot-language\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frank LaRose confirmed working with anti-abortion groups to craft Issue 1 ballot language<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fair Districts will need an army of volunteers for the next 12 months, so if you\u2019re interested, please <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSfNiY4yqJuL57G5EjNoeg7CwlsD4XK2bzMvzy5dJhr7XZKaHA\/viewform\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sign up to volunteer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in one of many roles or join our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_rL776R2BTOCJwbO6HZ0FGA#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fair Districts Volunteer Huddle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on Wed., December 13 at 6pm to learn more.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<h5 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSfNiY4yqJuL57G5EjNoeg7CwlsD4XK2bzMvzy5dJhr7XZKaHA\/viewform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>Sign Up To Volunteer<\/b><\/a><\/h5>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter wp-image-9213 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2023\/12\/WeStart-1024x386.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"833\" height=\"314\" \/>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>You\u2019re Invited<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> - <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_Vt1weNEvQh2imSw_TTLQKQ#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scandals and SCOTUS: Improving US Supreme Court Ethics<\/span><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our watchdog work doesn\u2019t stop at the Ohio border. We are pleased to join the Ohio Fair Courts Alliance on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_Vt1weNEvQh2imSw_TTLQKQ#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monday, December 18 at 6pm<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to host an in-depth forum featuring experts discussing the need for robust judicial ethics and meaningful reforms.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Panelists include: Alex Aronson, former chief counsel to US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Jennifer Ahearn\u2014Brennan Center for Justice, Sarah Turberville\u2014The Constitution Project, and Lisa Graves\u2014True North Research.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/webinar\/register\/WN_Vt1weNEvQh2imSw_TTLQKQ#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Register today<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to save your spot for this exciting event.<\/span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>November General Election Results<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ohio did it again - our 88 county Boards of Elections worked tirelessly last month during the November General Election. We applaud their efforts and the commitment of thousands of poll workers to ensure eligible Ohioans can cast their ballot.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And let\u2019s celebrate the newest addition to the Ohio Constitution - Article I, Section 22 | <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/codes.ohio.gov\/ohio-constitution\/section-1.22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, now enshrined into our state constitution after the passage of Issue 1.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 3.86M voters turned out to cast a vote for Issue 1. We look forward to building off the August and November momentum because we know Ohio voters turn out when our elected representatives forget they work for us! You can view the statewide issues and <a href=\"https:\/\/liveresults.ohiosos.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">election results here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>Dark Money Updates<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developments continue in the Householder House Bill 6 FirstEnergy racketeering scheme. Today, three years after the FBI raided his house, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/usao-sdoh\/pr\/grand-jury-indicts-former-state-public-utilities-chairman-federal-bribery-embezzlement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sam Randazzo was indicted<\/a> for bribery and fraud. In July 2021, FirstEnergy acknowledged in a deferred prosecution agreement that the company gave $4.3 million to a public official to advance the company\u2019s priorities including the bailout bill. <\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it\u2019s been six months since Larry Householder was sentenced, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/bribery-investigation-ohio-firstenergy-dewine-husted-householder-35b3e9c836e0a00dd5d98707d81ca112\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">subpoenas were issued to Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Husted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in recent weeks related to a civil lawsuit from investors of FirstEnergy.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craving more? <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.wosu.org\/podcast\/the-power-grab\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Power Grab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a new WOSU podcast series that takes a deep dive into the evidence and events surrounding Larry Householder\u2019s dark money alliances and the $1.5B bailout of nuclear power plants. New episodes air each Monday. Last week, on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.wosu.org\/podcast\/the-power-grab\/2023-11-27\/dark-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dark Money<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, I joined host Renee Fox to help unpack how these secret funds were funneled across multiple organizations and the importance of transparency in campaign finance.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We hope you enjoy these monthly updates and are proud of our work this year. We moved at a record pace and accomplished amazing wins for Ohio, but we did it with grounding support from all of our member advocates who push for more accountable and transparent government everyday.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like to contribute towards putting an independent citizens redistricting commission on the ballot in November 2024, we <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/act.commoncause.org\/fundraising\/common-cause-ohios-redistricting-gear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">need help ensuring that volunteers have t-shirts, beanies, stickers, and other materials<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so that they can successfully collect signatures.<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Questions about the program updates and opportunities listed? Email Kelly Dufour at kdufour@commoncause.org.<\/p>"}}]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.6 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ohio December Updates\u2014\u2019Tis the Season for Holding Elected Leaders Accountable - Common Cause Ohio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ohio December Updates\u2014\u2019Tis the Season for Holding Elected Leaders Accountable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Common Cause Ohio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/OH.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/ohio\/articles\/ohio-december-updates-tis-the-season-for-holding-elected-leaders-accountable\/\",\"name\":\"Ohio December Updates\u2014\u2019Tis the Season for Holding Elected Leaders Accountable - 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