2010 Election Update

You know my love of Jennifer Brunner, but, after my experience at the Ohio Democratic Party Family Dinner about a week ago, I started to wonder, due to the overabundance of Lee Fisher stickers and absolutely no Brunner stickers, about her candidacy (especially with GOP Senate candidate Rob Portman posting $1.5million in fundraising, Fisher at $900,000, and Brunner's numbers undisclosed). When I inquired, a Fisher worker informed me, with an ironic tone, that she had said it was inappropriate to campaign at the dinner. I wonder which was right, but there are still some rumblings, and she responded sharply on her website:

Ever since I decided to give up the security of what is widely regarded as a "safe" re-election for Secretary of State and instead run for the U.S. Senate, the political insiders in Columbus and Washington began actively discouraging my candidacy. "She can’t raise the money," said many. "You shouldn’t run for the Senate if the Governor supports Lieutenant Governor Fisher," warned some Washington insiders in January. "You need to take one for the team, even though I don’t think the Lt. Gov. can win in the general election," one Congressman cautioned. "I think you have the political skills to win this election, but you need the money,” said a political mentor...

I am in this race to stay.

For the second time today, I'll say it: Snap when you say that girl. Despite expected disparities in fundraising (word of mouth, no actual source, but I think I read it somewhere) in the previous quarter of FEC reports, polls are showing a dead heat in a Fisher-Brunner matchup -- 24-21 (Quinnipiac, 7/7/09) or 22-17 (Daily KOS/Research 2000, 7/9/09). Meanwhile, KOS/Research 2000 (same article) show Fisher and Brunner polling ahead their all-but-nominated Republican counterpart, former Bush OMB director Rob Portman, by 7 and 4, respectively, or by 4 and 1, depending on whom you listen to. Portman is actually closing the gap; Republicans are finding new candidates right and left in the flagging economy, as Obama's polls numbers continue to drop. In Ohio, it's under 50% for the first time since he was elected.

Meanwhile, Democrats still look solidly ahead (second source which also shows Gov. Strickland ahead of potential GOP candidate Rep. Kasich by 5%) for 2010, though it appears Steve Chabot will be challenging Rep. Driehaus for his OH-01 (that's, uh, Cincinnati, folks) seat back in the coming election.

And that's your long-delayed 2010 election update, thought I have something bigger coming likely in the morning.

(OH) Strickland: No to Garrison

At the HRC-Strickland fundraising event this past weekend here in Cincinnati -- where I hear Strickland impressed the crowd with a quick fire unscripted Q&A for the crowd -- the Governor said in no uncertain terms that he would not pick State Rep. Jennifer Garrison for his Lt. Gov. running mate. (The current Lt. Gov., Lee Fisher, is running for the empty Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Voinovich.)

Why is this so interesting? In 2004, Garrison went ran against State Rep. Nancy Hollister (R -- who voted against the state Defense of Marriage Act) by touting her own opposition to same-sex marriage. She's also supported by the NRA and Ohio Right to Life -- making me wonder how is she a Democrat? (Joking. Social issues do not define your political affiliation.)

In short: Strickland is not going to welcome an anti-gay Democrat into the statehouse... even if she is local (Cincinnatian) and popular.

PS This event went out on Facebook to a lot of people going -- $250? No thanks! I am hoping that the Ohio LGBT Democratic Caucus and the Governor have an opportunity for others to speak to Strickland without just precipitous pricetag (though I understand there were a handful at the event who were offered tickets at reduced prices).

Cincy Dems and Other Bits on Election 2010

I've been really lax this week -- it's been crazy, crazy, crazy in my life here in Queer-world. I apologize for not keeping up with the world... but I promise I've got a couple coming through. Including, but not limited to, the follow-ups on the Chris Finney situation.

The Election itself for 2010 is awfully quiet. I got to meet a possible City Council nominee for the Dem's this past weekend -- he was making the rounds at a few gay meetings to introduce himself and shake hands -- and he was cute enough. Seemed supportive, overall, but I didn't get a chance to really ask him a lot of detailed questions. I'll be sure to talk more about him once the Dems, Reps, and Charterites give their nods.

The biggest thing out there is an interesting article from the Cincinnati Enquirer on State Rep. Tyrone Yates and (possibly) Commissioner Todd Portune entering the Senate race for Ohio, against the growing field that already included Jennifer Brunner (D), Lee Fisher (D), and Rob Portman (R). It's starting to look like an all-out brawl, though the Dems are looking nicely to pick it up.

However, sadly enough for Yates/Portune is that Cincy Dems do not have a strong history on the state-wide scale, from the Enquirer:

There just haven't been many in the past 40 years, as Democratic primary elections have been dominated by northeast Ohio where the highest concentration of Democratic voters lives.

The last Cincinnatian to win one of the major state offices was John Gilligan who won the governor's office 39 years ago. Even after he won it, he couldn't keep it - he lost his bid for re-election four years later.

Jerry Springer, fresh off his stint as Cincinnati mayor and council, ran in the Democratic primary for governor 1982, but came in third in a field of three.

Cincinnati-area Republicans have never had that problem - the region has produced plenty of GOP statewide candidates, from former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and former secretary of state J. Kenneth Blackwell to former state treasurer Joe Deters.

For decades now, Democratic candidates for any of the state's constitutional offices - governor, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer - and the state's two U.S. Senate seats tend to be from parts of the state other than Cincinnati and southwest Ohio.

But there are some signs that may change soon.

"I'm not saying we have gone completely blue in Hamilton County, but everything has been moving in our direction in the last few elections,'' said Hamilton County Democratic Party chairman Tim Burke, pointing to Barack Obama's win over John McCain in Hamilton County and Steve Driehaus' ousting Republican incumbent Steve Chabot in the 1st Congressional District last fall.

A lot of the outcome is hinging on the economy -- and once very popular Gov. Strickland is starting to sink in the polls because of it (threatening his cozy position, but no one has really stepped up yet to take it on, except for a minor State Senator from Cuyahoga Falls -- please don't let me eat those words).

And all of this matters, of course, because 2011 is the redistricting year -- EEP! This is the year to be in control.

Oh, and the other big news is that Jim Bunning in Kentucky continues to plug on. I'm actually starting to respect the old curmudgeon, going up against the establishment and all that. I'm impressed. But, of course, anyone who takes on Mitch McConnell in a nasty, to-the-political-death fight very much in public is my hero. You know what the respectability of McConnell becomes should Bunning win the election.

And we're off!!!!

The next round of entrants into the 2010 election has popped up! I'm a little late on a couple of these, so bear with me:

• Both Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner have announced their intentions to run for the Senate seat being exited by Sen. Voinovich. Gov. Strickland is behind Fisher, stating that he's the "most qualified," which many took as an indicator for other hopefuls to hold off until Fisher is in or out. Brunner, apparently, decided the time was ripe. I like Brunner. Both are excellent as far as queer folks go, and both have been acknowledged as being pro-LGBT by Equality Ohio, but I think the appeal of electing the first female Senator from Ohio is too great.
• And, despite the strength of Portman's name, it doesn't appear like he's going to go in for an easy run. Even possible contender for the Republican nomination -- state Auditor Mary Taylor -- is not holding up well against either Democrat. In all cases, there is a double digit lead in the early (early early) polling in favor of Brunner or Fisher. Fisher, btw, fairs the best. (The NYTimes also notes the Dem favor in the general election, saying that the Republicans will still bear the brunt of the Bush administration into 2010.)
• Meanwhile, don't think that Brunner/Fisher will be the final match-up. Christopher Celeste, son of former Democratic Governor Richard Celeste, has announced his intentions to run for Senate, as well. Though he claims he doesn't feel entitled, with no political history of his own to rely on, one wonders: what's the frakkin' point?
• Gov. Strickland looks poised to be OK in his seat, even against former Senator Mike DeWine or former Representative John Kasich, polling double digits above either candidate. I just think it says quite a bit that we're talking about a lot of "former this" Republicans, while we have a lot of seated Democrats. I'm just saying...
• In the midst of a lawsuit against WCPO for age and gender discrimination, former newscaster Laure Quinlivan is considering a run for Cincinnati City Council. I have some serious questions about the appropriateness of journalists becoming politicians. In fact, with the history this very article details, I'm really uncomfortable with the number of jumps that has happened. How good are newscasters if they always think: one day, I'll run for office.
• The Kentucky Senate race against Jim Bunning is starting to shape up, with Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo announcing his intentions to run. Two other Democrats -- Attorney General Jack Conway and state Auditor Crit Luallen -- may also announce in the next few weeks.

There's not a lot of gay in all these things, but it got me thinking on this: if we have such a fabulously supportive Executive Branch in Ohio for LGBT rights, why don't we have them yet?

2010: I was talking about it first

Two other big local blogs have started talking about the 2010 election.

[snarky] Duh. We here at QueerCincinnati.com were so talking about it first. [/snarky] :-)

But here's the two updates we hear about:

• From (blogrolled, but not often used) a Republican Butler County blogger: a rundown of some major races, much like I've already done. A few interesting points... 1) the author suggests that Mr. Strickland will start nosediving in the polls, much like Taft did at this point. Um. Coingate? Apparently, scandal isn't their thing. 2) He expects that Chabot will run again, despite him now running a storefront law firm (where did I see that picture? a link would help). The expectation is that Krekorian will be back in the race; let's hope what's-her-face (Vic Wulsin) stays out this time (love her, but she hasn't won yet, let's pass the torch). 3) The blogger is also trumpeting a third party candidate in the Senate race -- William Pierce. In nursing school world, "trumpet" is sometimes preceded by the word "anal." Sorry, minor joke.
• Cincinnati Blog points us to a candidate for Cincinnati City Council -- Tony Fischer, an Iraq vet. This is the first time I've commented on the Council, so how about we start following that race, too? (Mr. Fischer's Election Website -- ain't he so adorable?)

More to come, as always...

Ohio's 2010 Senatorial Race

We've talked a lot about Rob Portman, but who else is being looked at to replace Voinovich in the U.S. Senate? The Columbus Dispatch points us to a poll that lists one other Republican -- State Auditor, Mary Taylor -- and two Democrats -- Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Lt. Gov. Lee Fischer. The run down of the poll, btw, has either Democrat in double digits over either candidate at this point for three reasons: 1) Brunner and Fischer are better known; 2) Strickland is still a popular governor; 3) Obama.

But let's look at the candidates and where they stand on LGBT issues.

Mary Taylor (R), State Auditor (2007-Present), Ohio House of Representatives (2002-2006), Councilwoman for Green Ohio
At this point we have very little information about this candidate, shockingly. Most of the information out of her, including her campaign website, highlights her views and her actions as the State Auditor rather than her feelings on issues. I checked out my usual source -- Project Vote-Smart -- and found little information about her. The only true indicator that we can find on this source is that she is rated very poorly by traditionally "liberal" organizations -- NARAL, Ohio League of Conservation Voters, and the Ohio Federation of Teachers -- while highly on traditionally "conservative" organizations -- NRA, Ohio Gun Owners of America, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. Things are looking bad for Ms. Taylor. OnTheIssues.org also has nothing listed for her. Her Wikipedia page is still pretty much empty as well, which will, no doubt, change.

In fact, the only thing I could find was that she voted YEA for the Ohio DOMA in 2004... along with Steve Driehaus, whom this blog endorsed in 2008 for the US House. It's not necessarily a damning offense, then, but it definitely doesn't bode well for Ms. Taylor.

On her side, though, at least for getting the nom, is that Republicans seem to want to appear more inclusive (see Sarah Palin and Michael Steele). Ms. Taylor is a "rising star" in the GOP here in Ohio, and the chance to grab the title of "first female Senator from Ohio" is sure to be a goal for the party this year, since they still look like a whole bunch of old white guys.

Jennifer Brunner, Secretary of State (2007-Present), Judge (2000-2005), Legislative Council to the Secretary of State and Private Lawyer

For Ms. Brunner we have a little more information, but from vastly different sources. OntheIssues.org, again, is worthless to us (it needs to be updated!!! AH!), and her Project Vote-Smart page is practically worthless. Nothing on there. But, we have two other sources.

First: her Wikipedia page is well developed. Though there is absolutely nothing listed about LGBT rights or issues, there seems to be a lot of information about her voting reform work (one of the main duties of the Secretary of State). It seems to have been an impressive bit of work too, and, since Ohio went smoothly this year, on that will be much heralded if she were to decide to run.

Second: We have JenniferBrunner.com -- a perennial campaign site that originated, it seems, from her 2006 campaign for SoS. Most notable is an endorsement from the Columbus Dispatch that states:

“the next secretary of state needs to be an impartial arbiter of elections. Blackwell’s politicking in 2004 for State Issue 1, the amendment banning gay marriages, and on behalf of President Bush’s re-election gave Democrats an opening to question his neutrality.”

OK, not bad. And then we come across this YouTube video from the United Way:

Guess where she is? That's right, kids. Columbus Pride 2008. I would say that's pretty damned impressive ain't it?

That's all I can find so far, but there was a bit about her son on Facebook and some strange pictures -- blah blah blah. I couldn't really figure it out as the original post was taken down. And, of course, a great blog posted by Ms. Brunner on the Huffington Post which I just think is appropriately entitled "On Being Fearless..." How about "On Being Fierce," Ms. Brunner.

Oh, and Brunner also attended a "Welcome Back to Ohio" brunch in 2007 hosted by Equality Ohio along with Strickland, Fisher, and a few others who are LGBT-friendly elected officials. Brunner, in this article, attributed her win to LGBT persons, as she tapped three Stonewall Columbus members to help run the campaign, and then tapped Brian Shinn (gay attorney) as her Assistant Legal Counsel, who is tied for the highest ranking LGBT appointed position in the State of Ohio with Mary Jo Hudson as the head of the Department of Insurance (Governor's Cabinet).

But that's Jennifer Brunner, for now.

And, last but not least...

Lee Fisher, Lieutenant Governor (2007-Present), Gubernatorial Candidate (1998), State Attorney General (1991-1995), State Senator (1983-1991), State Representative (1980-1982)

On experience alone, no one can beat Mr. Fisher. In fact, he looks like he may be the pick by Gov. Strickland, who is strongly dissuading other candidates to wait until Fisher decides. But let's look at everything else shall we? Again, OnTheIssues.org is useless - HA! His Wikipedia article is still light, and his official state biography has nothing on it of value. I again remind you of the above-mentioned story about the brunch attended by Fisher and other LGBT-affirming elected officials in 2007 and hosted by Equality Ohio in the statehouse, most notably because of this quote by Fisher:

“This is where history has been made and unmade for centuries,” Fisher said, standing about 25 feet from a plaque noting that Abraham Lincoln spoke there. “But also the echo in here sends a ripple effect to all 88 counties that we’re back.”

Not as exciting as Brunner's, but still important.

Then we run over to Project Vote-Smart's page on Lee Fisher, and we have the only candidate so far to answer their Political Courage test. Two things are notable: 1) that, in 1998, he supported laws protecting people against sexual orientation discrimination in the state, and 2) he does not support recognizing gay marriages in Ohio (but it was 1998, I'd be curious to know if his opinion has changed at all). But that's about all we can find, as he hasn't yet been rated by anyone nor has there been much of an opportunity to say much about LGBT issues as Lt. Gov. I'm sure it will come if he runs.

---

So there we have the three other candidates that people are talking about. On the Democratic side, we're, essentially, waiting for Lee Fisher to decide before anyone else steps up to the battle (though JenniferBrunner.com could count as a "campaign site"). On the Republican side, we definitely have Rob Portman, and we have a semi-campaign site for Mary Taylor.

What amuses me about all this talk is this:

Two years after we have the first black President elected, and the first female serious candidate for a major party, and the winds are screaming change...

...here in Ohio, we are still saying "pick the old, experienced white guy" over anything else.

Ahhh, to be in Ohio.

Oh, and just to be clear, folks, I'm totally supporting Jennifer Brunner because of the amount of information I found about her. I may switch the more I learn about Lee Fisher, but I will not be supporting either Portman or Taylor, I can promise you that, unless either one drastically changes their view.

And how weird would it be if Strickland said, "You know, I want to be Senator; Fisher and Brunner can run off for Gov?"

Election 2010: A Preview

Though not as sexy as a Presidential election year, 2010 promises to have its own drama involved, not the least due to people like Janet Neopalitano, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Rod Blagojevich leaving their posts with interims to be re-elected in 2010.

Let's look at the election of 2010:

• 35 of the 100 Senators will be up for election this round, including interim reelections in Colorado (Sen. Ken Salazar is becoming the Secretary of the Interior) and New York (Sen. Hillary Clinton is becoming the Secretary of State). This will also include Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who is likely to face off against Gov. Sarah Palin in expectation of either a 2012 or 2016 Presidential bid (if she's smart, she'll hold off until 2016 and 6 years in the Senate to make an honest bid). Ohio's former Governor and current two-term Senator, George Voinovich, is also up for his third term.
• There are 36 gubernatorial races. This is fun because some power players will be term-limited, including: Bill Richardson (D-NM), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS, rumor has it she will run for Senate, and retiring Senator Brownback will run for Governor, thus merely reversing the two roles), Jennifer Granholm (D-MI), Ed Rendell (D-PA), Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA, who is rumored to want to run for Sen. Barbara Boxer's seat), Sarah Palin (R-AK), and Mark Sanford (R-SC, who is rumored to be on the short list of people they want to move up the Republican hierarchy). Our own popular Gov. Strickland is also up for reelection, with rumors of lightly tainted Rep. Rob Portman running against him.
• The House elections are more difficult to talk about, as there are 435 of them. But, DCCC Chair Van Hollen feels that upwards of 70 Democrats are vulnerable.

How does this play in Ohio? Let's look at the ones we know are going to be fun here at home:

Governor Race -- Ted Strickland (D, i) v. Unknown (R)

Strickland is still very popular for a swing state Governor in the rust belt -- as recently as December, 54% of the populace approved of the job he was doing. That's pretty good. He stayed out of the election, for the most part, except for a little bit of talk about whether he would be a VP candidate to which he responded: "Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. " That's pretty emphatic, and I know it impressed me. He's been pretty "up" on serving Ohio, and it seems that he's happy and good at the job.

I suspect that Strickland's fate is tied to two major points:

1. The success of Barack Obama.
2. The reorganization of the Republican party.

If Barack performs adequately or well, and things start to show mild improvement, I think Strickland will be a shoo-in. On the other hand, if Obama starts to falter or things aren't looking better, I think Strickland will be an easy target. On the flip side, if the Republicans get their act together, and they field a really strong candidate (not a joke like Ken Blackwell), or if they do something amazing like the 1994 Contract With America, then I think Strickland could, at the very least, face some difficult competition.

Former 2nd Congressional District Representative and White House budget director Rob Portman is thinking about a run for the Governor's mansion. (And Wikipedia, though it's uncited, says former 12th Congressional District Representative John Kasich is a possible contender... though that seems like a weak choice because he doesn't have the statewide name, though he served for 18 years.)

Senatorial Race -- George Voinovich (R, i) vs. Unknown (D)

As of now, it looks like George Voinovich is planning on running and not retiring, though there were some rumors (the man is 74 years old). Otherwise, Rob Portman was one they were pointing to as a possible candidate for the Republicans. Unlike Strickland, Voinovich is very much at risk for being "offed." He's definitely a target, considering the Democratic swings in 2008. With Ohio going blue for Obama, and strong Republican incumbents like Chabot being knocked out, it is likely that the Democrats will target Voinovich as an easy pick off.

And there is no shortage of people willing to take him on, it seems. The "Democratic bench" is heavy, and Public Policy Polling has surveyed a few over the last few months to see how they would match up. It does not look good, as GV only enjoys a 30% approval rating, with only 37% of his own party approving. The match-ups, then, look like this:

Voinovich - 38% vs. Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher - 40%

Voinovich - 42% vs. Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson - 32%

Voinovich - 38% vs. Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner - 42%

Voinovich - 39% vs. Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman - 37%

Voinovich - 33% vs. Rep. Tim Ryan (17th CD) -- 33% (TIE)

Voinovich - 37% vs. Rep. Betty Sutton (13th CD) - 32%

At this point, the only definitive person he blows out of the water is Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. And there are a lot of people missing on that list -- including popular Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory (though there's one huge skeleton in the closet that would come out, I think, in a brutal Senatorial race). Mind you, this is two years back, and it all still hinges on the success of Barack Obama and the Republican leadership.

The exciting part, if a woman wins (and I'm rooting for Jennifer Brunner, btw, though Tim Ryan is cute cute cute), it would be the first female Senator from the state of Ohio.

---

Electoral-vote.com lists two Ohio Represenative races as "hot" this time around, and I tend to agree:

Ohio's First Congressional District - Steve Driehaus (D, i) vs. Unknown (R)

Driehaus knocked off Chabot by a measly 2 points. It would be a good fight, again. But who would they get to run? Perhaps Hamilton County Commissioner Pat DeWine?

Ohio's 15th Congressional District - Mary Jo Kilroy (D, i) vs. Unknown (R)

Kilroy beat Stivers by 0.8% in a strongly Republican district. It's likely to be a hot spot.

Oh, and something I'll add to the predictions...

Ohio's 2nd Congressional District -- Jean Schmidt (R, i) vs. Unknown (D)

And they better not pick Vic Wulsin again. The woman cannot win an election. Sorry, Vic, we love you.

OHIO/CINNKY: Ohio Healthy Families Act

Gov. Strickland comes out against the Ohio Healthy Families Act??? Interesting...

From coldheartedtruth (a rightwing blog):

That makes as much sense as anything else. Governor Ted Strickland has recently announced that he is opposing Ohio Ballot Issue 4, aka The Ohio Healthy Families Act. This ballot initiative is the one of the projects nearest and dearest to the hearts of union organizers in Ohio, one of Governor Strickland's key constituencies that helped him win election in 2006. You can read all you want to know about it here: http://www.sickdaysohio.org/

Those in the know acknowledge that the ballot issue is a GOTV tactic for union members, wrapped in an inoccuous sounding name that will hopefully fool enough other people into voting in favor of it. The essence of the proposal, for those disinclined to follow the link, is that all Ohio businesses employing 25 or more people will be required to grant seven sick days per year to each employee. Business groups are obviously adamantly opposed to the initiative.

I do not seriously think Ted Strickland is a stealth VP candidate for John McCain, but it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Some think that the Democratic Party in Ohio has already folded its tent on the Presidential election and is focused instead on garnering two or three more seats in the US Congress and perhaps gaining a majority in the lower house of the Ohio Legislature. I don't have an opinion on whether that is true, but if Obama loses Ohio, his electoral mountain will get a little bit steeper.

Blah blah blah. I wonder

OHIO/CINNKY: Equal Housing and Employment Act -- Part 2

I just began a Facebook group (here) for those who are interested in a little "ground swell activism" (I hate the term grass roots... I ain't no root, and if it's activism, then I think "swell" is a great word).

And for those who are interested, I continue to suggest a couple of things you can do:

1) Email your state representatives and senators. For those who don't know how to contact them off the top of their head, the information can easily be accessed here: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/

2) Email the current sponsors and thank them. You can just as easily go to the above website and search for them. Here are their names:

House: D. Stewart (introducer)**, Peterson (introducer), Skindell**, Beatty, Redfern, Foley, Celeste, Koziura, Brady, Budish, Ujvagi, Yates, Chandler, R. Hagan, Brown**, Szollosi, Yuko

Senate: D. Miller (introducer and author), Smith, Cafaro, Morano, R. Miller, Roberts, Kearney**, Sawyer, Fedor**, Goodman**, Boccieri

3) Email the members of the two Committees -- State Government and Elections (House) and Judiciary -- Civil Justice (Senate) -- to push it through and have it pass in the General Assembly! The starred members above sit on those committees. But for the rest of them:

Senate, Judiciary -- Civil Justice Committee: Goodman (R, Chair, sponsor), Schuring (R, Vice Chair), Buehrer (R), Faber (R), Seitz (R -- see below), Stivers (R), Kearney (D, Ranking Minority Member, sponsor), Fedor (D, sponsor), Mason (D)
A note on Seitz -- he is rabidly anti-gay and a proponent of the Defense of Marriage Act in Ohio, was actually one of the original
sponsors (perhaps the author?). I actually arranged a protest outside of his law offices in Cincinnati.

House, State Government and Elections: Daniels (R, Chair), Hite (R, Vice Chair), Carmichael (R), Collier (R), DeWine (R), Flowers (R), Reinhard (R), Schneider (R), D. Stewart (D, Ranking Minority Member, sponsor and introducer), Book (D), Brown (D), Domenick (D), Lundy (D), Skindell (D, sponsor), Sykes (D)

4) Email Ted Strickland -- http://governor.ohio.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=448 --and tell him to publically support it.

5) Lobby them in person or in a real live letter.

It's easy to do all of this. I recommend you try a little armchair acitivism today. And, if nothing else, contact Equality Ohio or Do What's Right, Ohio! for more information!

----

Update:

Got a response back from Gov. Strickland.

Thank you for writing with regard to enhancing equality at the workplace and in housing. I appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns and opinions with me.

At this time, there is legislation pending before Ohio’s 127^th General Assembly having to do with this issue, namely House Bill 502 and Senate Bill 305. Please be assured I will be mindful of the views you expressed. I also encourage you to communicate your views with your legislators as bills before the General Assembly are reviewed by your State Senator and Representative.

If you would like to contact your State Senator and Representative, you may call the Ohio Senate Clerk at (614) 466-4900 and the Ohio House of Representatives Clerk at (614) 466-3357.

Once again, I appreciate your writing to me. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can assist you in the future.

Sincerely,

Ted Strickland

Governor

It's kinda blah, but who knows. It doesn't give a position either way, though it uses "politically positive" language -- "enhancing equality". But, it's important. Still have not heard back from either my state Rep. Driehaus (but he's kinda in the middle of a scandal that's just plain silly) and state Sen. Kearney.

GAY STUFF: Two bits found quickly

I found two things on the web that I'm surprised had not yet passed my ears:

1) Milestone for Equality
From Cleveland.com, reported by Jeff Coryell, Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH) appointed the state's first openly LGBT judge -- Mary Wiseman, a former city commissioner of the city of Dayton, who fills the spot of the retiring Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge John Kessler. She is up for election this year, and I hope that she wins :-). It's amazing ... I'm on a lot of listservs and I never heard about this.

2) Gay Ohio History Initiative
I can't quite figure this one out, as there's not a lot of content on the site. But it seems rather... interesting. I'm thinking of contacting them and seeing what they have so far. Outlook Weekly and the Ohio Historical Society are involved. They have a special endowment too... which, I'm sure, got a lot of giggles when they posted that on the web for the first time. The following is a collection of seeming missions they have on the website:

The purpose of the Gay Ohio History Initiative is to collect, archive and curate the history and culture of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender [GLBT] community in Ohio...We want to share LGBT culture and history with all Ohioans, to create opportunities for understanding of both the past and what is hoped for in the future...

No, really. They seem, well, at least truthful in their intent. I signed up for their listserv, so we'll see what comes through, yes? I am always interested on learning about special endowments.

But this is neat, Columbus Pride from 1982 (the year I was born) on their website -- be warned, it's 1.5 hours long :-):