CAPITOL Ohio Alliance of YMCAs 6956 Broad St, Columbus, OH 43213 BRIEF August 2020 OhioYMCAs.org A LEGISLATIVE NEWSLETTER FOR CEOS, CVOS, STAFF, AND PARTNERS OF THE OHIO ALLIANCE OF YMCAS ADDRESSING HEALTH IN THIS ISSUE DISPARITIES IN MINORITY Addressing Health Disparities in COMMUNITIES Minority Communities Resolved to Impeach DeWine Gov. Mike DeWine used a press conference to highlight disparities among minority communities, especially when it comes to health, and said he is creating a permanent advisory board that will advise his administration. DeWine Calls for Compromise on Unemployment The Governor said the effort comes after his Minority Health Strike Force presented a report with 34 recommendations, which he said he had the Legal Action Against Householder senior leadership of his cabinet agencies read over to determine what can be done to reduce these disparities. Delayed He noted that the life expectancy for African Americans in Ohio is four years ENJOY THIS ISSUE? less than it is for White Ohioans. They are two-and-half times more likely to be in poverty, and there are educational disparities as well. The governor said there are a number of reasons for this, but racism is one of them. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone who may find it useful. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted those disparities. "We have an obligation to look at these racial disparities and say that is not right and do everything in our power to deal with this," DeWine said before QUESTIONS, later declaring, "Racism is a public health crisis." COMMENTS, IDEAS? He said he is signing an executive order that creates the Equity Advisory Board to advise on dealing with disparities. The executive order will also Contact Beth Tsvetkoff at btsvet- create a plan to advance efforts to reduce those disparities, and will put into [email protected]. writing "some of the things we can do to change things for the better. It will be a work in progress." Also follow Beth on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BethTsvetkoff, or Among the efforts, DeWine said his administration will challenge colleges at www.ohioymcas.org. and universities to get more African Americans to serve as teachers and mentors, or to get job and family service agencies to do more with minorities in foster care. According to DeWine's office, the COVID-19 Minority Health Strike Force Blueprint's recommendations address dismantling racism, removing public health obstacles, improving the social/economic and physical environments, and strengthening data collection to better track disparity. His comments on racism's being a public health crisis follows Democrats' in the General Assembly introducing resolutions—HCR31 (Howse-Crawley) and SCR14 (Williams-Craig)—that declare racism a public health crisis and ask the governor to establish a working group to promote racial equity in Ohio. The Senate sponsors of SCR14 used DeWine's comments to call for a vote. “I agree with Gov. DeWine. Racism is a public health crisis, and the first step to fix a problem is to admit that we have one. This is why we need to pass SCR14 and start working to make Ohio a more fair, equitable state. Passing this resolution, which has bipartisan support, shouldn’t be controversial. I would like to see it on the Senate floor soon," Sen. Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland) said in a statement. Continues page 2 1 Continued from page 1 Added Sen. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus): “We have a There is also evidence that masks can be hazardous to duty to protect the lives and freedoms of all Ohioans, one's health. Gov. DeWine doubled down when he and that starts with addressing the glaring inequities in expanded the mandate to our school-age children, who our health care, housing, education and justice are less susceptible to COVID-19." systems. Gov. DeWine was right when he said that history will judge us for how we choose to respond to Becker also said that DeWine vetoed SB55 (Gavarone), these disparities. We owe it to both our forbearers and which included limits on state health orders, and has those who will come after us to pass SCR14 and threatened vetoes of SB1 (McColley-Roegner) and continue to fight for better opportunities for everyone Becker's HB618, which would also limit health orders by in our state.” the state. House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) also Vitale said on Facebook that impeachment articles don't weighed in, saying DeWine has acted slowly on go far enough for him. minority health. A member of DeWine's Minority Health Strike Force, Sykes said she has been asking for weeks "While it's a good step, Dictator DeWine needs to be to see a final report and only received it Thursday charged and tried for crimes against humanity, in my morning. opinion," Vitale wrote. “Task forces to reopen businesses met and issued Rep. Candice Keller (R-Middletown) also weighed in on reports within days of their creation. Democrats called social media, arguing that people take risks without a for that same sense of urgency when it came to the second thought and the risks with COVID-19 are no health and lives of Black Ohioans who have seen the different. worst effects of coronavirus since the outset of this pandemic. But here we are, 115 days later, nearly four "I understand COVID can be deadly or very dangerous months since the governor created the Minority Health for SOME people, but so are strawberries and so is Strike Force, and two months after the final report was shellfish," Keller wrote on Facebook, going on to ask initially due. For thousands of Black workers and Black whether "hugging grandma is more dangerous than families, it’s too little, too late—the damage is done. rush hour on the freeway," or if "going out with friends The governor and his team moved quickly to address after work" is "more risky than four-day old gas station some issues but not the ones that dealt with Black and sushi." Brown lives," she said. In a statement, DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said, Reported by Hannah News Service "Gov. DeWine is focused on saving lives during the pandemic. He is focused on helping the economy and getting Ohioans back to work. That is what he is focused on." RESOLVED TO IMPEACH In his statement released later, Cupp said that DEWINE "legitimate debate and disagreement is occurring over Rep. John Becker (R-Cincinnati) said this month that he the scope and breadth of some of the governor’s orders has drafted 10 articles of impeachment against Gov. issued through the health department. I will continue to Mike DeWine, claiming the governor has abused his raise my concerns and disagreements and those of power in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. House members with the governor. However, informed dialogue and the law-making process are the best way However, House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) called to resolve these issues.” Becker's resolution "an imprudent attempt to escalate important policy disagreements with the governor into House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes (D-Akron) blasted a state constitutional crisis. Even serious policy Becker's announcement. disagreements do not rise to the level of impeachment under our constitution." “Instead of working to rebuild the public’s trust or calling the House back from summer recess to address The resolution, which has not been formally introduced, the very real public health and economic crises Ohio has Reps. Paul Zeltwanger (R-Mason) and Nino Vitale currently faces by focusing on protecting small (R-Urbana) as co-sponsors. The effort also includes the businesses and slowing the spread of COVID-19, creation of a website—www.ImpeachDeWine.com—to Republicans continue to fight one another over political urge Ohioans to contact their state representatives and power," she said in a statement. ask them to sign onto the resolution. Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken also Becker said DeWine has violated the Ohio and U.S. criticized Becker. "It is despicable that anyone who constitutions as well as multiple sections of the Ohio considers themself to be conservative would make an Revised Code. He argued that the governor has abused attempt to impeach Gov. DeWine. In a time of harsh power, including that he "meddled in the conduct of a political division, and an important election year, presidential primary election and arbitrarily closed Republicans should be united.“ certain businesses, while allowing other businesses to remain open. He later instituted a statewide mask Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper also mandate, implementing that requirement as a weighed in, saying in a statement, “Republican condition of employment, making Ohio a hostile work extremists at the Statehouse relentlessly attacked Dr. environment. The mandate also extended to Amy Acton, until she finally stepped down. Not content congregants at places of worship, forcing citizens to with extracting their pound of flesh from Dr. Acton, choose between worshipping their God and worshipping they’re now turning their fire on Mike DeWine.” at the alter of unbridled government. Many Ohioans find the mask mandate offensive, degrading, Reported by Hannah News Service humiliating, and insulting. 2 DEWINE CALLS FOR LEGAL ACTION AGAINST COMPROMISE ON HOUSEHOLDER DELAYED UNEMPLOYMENT Former House Speaker Larry Householder’s (R-Glenford) initial appearance in federal court following indictment on During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union" with a racketeering conspiracy charge was delayed on Dana Bash Sunday, Gov. Mike DeWine thanked Thursday, August 20th because of his need to find new President Donald Trump for taking action on attorneys, while four associates charged in the case all unemployment benefits but said a deal in Congress is entered pleas of not guilty.