Latest news with #NaturalFamilyMonth
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio equal rights amendment would outlaw discrimination, void same-sex marriage ban
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A constitutional amendment enshrining broad anti-discrimination protections and repealing Ohio's dormant same-sex marriage ban could be on the ballot in 2026. If passed by voters, the amendment would prohibit discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression regardless of sex assigned at birth, pregnancy status, genetic information, disease status, age, disability, recovery status, familial status, ancestry, national origin, or military and veteran status. Led by a grassroots organization named Ohio Equal Rights, the amendment would also reverse another constitutional amendment passed in 2004 that reads 'only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state.' Out in Ohio: 10 years after Obergefell, advocates warn marriage equality still at risk 'This is about securing the fundamental right of every Ohioan to be treated with dignity, fairness, and equality under the law,' said Liz Schmidt, a lead organizer for Ohio Equal Rights, in a statement. 'Our state constitution should reflect the values of inclusion and justice that Ohioans hold dear. This amendment ensures no one can be singled out or left behind because of who they are.' Lis Regula, a spokesperson for Ohio Equal Rights, said in an interview that the proposal was inspired by a similar initiative in Nevada that passed with 57% of the vote in 2022. Regula cited recent 'anti-LGBTQ+' legislation as a driving force for the amendment, like a provision in the state budget defining gender as two sexes, a law banning certain healthcare for transgender youth, and a bill to celebrate 'Natural Family Month.' 'Because there have been so many attacks on the trans community in Ohio in particular, but not just here, the thinking was what can we do to ensure that trans people have our rights and do not continue to have those rights stripped away?' Regula said. 'We see so many ways in which people can be discriminated against. … We do want to build a state that is welcoming to all.' Regula said the amendment includes a repeal of Ohio's dormant same-sex marriage ban given the Supreme Court has signaled it might overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case legalizing same-sex marriage. Democratic representatives at the Ohio Statehouse share this concern and introduced their own remedy in June that would also place a constitutional amendment on the 2026 ballot to protect marriage equality. The Spectrum: Inside Ohio's budget; school voucher debate Legislators attempted last year to pass a bill aligning Ohio law with the protections set by Obergefell, but the proposal didn't advance past a single committee hearing. The Statehouse has also failed to approve the 'Ohio Fairness Act,' a bill that was reintroduced earlier this year to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. 'Just in case Obergefell falls, we want to not have that trigger language in Ohio's constitution anymore,' Regula said. 'It's not right, knowing all the advantages and all the privileges that come with being able to be married to someone, that marriage should be only for certain people and not for others.' On July 3, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost accepted and certified the proposal's title, 'Ohio Equal Rights Amendment,' after the organizers gathered about 2,000 signatures in support of the amendment. Now, Ohio Equal Rights is focusing its efforts on an Ohio Ballot Board meeting at the Statehouse on Wednesday, where board members will decide whether the proposal contains a single or multiple constitutional amendments. Regula said it's possible some will argue the anti-discrimination protections and the same-sex marriage ban repeal should be decoupled into separate proposals. Why it may be too late for Jim Tressel, Sherrod Brown to join governor's race If the board certifies the amendment, Ohio Equal Rights must then collect at least 442,958 signatures from registered voters across at least 44 of Ohio's counties, which would amount to at least 10% of the vote cast in the last gubernatorial election. If sufficient signatures are verified by the secretary of state's office at least 65 days before the 2026 election, then the amendment will be placed on the ballot. Should Ohio Equal Rights succeed, it will follow in the footsteps of other recent constitutional amendments on the ballot. In 2023, Issues 1 and 2 passed with about 57% of the vote to establish the right to abortion and legalize recreational marijuana, respectively. Issue 1 in 2024 would've changed how Ohio's political districts are drawn, but failed with 53% voting against the proposal. 'The more time passes, the more people get burnt out, get tired and these attacks on marginalized communities become normalized,' Regula said. 'I don't want to see another failure in Ohio. I want to see people have our voices heard and see that be a successful process.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republicans Propose 'Natural Family Month' To Boost Birth Rate
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ohio Republican lawmakers introduced a bill aiming to designate the weeks between Mother's Day and Father's Day as "Natural Family Month" to try to tackle America's falling birth rate. Why It Matters America's fertility rate is now projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest forecast released this year. The number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. The Ohio bill is one of several recent proposals nationwide that seek to boost birth rates by affirming the role of marriage and two-parent households. Riley Walters, 7 months old from Traverse City, Michigan, watches her first National Cherry Festival Junior Royale Parade through downtown Traverse City on July 8, 2004. Riley Walters, 7 months old from Traverse City, Michigan, watches her first National Cherry Festival Junior Royale Parade through downtown Traverse City on July 8, 2004. AP What To Know The proposed legislation would create a "Natural Family Month" observance in Ohio each year between the second Sunday in May and the third Sunday in June. State representatives Beth Lear, of the 61st District, and Josh Williams, of the 44th, introduced House Bill 262. It has 26 co-sponsors, including the Ron Ferguson, of the 96th District, who told WTOV News 9 that he does not expect the bill to be passed before the summer break, although he does expect it go through before the end of the General Assembly. The bill is currently in the House committee and had its first hearing on Tuesday afternoon. Newsweek has contacted Lear, Williams and Ferguson via email for comment. Critics of the bill include Equality Ohio, which argues that it excludes families made up of same-sex couples. "I think that's people really trying to stretch what we're focused on here," Ferguson said. "What we're really focused on is, again, recognizing that a mother and a father are very important for the development of a child." President Donald Trump's administration has spoken out about the issue of declining birth rates multiple times, with Vice President JD Vance saying on January 24 that he wanted "more babies" to be born in the U.S. Trump has signed an executive order expanding access to in vitro fertilization for Americans, and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy directed the Department of Transportation to give funding precedence to "communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average." The White House is also reportedly exploring giving women a "baby bonus" of $5,000 to encourage Americans to have more children. What People Are Saying Ohio state Representative Ron Ferguson: "What we really need to see is an increase in population and creation of family, and so it was exciting to really support something that recognizes mothers and fathers." Ohio state Representative Beth Lear, in a previous press release: "At a time when marriage is trending downward and young couples are often choosing to remain childless, it's important for the State of Ohio to make a statement that marriage and families are the cornerstone of civil society, and absolutely imperative if we want to maintain a healthy and stable Republic." President Donald Trump, during a speech in December: "We want more babies, to put it nicely." Vice President JD Vance, who is from Ohio, in January: "We failed a generation not only by permitting a culture of abortion on demand but also by neglecting to help young parents achieve the ingredients they need to lead a happy and meaningful life. "Our society has failed to recognize the obligation that one generation has to another as a core part of living in a society. So let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America." What Happens Next The bill needs to go through multiple steps before being voted on by the Ohio House, then Senate.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio again examines funding police pensions
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A conversation about increasing contributions to the state's Police and Fire Pension Fund is starting up again at the Ohio Statehouse. 'Those men and women who have worked their whole lives to protect our communities, we should be protecting their pension and making sure that their pension is solid when they go to retire,' Rep. Thomas Hall (R-Madison Township) said. 'It's very easy to say that this will be the largest unfunded mandate placed on local governments that the legislature has proposed, and we hope that they rethink this,' Ohio Municipal League Executive Director Kent Scarrett said. Ohio Dems propose 'Love Makes a Family Week' to counter 'Natural Family Month' House Bill 280 is very similar to a bill introduced in the last general assembly. Under the bill, the amount of money a local government contributes to the fund would, within five years, increase from 19.5% to 24% for police officers. Firefighters are already at 24%. 'At a time when there are workforce shortages in the fire industry and in the police industry, this is a step that we feel like we could help people go to choose to come a police officer or a fire fighter,' Hall said. 'Knowing that they have stability, knowing that they have a stable pension system in place for when they go to retire one day.' While Hall said this is an important step, increasing that contribution amount does not come cheap. 'You often hear municipalities, they say, 'Well, we don't have the money for this, this is going to be a substantial strain on the local governments,'' Hall said. 'I think that they do have the money for that. I think that if first responders are truly a priority, they will have the funds necessary to approve this.' If enacted, the bill would cost local governments nearly $82 million statewide. Scarrett said that eventually, it is going to mean bad news for Ohioans. Intel executive explains why Ohio plant will need to fight for Intel's business 'It ultimately lands on the taxpayer,' he said. 'Weathering these increases on the existing constrained budgets would really force communities to look at reducing services, cutting services, possibly going to the voters and asking for a higher contribution in their tax rate.' Scarrett said local governments are 'already operating under tight budgets.' He said not only might this bill mean higher taxes or a reduction in services, but he also said that for some local governments, it could mean disbanding their police department altogether. 'Especially our smaller communities, villages that are really on a shoestring, they may not be able to support their police departments going forward with this unfunded mandate,' he said. Hall said, though, there is an extra layer to the bill that is important this time around. He noted new actuarial work, done by a third party, to explain why and how the increase should be made. 'I think that the goal with the third party was to say, 'Hey, it's not just the police and fire saying we want more money, or we need more money with our pensions,'' Hall said. 'We've been saying all along we need this, now we need the third party, who has run the numbers, who has tried to explain it on their side of things, the non-bias side of things.' Daughter searching for answers after father killed on motorcycle in South Linden hit-and-run 'There's no other pension fund that allows a board action to automatically increase the employer contribution because of a report that is initiated by the board,' Scarrett said. 'More egregious is there is no municipal representative on the [Ohio Police and Fire Fund] board.' What are the odds this bill passes? Last general assembly, it came close, but ultimately failed in the 11th hour. This year, Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said it may not even make it to the Ohio Senate. He said, in general, he is opposed to the idea that the legislature should be working on a bill like this at all. 'I don't think legislatures, by and large, that meet every two years, determine budgets and do other things, should be and are really very capable of making 30-year decisions in a piece of legislation,' Huffman said. Huffman said that at the very least, the issue will likely not be determined before June 30, which is when lawmakers break for the summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Where Columbus drivers are likely to get parking tickets
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — It's something thousands of people in Columbus know too well: parking tickets and the cost that comes with them. NBC4 Investigates sorted through every parking ticket people in Columbus received last year and found where drivers are most likely to get hit with a ticket if they let the meter run out. Along Gay Street, you're likely to hear a few sighs, groans, and maybe even some choice words because the stretch on East Gay Street between North Third and Lazelle streets is where more people got ticketed than anywhere else in Columbus: 2,722 parking tickets issued in 2024, just on this one block. Indoor park with waterless slides opens first Ohio location in Columbus 'It's guttural. It's like I don't have $50 to give,' Columbus resident Kate Maynard said. Last year, 164,602 parking tickets were stuck to cars in the city of Columbus. 'First time was I just got out of dinner and I was super happy and then all of a sudden, $100 ticket, so kind of upset, you could say,' Columbus resident Randall Walden said. Columbus' Division of Parking Services is out patrolling all parking zones, but some areas are more work than others. 'Any area where we see a large amount of parking tickets, those are high-demand areas,' Columbus Mobility and Parking Division Administrator Justin Goodwin said. 'That's where lots of people want to be at various times of day, they're business districts or entertainment districts.' Ohioans can soon buy over twice as much nonmedical marijuana High Street is another one that's high on the list; zoom in and it's three blocks in particular: the 600, 700 and 900 blocks of High Street. That's the lower part of the Short North near East First Avenue. On these three blocks, there were more than 7,000 tickets issued last year. 'Just working in the Short North, I know that a lot of people get tickets even when they haven't been here for that long,' Maynard said. Another hotspot is the 600 block of Park Street, down toward the end of Goodale Park, closer to the North Market. 'Columbus is pretty on top of it, even if you're over,' Walden said. 'I think my first parking ticket was maybe 10 minutes over, instantly got a parking ticket.' Enforcement got even stricter last summer. From July through September, the city increased patrols along North High Street and the top five most ticketed spots were in that area. Ohio Dems propose 'Love Makes a Family Week' to counter 'Natural Family Month' 'Wherever there's a high demand for parking, unfortunately, that's where we often see parking violations and parking enforcement as part of a toolkit that we have to ensure turnover of parking and availability of parking for the general public,' Goodwin said. If you're going downtown, here's one piece of advice from the parking enforcers: putting on your hazards is a glaring red flag to them and will likely get you a ticket even if you're fast. They say park in a spot and stay on top of the app; it will save you money in the long run. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio Dems propose ‘Love Makes a Family Week' to counter ‘Natural Family Month'
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio lawmaker is proposing a bill to mark 'Love Makes a Family Week,' after other legislators introduced plans to designate a month celebrating 'natural families.' Put forward by Sen. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood), the bill would recognize the first full week of June as 'Love Makes a Family Week.' The designation is meant to celebrate 'all families formed through love,' like those built through adoption, fosterhood, surrogacy and IVF; single-parent families, blended families and multigenerational households; and families of 'every race, sexual orientation, faith, structure and origin.' 'If Ohio is indeed the heart of it all, it is important that Ohio has a heart for all her people,' Antonio said in a statement. 'This bill affirms a simple truth: what makes a family is not how it was formed, but the love and support that strengthens it.' The proposal comes after another bill was introduced in May to recognize the weeks between Mother's Day and Father's Day as 'Natural Family Month.' The proposal is backed by the Natural Family Foundation, a Westerville-based organization that defines a 'natural family' as one man and one woman 'committed in a lifelong monogamous relationship' with their 'biological or adopted children.' Reps. Beth Lear (R-Galena) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) introduced the 'Natural Family Month' bill with the support of 26 Republican lawmakers and argue the designation is needed given the U.S. fertility rate recently reached a historic low. 'At a time when marriage is trending downward and young couples are often choosing to remain childless, it's important for the state of Ohio to make a statement that marriage and families are the cornerstone of civil society, and absolutely imperative if we want to maintain a healthy and stable republic,' Lear said. Antonio introduced the 'Love Makes a Family Week' bill as part of an effort by Statehouse Democrats to combat 'Natural Family Month' and other legislation that opponents deem 'anti-LGBTQ+,' like a law banning gender-affirming care for trans youth that is currently in effect while litigation continues. Another is a measure that went into effect in February requiring academic institutions to set separate bathrooms based on students' 'biological sex.' As Ohio's first openly gay Statehouse lawmaker, Antonio joined other Democrats for a news conference at the Statehouse on Tuesday marking the start of LGBTQ+ Pride month. The lawmakers touted recently reintroduced proposals to ban anti-LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin) also announced the reintroduction of the Marriage Equality Act, a bill to codify same-sex marriage and interracial marriage into Ohio's constitution. LGBTQ+ advocates have long argued the act is needed given the Supreme Court has signaled it would like to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case legalizing same-sex marriage. 'The hateful culture wars that we have going on in this state and across the country only succeed if we let it,' Antonio said during the news conference. 'We are all here today to say no, we do not accept it, we have an alternative, a better way.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
