Latest news with #NickieAntonio
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Report: Ohio has 45 out LGBTQ people in elected offices but none at the top levels
Across Ohio, just 45 people who are out and identify as LGBTQ hold elected government positions but none of them are in statewide or congressional posts, according to a new national report. LGBTQ+ Victory Institute reported that 1,333 officeholders across the country identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. That's an increase of 200% over the eight years that the institute has been collecting data. But it is a small slice of the 520,000 elected offices across the country. To reach parity, another 47,000 LGBTQ people would need to be elected, the institute estimates. The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute, founded in 1991, endorses and supports candidates for elected offices. 'This year's Out for America report shows the resilience of our LGBTQ+ elected leaders. Despite hateful rhetoric plaguing the 2024 election cycle, LGBTQ+ elected officials won at the ballot box and made history,' said LGBTQ+ Victory Institute President & CEO Evan Low in a written statement. Ohio's neighbors Michigan and Pennsylvania have 62 and 66 LGBTQ officeholders, respectively. Kentucky has 13, West Virginia six and Indiana one. Most of Ohio's 45 out elected officeholders are serving in local government positions, such as school boards and city councils. Nationally, the number of LGBTQ+ state legislators has grown by 123% from 109 to 243. But the Ohio Legislature hasn't seen any increase. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, was the first out LGBTQ person elected to the Ohio General Assembly in 2010. She is the only out person among the 132 state lawmakers. Antonio has introduced the Ohio Fairness Act in every legislative session since 2011. It would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and public spaces. It has yet to be adopted. The Victory Institute reported that Ohio has four out LGBTQ judges among more than 700 judgeships. The four include: Shawn Dingus of the 10th District Court of Appeals, Bill Hedrick of Franklin County Municipal Court, Jeff Mackey of Franklin County Common Pleas Court and Mary Wiseman of Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Wiseman was elected to the bench in 2007 and previously served on the Dayton City Commission from 1998 to 2002. State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@ and @lbischoff on X. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How many LGBTQ people hold elected offices in Ohio?
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DeWine provides protection for Ohio lawmakers following shooting in Minnesota
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) – Governor Mike DeWine is making sure Ohio lawmakers are well protected following shootings in Minnesota being described as targeted, political attacks, according to Ohio State Senator Casey Weinstein. Weinstein posted a message of thanks to DeWine on his Facebook page Saturday. He also included his reaction to the events that transpired in Minnesota, where a state lawmaker and her husband were shot and killed, while another state lawmaker and his wife were shot by the same suspect and were hospitalized. Officers deploy tear gas, rubber bullets to clear protesters in downtown L.A. He later spoke to Fox 8 and shared that minority leader Nickie Antonio reached out to DeWine, and the governor quickly responded. DeWine will beef up security at the statehouse and has Ohio Highway Patrol on guard at the homes of lawmakers, Weinstein said. '[It] means a lot to me. [It] means a lot to my family. It really is calming and comforting, so I appreciate it very much,' Weinstein told Fox 8. He also shared that he can't help but draw comparisons in his position to that of Melissa Hortman, the victim of the fatal shooting in Minnesota. Weinstein explained that a state-level lawmaker usually flies under the radar compared to politicians with bigger platforms, but this kind of targeted attack made him question a lot. He especially struggles with the thought that perhaps holding a political office could put his family, including his kids, in harm's way. 1 arrested during 'No Kings' protests in Downtown Cleveland Weinstein said that all politicians need to de-escalate and let the situation in Minnesota be a reminder that what people say and do has consequences. 'I hope that, as tragic as an incident that it is, I hope that it awakens people to the fact that our words have consequences and those consequences can cost people their lives. It can result in fear and targeting, and that's not helping anybody. It's not helping democrats. It's not helping republicans. That's not helping anyone solve any problem,' he said. 'It's okay to disagree. It's okay to have policy differences. It's not okay to have violent threats, violent rhetoric, bullying, targeting, because it can escalate into things like this.' 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.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Report questions Browns stadium funding plan: I-Team
***Watch previous coverage above*** CLEVELAND (WJW) – A report prepared by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, at the request of a state senator, states some of the Haslam Sports Group's economic projections for a new enclosed stadium 'may be overly optimistic.' The LSC report was released Monday by Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood.) LSC is a nonpartisan agency that provides the legislature with research and fiscal analysis. 'The proposed funding plan for the new Browns stadium raises serious legal and financial concerns,' Antonio stated in a press release. 'The Haslams' projections are overly optimistic at best, and even their own consultants admit the analysis isn't intended to justify financing. Let's be clear: most of the so-called 'new jobs' are simply moving jobs away from Cleveland –- stadiums like this do not deliver the economic windfalls they promise. We should not move forward until we know the courts, the numbers and the public are on board.' Cleveland fan ejected for heckling Red Sox star Jarren Duran, who revealed suicide attempt Earlier this month, the House approved a proposed budget that would provide $600 million in bonds to the Haslam Sports Group. Profits from the project would be used to pay back the bond debt, HSG officials have stated. State Senators are now working on the budget. 'The bonds as described in House-passed version of H.B. 96 would be general obligation bonds (i.e., bonds back by the full faith and credit of the State). Rather, they are special obligation, or 'revenue obligation' bonds,' the report from LSC states. 'Whether this means they are constitutional is an open question, and ultimately only a judge could make that determination. ' The report further noted that staff was not able to verify HSG's 'economic claims because the source material and methodology were not documented in full detail.' 'Nevertheless, the HSG projections implied an outcome that would outperform other similar developments previously studied in peer-reviewed academic literature,' the report added. The I-Team reached out to the Browns to discuss the report but have not yet heard back. The report also questions the economic projections from HSG and the amount of new visitors that would go to the Brook Park location. HSG estimates 1.5 million new visitors. LSC calls that number 'overly optimistic.' The report added that the new stadium would result in a $10 to $11 million annual loss in tax revenue to the city of Cleveland. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne spoke to the I-Team on Friday and said he believes the enclosed stadium project will not be successful. He said he will not support it, even though it is planned to be built in Cuyahoga County. International visas reinstated for 7 KSU graduates He believes the Browns should continue to play games in downtown Cleveland. He said moving the team to Brook Park will hurt downtown businesses. 'We don't see necessarily this deal is going to pan out,' Ronayne said. 'So if you claim it is the next big investment, we don't buy it. We want them to come home.' Browns owner Jimmy Haslam spoke exclusively to the I-Team. He and a top executive revealed they are no longer talking about plans to renovate the existing stadium on the lakefront. Instead, team officials are focusing completely on building a dome in Brook Park with development around it. The Browns are promising to invest more than $1 billion and are asking the state and county for $600 million each in bond money to be paid back with profits from the project. State officials are still discussing the funding proposal and are expected to have a decision by the end of June. HSG filed a federal lawsuit in October challenging the city of Cleveland's attempt to use the Modell Law to keep the team from moving. The city also filed a lawsuit against HSG in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court asking a judge to enforce the Modell Law. Both cases are still pending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some Statehouse leaders call universal meal program at schools wasteful
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio lawmakers are deciding how to spend billions of taxpayer dollars for the two-year state operating budget. Among those decisions, is whether free school breakfasts and lunches should be served to all students. 'We've seen time and time again why that makes for better outcomes for kids [by] just making sure that they have those meals at school,' Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) said. 'Providing it universally, there's no stigma attached to who gets a meal, who doesn't. It's just all the kids are the same in that classroom.' 'There are real questions folks have when these school lunch proposals are talking about paying for the richest 1%; [they] would still qualify for a free lunch,' Ohio House Finance Chair Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville) said. 'I don't think that sits real well with some folks like myself.' Right now, the state operating budget, as proposed by Governor Mike DeWine, requires schools to participate in a federal school meal program to secure the maximum federal money available, but it does not universally fund these programs. Advocates said the state should do its part and step in. When Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) was asked if he is supportive of the program, he said 'the answer to that is 'no.'' 'Many parents don't want to have their children eating the breakfast that's at school, that's one,' he said. 'Two, many parents can afford to pay for their breakfast.' Huffman added not only that, but there is 'a ton of waste in this program,' as it is required that all the food be given out. 'If we're going to say buy it all for everybody whether they want it or not, need it or not, are going to use it or not, that's when you end up having a lot of waste,' he said. Ohio State under federal investigation, accused of 'race-exclusionary practices' Universal free lunch and breakfast across the state is estimated to cost Ohio $300 million a year. Breakfast alone would be $50 million. And Republican leaders are not too keen on that price tag. 'They're really expensive asks,' Stewart said. 'So, if we cut 10 other things and made deep cuts elsewhere, you can afford to do a lot.' 'We should be able to afford it. These are our children; these are our future. I can't think of a whole lot of things that are more important than making sure out children succeed,' Antonio said. But high school students, like Corbin Eaton, a junior at Antwerp High School in Northwest Ohio said the argument to fully fund school breakfast and lunch is simple. 'No student should have to think about when or where their next meal should be,' Eaton said. Eaton said at the end of last school year, he and his siblings stopped qualifying for free meals because his mom went back to work. But then, unexpected barriers arose when his mom was hospitalized. 'In the fall of last year, she started having serious health issues that required three surgeries in less than a week and she was in the hospital for close to a month,' he said. Eaton even with his mom back to work, money was tight, and her being hospitalized made things even tighter. 'I mean grocery shop here and there but not frequently like we should,' Eaton said. Eaton said if his family still qualified for free meals, it would have been a weight off his, his younger siblings and his parents' shoulders during the hard time. Instead, Eaton said at times he had to struggle through classes in the morning before he was able to get lunch in the afternoon. 'I still have that trouble,' he said. 'I'm just one to usually just eat lunch at school. That helps me perform academically better in the afternoon.' Eaton said even though he is graduating in a year, he hopes something gets done, even if it goes into effect once he is out of high school, it will help his younger siblings. The state budget, where this funding would end up if lawmakers decide to add it, is getting worked on right now. It will likely pass at the end of June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
