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Sep

21

LGBT group, Equality Ohio, targets Mandel, others, re: Ohio anti-discrimination bill


From the Gay People’s Chronicle:

An Ohio LGBT anti-discrimination bill that was set to be introduced this month will now be delayed until next March at the earliest.

The measure, dubbed the Equal Housing and Employment Act, would add sexual orientation and gender identity wherever other protected classes are now listed in the Ohio Revised Code, such as race, religion, and national origin.

It will be similar to bills introduced in 2003 and 2005 by then-State Rep. Dale Miller, a Cleveland Democrat who is now in the Ohio Senate.

Initially, the measure was to have been introduced when the House returned from summer recess on September 11. But that timetable has changed, says State Rep. Dan Stewart of Columbus, who is expected to be its sponsor, and the bill’s main advocacy group Equality Ohio.

The delay will allow proponents to find sponsors for the measure in both parties.

[snip]

The group [Equality Ohio] will also hold town hall meetings in key legislative districts, including those of newly-elected moderate Republicans Kevin Bacon of Minerva Park and Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst, and that of House Speaker Jon Husted of Kettering. The three represent areas near Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton, respectively.

The article has many more details about the strategy.

Hmm – so, where in the 24th district might they want to have that town meeting? Fly on the wall time.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:00 am September 21st, 2007 in Civil Rights, Government, OH24th, Ohio, Politics 

Comments

12 Responses to “LGBT group, Equality Ohio, targets Mandel, others, re: Ohio anti-discrimination bill”

  1. 1 Keith on September 21st, 2007 12:09 pm

    Fly on the wall? Heck no – time to speak out. Of course out here in the 18th district one can’t expect too much.

  2. 2 bonobo on September 21st, 2007 1:32 pm

    David Goodman was endorsed by Equality Ohio over his Democratic challenger in ‘06. Seems like sponsorship of a Senate version of this is the least he could do.

  3. 3 Jill Miller Zimon on September 23rd, 2007 11:52 am

    Keith – who is your rep – I know I could easily look it up, sorry I’m being lazy. Also – I know we hear a lot where I am about the conervative nature of Geauga county and east of here, would you agree with that, then?

  4. 4 Jill Miller Zimon on September 23rd, 2007 11:53 am

    Bonobo – you are absolutely BRILLIANT! I am serious – that is a great idea. Are you going to suggest it to him – because if you don’t, I will.

  5. 5 Keith on September 23rd, 2007 3:48 pm

    Jill – Matt Dolan, District 98. I went to elementary school with the guy. Grendell is our senator.

    Geauga is less conservative than it used to be but still a GOP stronghold. The local Democrats are no longer moribund but they have their work cut out for them Its funny as Geauga County became a little more progressive it seems Lake County became more conservative in some respects. I haven’t found any Greens out here yet.

  6. 6 Jill Miller Zimon on September 23rd, 2007 7:41 pm

    Oh right! Dolan and Grendell. I’d forgotten. The media love Dolan, and Grendell comes up with some unusual stuff as I recall. If you care, you can search on Grendell and Dolan in here (the blog) – I think I have written about them once or twice.

    What do you think about the dismantling of Geauga Lake?

  7. 7 Keith on September 23rd, 2007 7:53 pm

    Very simply – it broke my heart. The writing was on the wall when Six Flags owned the park – they tried to run it like one of their big parks – admission and food costs went up and you got nickled and dimed for everything. Especially annoying is the ‘we’ll try to get you to buy pictures of you on every ride’ type hustle. Cedar Fair inherited this system and sealed the doom of the park. People told the PD they stopped going because it simply got too expensive. It was always a small nostalgia park and when they tried to turn it into something else, it was doomed.

    I guess if we want that experience now we have to drive to Kennywood Park or Conneaut Lake Park in Pennsylvania.

    As for what will take its place I see condos as far as the eye can see. How long the water park lasts in anyone’s guess.

  8. 8 Jill Miller Zimon on September 23rd, 2007 8:56 pm

    Oh please be wrong, Keith! More condos. As if. Who is going to LIVE there?

    Sigh. I did stop going as much once the property turned over. But my family went to the waterpark this summer and did enjoy it.

    I grew up near a Long Island Sound amusement park in West Haven, CT. Like the Euclid Beach Park. Really fond memories.

  9. 9 Maggie on September 26th, 2007 11:06 am

    Jill – do you have a link to the proposed legislation?

  10. 10 Jill Miller Zimon on September 26th, 2007 11:14 am

    I don’t have a link to the proposed legislation but your question makes me smile. Do you remember that there’s been some chat around the states re: making draft legislation available? There was some case last spring I think – not in Ohio though, I don’t think – that said that draft legislation wasn’t considered to be subject to open records.

    Since this article spoke in terms of proposed and not yet introduced, I didn’t even try to hunt it down – but I have to believe that Equality Ohio could give you something, yes?

    Let me know if you want assistance on this. Again, great question.

  11. 11 Maggie on September 26th, 2007 11:52 am

    Yep – I remember that discussion about ‘public records.’

    thanks for the answer, though…I’m always one to believe that the devil is in the details…good ideas, when put into legislative format, tend to become something other than intended.

    I’ll check with Equality Ohio…

  12. 12 Jill Miller Zimon on September 26th, 2007 1:51 pm

    Maggie – if you find time, can you pass on what you learn about what’s available to review re: legislation? Thank you!

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