ICO Newsletter - 2/26/25

Written By Indivisible OH12

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Economic Blackout Friday, 2/28
You’ve probably seen something about this Friday’s Economic Blackout. This is a way for us to show our power against the huge corporations that are supporting the Trump/Musk regime. Here’s all the info you need: 

WHEN: Friday February 28th from 12:00 AM to 11:59 PM
 

Want to help spread the word about Friday’s Blackout? 
Check out this Sign Up Genius where Jeanine Michael has set up opportunities for folks to spread the word with banners on highway overpasses. The sign up is almost full – but it also has instructions for making your own signs! 

Make it Personal 
Everyday we are learning more about the impact of Elon Musk and DOGE’s firing of federal workers and cuts to important programs. But a personal story delivers a punch in a way that stats and figures never can. 

Your story is important & powerful! Common Cause Ohio is collecting personal stories of those impacted by Trump and Musk’s actions. Common Cause staff are available to help you craft your story with the goal of publishing a letter to the editor, op-ed opinion piece, blog, and social media post. Fill out this form to share your story, and share the form with friends and family you know have been affected. 

This project is part of Common Cause’s national #FireMusk campaign. Find out more about the campaign here, and sign the petition here. You can also find tips for writing a letter to the editor here. 

Missing: Ohio’s Senators!
Did you see some of the footage from town halls across the country this past week where angry constituents laid into their Reps for not standing up to Musk and Trump? We want town halls here in Ohio too! Let’s demand that our elected officials show up to answer to their constituents! Make sure you add that request in when you are contacting them by phone. You can also mention the need for a town hall when filling out their online contact forms:

Meanwhile, the message is getting through to the press that our Senators and Representatives are AWOL. (See this story for example.) 

  • Fill out this Dispatch poll to say whether you have tried to get in touch with Husted or Moreno. 

  • Contact Mark at WOSU (614-292-9678) to let him know you haven’t been able to reach your elected officials.

  • Show up at “Wednesdays at Bernie’s” to demand accountability! Meet outside 200 N High St every Wednesday at 12:30pm. Sign up to attend HERE.

Postcard idea!
Take two postcards – one for Moreno, one for Husted (a third if you have a GOP Representative). Ohio scenery or any other neutral picture will do! Write a card to ask each of them to schedule a townhall to meet with their constituents. Here are the addresses you need:

  • Jon Husted: SR-198 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

  • Bernie Moreno: SR-B33 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510

  • Mike Carey: 1433 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC  20515

  • Troy Balderson: 2429 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515

Protest Patrol
Protests are popping up all over. We’re sharing what we know and encouraging everyone to participate.

  • Weekly “Wednesdays at Bernie’s” protest at Moreno’s office, 12:30pm.

  • Weekly protest at the Easton Tesla dealership, Saturdays at 4:30pm.

  • Economic Blackout Day 2/28. Learn more HERE. 

  • March 4 Liberty: March 4, 3pm, Ohio Statehouse

  • Stand Up for Science, March 7, noon-3pm, Ohio Statehouse

  • March 7-14: No buying from Amazon!

  • March 14: “National Strike” – No work for 24 hours. 

The weekly protest at the Easton Tesla dealership is really taking off! Take a look at this album of truly fabulous photos from last week’s protest (thanks to Paul Becker) and the following press coverage:

Last call for the follow up from the 2/8 Kickoff Meeting
If you missed last week’s newsletter, here are the links you need:

If you have questions, feel free to email us at indivisiblecentralohio@gmail.com. 

Take Action this Week: Oppose these Education Bills

SB 1 / HB 6 – Enact Advance Ohio Higher Education Act
The Ohio Senate passed Senate Bill 1 despite the fact that only 12 people submitted testimony in favor, while a staggering 840+ submitted testimony against. SB 1 was introduced in the House on 2/18/25.

What To Do (Level: URGENT): 
Rachel Coyle has laid out step by step instructions for how we can help in THIS DOCUMENT. It explains in detail the urgent action needed: 

  • Contact Governor DeWine AND his top staff (contact sheet here) 

  • Call your State Rep. Find your state rep HERE. 

  • Call the targeted state reps listed on this explainer (even if they don’t represent you!)

Sample Script:
My name is ______ and I’m calling from [full address if leaving a message]. I want [elected official's name] to know I strongly oppose SB1/HB6. If passed, the law would damage Ohio’s public colleges and universities and the free exchange of ideas in classrooms. It would allow state officials to overrule professional judgments of trained educators, asking them to reject the consensus-based, foundational beliefs of their academic discipline. SB1/HB6 also bans ‘DEI' efforts, but does not define what “diversity, equity, and inclusion” is! Ohio now draws top-notch professors and students from across the nation and the world, but this bill puts our reputation for higher education excellence at risk, and will cause long-lasting damage to Ohio’s economy. Entire departments and majors would be at risk, as would workers' rights, including tenure for professors. I urge you to reject SB1/HB6. Thanks for your consideration.


Ohio’s Budget and Public School Funding
See this article.
What To Do (Level: URGENT):

  • Call or email your State Representative (Find your rep here: https://OhioHouse.gov/ "who represents me?")

  • House Education Committee Chair Sarah Fowler Arthur will be holding hearings on education issues in the state budget:  614-466-1405; rep99@OhioHouse.gov

  • House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart will have a lot of say in what goes into the state budget: 614-466-1464; rep12@OhioHouse.gov; https://x.com/BrianStewartOH

 
Sample Script:
My name is               and I'm calling from [your address if leaving a message]. Ninety percent of Ohio kids attend public school, and the Ohio Constitution says ONLY public schools should get tax dollars. The state should NOT be taking money away from public schools and giving it to unregulated charter and private schools. I do NOT want my tax dollars going to private or religious schools. Ohio needs the Fair School Funding Plan. Thanks for your consideration.

Want to Know More? See https://vouchershurtohio.com/faq/

Additional Statehouse advocacy resources from Rachel Coyle!

Ideas and Inspirations for You

Upcoming Events (Calendar view) 

Thursday, 2/27/2025: Thursday Action Group Meeting, noon-1:30. Please join us for a Zoom meeting when Rachel Coyle and Janine Midgen-Ostrander will join us to talk about Ohio Statehouse advocacy. Don’t miss it! Join the Zoom call HERE. 

Thursday, 2/27/2025: Candidate Forum for City Council and School Board, 6:30pm, New Birth Christian Ministries, 3475 Refugee Rd, Columbus. Sponsored by Columbus Stand Up. Come out and hear from candidates for Columbus City Council and Columbus School Board who would like to earn your vote! Register here.

Thursday, 2/27/2025: 'Not All Speed is Movement': Innovation, Inequity, and Imagination in the 21st Century, talk by Ruha Benjamin at Denison University in Granville. Click here for details. Ruha Benjamin is a transdisciplinary scholar, writer, and educator, currently Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, founding director of the Ida B. Wells JUST Data Lab. She writes, teaches, and speaks widely about the relationship between innovation and inequity, knowledge and power, race and citizenship, health and justice.

Friday, 2/28/2025: Economic Blackout Day! Read more about it HERE. 

Saturday, 3/1/2025: Indivisible Delaware County Meeting/Rally for Democracy, 2-3:30pm, Delaware County District Library: Liberty Branch, 7468 Steitz Rd, Powell. This meeting is full, but you can contact the organizers to stay in touch. 

Saturday, 3/1/2025: Weekly protest at the Easton Tesla dealership, 4:30pm, 4099 Easton Loop W, Columbus. Register HERE. 

Tuesday, 3/4/2025: CAP– Meet 2025 Candidates for Columbus City Council, 7pm, Whetstone Library, 3909N. High St, Columbus. For the Clintonville Area Progressives (CAP) March meeting, they are welcoming 2025 candidates for Columbus City Council. Candidates will talk about their priorities, and will be on hand to take your questions. Event starts at 7pm, doors at 6:30pm. 

Wednesday, 3/5/2025: Voter Registration Training with Indivisible Central Ohio, 7-8pm via Zoom. Learn the ins and outs of registering voters in Ohio, including recent changes to the law. Register HERE. 

Thursday, 3/6/2025: Pride at Home, 8pm, Peace Fellowship, 106 Sturges Ave, Mansfield. Event by Love on a Mission for Pride. ALL ARE WELCOME! This month we will be viewing THERE ARE THINGS TO DO, an award winning documentary about LGBTQ+ activist Urvashi Vaid. The film was part of an American LGBTQ+ Museum special screening in partnership with NewFest New York's LGBTQ+ Film Festival and received the audience award for Best Documentary Short Film. 

Friday, 3/7/2025: Stand Up for Science, noon-3pm at the Ohio Statehouse. More info here coming soon. 

Saturday, 3/8/2025: Queen City United, Stand in Solidarity Against White Supremacy, noon, Washington Park, 1230 Elm St, Cincinnati. “Hate has no home here.
Cincinnati is a city of resilience, strength, and above all—love. When white supremacists try to march through our streets, we don’t respond with fear. We respond with unity. We respond with music, with laughter, with art, and with joy. We come together, hand in hand, to show that the Queen City belongs to all of us—not to hate. Join us for a day of community, where we celebrate the rich diversity that makes our city strong. Bring your voices, your art, your energy. Sing, dance, and stand alongside and connect with your neighbors as we show the world that Cincinnati is a place of love, not division. Let’s drown out hate with joy. Let’s make it clear: white supremacy is not welcome here. Sign up to volunteer HERE. 

Monday, 3/24/2025: Save the Date: An Evening with Loretta Ross, 5-6:30pm. The FREE Center is thrilled to welcome academic, feminist, and activist Loretta Ross. Ross is a cofounder of SisterSong and Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, and is one of twelve women credited with coining the phrase and framework “reproductive justice.” Learn more here.

Wednesday, 4/2/2025: Voter Registration Training with Indivisible Central Ohio, 7-8pm via Zoom. Learn the ins and outs of registering voters in Ohio, including recent changes to the law. Register HERE. 


Mia for the OHCentral Team

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Find us at our website indivisiblecentralohio.org. Follow us here and on our public and closed Facebook pages to stay current with all our activities. Add our Indivisible Central Ohio Google Calendar so you can follow all our events. You can also follow us on Threads, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. 

Indivisible OH12
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