Skip to content
  • Home
  • Voting Resources
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Contacting Your Elected Officials
    • Redistricting
  • Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • Food Drive
  • Food drive
  • MLK Day of Service Food Drive
  • Thank you!
  • Food Pantry Drive
Organizing4UA

Organizing4UA

  • Home
  • Voting Resources
  • Blog
  • Resources
    • Contacting Your Elected Officials
    • Redistricting
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Organizing

Update on Redistricting

Org4UA May 24, 2017

IMG_1874

Time flies.  Wasn’t it just yesterday we met at the Tremont Library to hear Professor Richard Gunther’s talk on the redistricting reform ballot initiative?  After a false start, the Attorney General has now certified the petition, and the petition is in the hands of the Ohio Ballot Board.

What does that mean for us? It’s time for training! We have about 50 people who have expressed an interest in collecting signatures. We think there are probably more of you out there. Please email us if you are not in our Facebook group and want to sign up for training.  We will have training Wednesday, May 31 at 7 pm at the Lane Road Library, and Friday morning in Meeting Room B at the Tremont UAPL branch at 10:15 and 11:45.

Think about what type of time commitment you are willing to make.  Can you get out to the library every day? once a week? only on the weekends? only for special events?  Are you willing to travel to other counties? Even if you can only commit to gathering signatures from your friends and neighbors, it’s important to remember that without fair districts, we don’t have fair elections. Point made?

Check out our redistricting page, where we will post information about upcoming volunteer opportunities. If you have a suggestion for something to put on this page, let us know!

Don’t forget to save the date for our next meeting on June 13 at 7 pm in the Friends Theater at the Tremont branch of the Upper Arlington Library.

  • Events
  • Meetings
  • Organizing

Updates on AHCA, Redistricting, Lobbying 101

Org4UA May 12, 2017
IMG_2042
IMG_2057
IMG_2051

Before we run through a quick recap of our May 9 meeting, let’s step back and reflect on the week that preceded our meeting.  Along with other area Indivisible teams, we participated in a protest at Steve Stivers’ Hilliard office on the day of the AHCA vote (May 4). It was cold. It was raining. But we were determined to make our voices heard. The event was covered by ABC6 and WOSU.

Later that day, the House voted 217-213 to pass the AHCA bill. Despite numerous assurances (in letters and in person) that he would protect those with preexisting conditions and preserve essential health benefits like preventative care, Steve Stivers voted for the AHCA. We will not forget this vote, Representative Stivers!

Unfortunately, redistricting reform hit a speed bump later that same night.  Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected the redistricting reform petition summary language. Back to square one.

There’s no sugar coating it– last Thursday was a really, really tough day. But we rolled up our sleeves over the weekend and got right back in the fight for fairer districts in Ohio. We met with Catherine Turcer of Common Cause Ohio, got petitions with the updated summary language, and got to work!

IMG_2054

Thanks to you, our team was able to get 111 of the required 1,000 signatures needed to get the amended petition back to the Attorney General.  Congratulations to the Fair Districts = Fair Elections coalition for such a quick turn-around.

IMG_2063

At our May 9 meeting, we gave a quick update on the redistricting reform effort. Almost all of our attendees signed up to help to gather signatures once we have the go-ahead!

IMPORTANT NOTE: For your information, we contacted the Franklin County Board of Elections, and clarified that those of us with Columbus mailing addresses who live in Upper Arlington can put either Columbus or UA in the ‘city’ box on a petition. Although Columbus is technically correct, putting Upper Arlington does not invalidate your signature.

Our guest speaker was Gary Daniels, Chief Lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio. He gave us a thorough overview of the Ohio legislative process, and encouraged us to consider testifying in committee to express concerns, suggestions, or support for proposed state legislation. As citizens, our voices can have more weight than the testimony of lobbyists.  To be most effective, Mr. Daniels suggested that we limit testimony to two pages, and to follow the rules of decorum during committee meetings (e.g., addressing questions and responses to the chair of the committee rather than individual members).

In order to have the most influence, he suggested that we focus on building strong relationships with our state legislators. Find out what you might have in common with your legislator (e.g., support for the same sports team, a similar educational background), and use that to lay the foundation for a good working relationship. It can be helpful to contact legislators when they are doing a good job (not just we disagree with them!)

For more about making a difference at the state level, attend Upper Arlington Progressive Action’s meeting on the Ohio Resistance Guide on May 25 at the Upper Arlington Public Library (6:30, Friends Theater).

What’s next for our team? We will be reaching out to you to do training on how to collect redistricting reform petition signatures.  Our next meeting is scheduled for June 13 at 7pm in the Friends Theater at the UAPL (Tremont branch).

  • Meetings

May 9th Team Meeting

Org4UA May 6, 2017

Come to our next team meeting, at which you will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with our guest speaker, Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the ACLU of Ohio. Mr. Daniels will lead a discussion about how you can influence your elected officials, at the state and national level.

In addition, redistricting reform, a fundamental priority for our state and our country, will be on the agenda. 

We hope to see you there! If you can, please RSVP on Facebook.

Date/Time:  Tuesday, May 9 – 7:00-8:30

Location:  

Upper Arlington Main Library, 2800 Tremont Road

Friends Theater (lower level)

  • Meetings
  • Organizing

Our First 100 Days

Org4UA April 28, 2017

As journalists work to capture the tumultuous first 100 days of the new administration, let’s take a step back and reflect on our own journey.

During the 2016 campaign, volunteers from Upper Arlington and Northwest Columbus registered over 1,500 new voters, made over 35,000 recruitment calls, and knocked on over 40,000 doors. Those doors were all over the city, from UA, NW Columbus, and Hilliard to Grandview, Franklinton, and Hilltop. It was truly incredible to see what we accomplished together.

We want to keep up the momentum and truly make a difference in UA and around Columbus.  Our plan is to continue to take action and build our team, knowing we cannot wait or stay on the sidelines for two years until the midterms. Here are some of the actions we’ve taken in our first 100 days!

We have sent out “calls to action” — email requests to contact your elected officials.  Some of the issues these calls to action have addressed include the Affordable Care Act and Cabinet nominees.  Stay tuned for more!

Many of our members have attended rallies and marches here and in DC. Let’s all continue to follow up those rallies with action!

IMG_1947
IMG_1996

We have called, emailed, and written to our elected officials, and staged rallies and visited with staff at Senator Portman and Congressman Stivers’ offices. Some of us attended a meeting with Representative Stivers to voice our concerns about Republican plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

IMG_1904 (1)
17951680_1473542479385108_6101880296816317718_n

We’ve had two successful group meetings, where we’ve filled the Friends Theater to capacity!  Zach Klein joined us for our first meeting as we talked about “why now” and “what’s next” for our neighborhood teams in Upper Arlington and Northwest Columbus. The focus of our second meeting was redistricting, with speaker Professor Richard Gunther.

IMG_1589
IMG_1874
IMG_1593

We’ve built connections with other Indivisible and local activist groups. In conjunction with seven local groups—Organizing4UA, Forward 15, Columbus Northwest Blues, Upper Arlington Progressive Action, Central Ohio Citizens for Truth in Government, Progress Hilliard, and Indivisible Ohio District 15—we held a protest at Stivers’ Hilliard office to urge Stivers to vote against the AHCA.

img_1741
img_1746
img_1734

We have a new webpage–have you checked out the Resources and Contacting Your Elected Officials pages yet? We have continued to grow our Facebook group. We also have a Twitter account!

What will we to do in our second 100 days? Redistricting reform is on the immediate horizon, as are continued plans to fight to improve (not dismantle) the Affordable Care Act. Stay involved and stay connected!

Join us for our next meeting on May 9 at 7 pm in the Friends Theater of the Upper Arlington Public Library on Tremont Rd. Our guest speaker will be Gary Daniels, the chief lobbyist of the ACLU of Ohio.  Come learn how to influence your elected officials and make positive change, while also resisting the Trump agenda.

  • Meetings

Recap: Redistricting Reform in Ohio

Org4UA April 12, 2017

The focus of our second Organizing4UA meeting was redistricting reform in Ohio.  Our guest speaker was Professor Richard Gunther, one of Ohio’s leading experts on the effort to bring fair Congressional districting to Ohio.

IMG_1874

Professor Gunther outlined how gerrymandering results in fewer competitive elections, which in turn gives voters fewer choices, undermines accountability of elected officials, and contributes to increased polarization.

As we’ve said many times, Organizing4UA is an action-oriented group. Here are a number of action steps you can take right now:

  1. Donate to League of Women Voters Ohio. LWV Ohio is a founding member of the Fair Districts = Fair Elections Coalition. Click donate, and in the memo, indicate that  your contribution is for “Fair Districts.”
  2. Sign up for email updates from the Fair Districts = Fair Elections coalition
    or get mobile updates by texting DISTRICT to 864237.
  3. Watch for emails from Organizing4UA about volunteering! We will be sending out more detailed information about how you can help gather signatures to get the congressional redistricting reform proposal on the ballot. Stay tuned!
IMG_1874
IMG_1866
IMG_1869

Thanks to Professor Gunther and to all who attended tonight’s meeting.

Posts navigation

Previous 1 … 4 5 6 Next
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
Organizing4UA
Create a website or blog at WordPress.com
  • Follow Following
    • Organizing4UA
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Organizing4UA
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.