Ohio needs you

From Progress Ohio:

For three long years, Planned Parenthood Action of Ohio, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, and supporters requested a hearing for the Ohio Prevention First Act -- a common-sense, common-ground measure that would reduce the number of unintended pregnancies in Ohio by increasing access to birth control and ensuring fact-based sex education programs in public schools.

Many of you in the Progress Ohio community wrote letters and made phone calls, and yesterday your efforts paid off: the Ohio Legislature finallyheld its first hearing on the Prevention First Act!

Now we need your help to keep the bill moving forward.
As the legislature hears testimony and makes decisions, it's a great time to create some "buzz" in the media. Can you take a moment to write a Letter to the Editor (LTE)?

If you can help, click here to get started writing a letter of your own.

For more info, here's a blog post I wrote about the Ohio Prevention First Act back in September. As an Ohio resident, I thank you in advance for your support!

More on anti-choice initatives (Updated w/video)

This time? Ohio. The state legislature has a bill aimed at outlawing all abortions, including those necessary to protect the woman's life. While you and I know this is unconstitutional, and probably an attempt to test Roe at the Supreme Court level, it is still an outrageous and shameful bill. Indeed it reminds me of the Clinic Defense chant I learned back in the early 90's: "Pro-life is a lie, you don't care if women die." And by die, we meant either by illegal abortion or for the sake of the fetus. Ugh.


What to do? Sign this petition showing your support for legal, safe, and accessible abortions in Ohio, and, as always, vote Obama/Biden (duh!).

h/t ProgressOhio.org

Quickie: Live in Ohio?

If you live in Ohio, Progressohio.org wants you:

Let's roll up our sleeves and make change happen in this election.

Add your name to get involved!

It's so easy to make a difference, you can even get involved right from your home using your own computer.

Sign up here.

Gas Pains

From Progress Ohio:

Gas prices have hit an all-time high. Our country is in the midst of a recession, thanks in part to our crippling dependence on oil. Here in Ohio, families are struggling with the impact of $4-per-gallon prices.

But maybe John McCain has been too busy fundraising with Texas oil billionaires lately to hear about it.

Click here to tell John McCain how much you're paying, and how gas prices are hurting your family.

McCain Voted Against Taxing Oil Companies to Finance a Tax Rebate For Consumers. McCain voted twice against a measure that would have provided an income tax rebate to Americans by temporarily taxing enormous oil company profits.

McCain Voted Against Reducing Dependence On Foreign Oil. He voted against legislation calling on the President to submit a plan to reduce foreign petroleum imports by 40 per cent.

Since launching his campaign in 2007, Senator McCain has skipped out on every key environmental vote the Senate has considered. In one instance, his absence killed the rollback of billions of dollars in tax breaks for the oil and gas industry to invest in renewable energy tax credits. McCain was the one senator not voting.

When Senator McCain swings through Ohio next week after his trip to Texas, we'll have a message for him. But we need your help.

Let us know how much you're paying at the pump, and the impact it's having on your family. We'll compile those responses and send them to McCain's Senate office.

(P.S. I'll be away until July 1st so this is the last post until then...)