News In Focus with Chris Long

Abortion Ballot Language Court Case with Attorney Curt Hartman

Attorney Curt Hartman filed the Mandamus Writ against the Ohio Ballot Board

Atty Hartman discusses the State Supreme Court case on the abortion ballot language. A motion has been filed to expedite the hearing process on this case. The lawsuit calls on the court to require the Ballot Board to vacate its earlier decision If the court sends it back to the Ballot Board to divide the language into part petitions, each part petition would require summary language that then would have to be reviewed by the State Attorney General. This Supreme Court case is huge! 

Cincinnati-area attorney Curt Hartman represents two citizens, Margaret DeBlase and John Giroux, who filed the lawsuit against the members of the Ohio Ballot Board. That panel includes Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo), Rep. Elliot Forhan (D-South Euclid), and William Morgan, who was appointed by majority Republicans in the House.

Hartman said the complaint filed with the high court argues the Ballot Board was wrong when it cleared the language as being one petition.

“It clearly should be separated into concepts of abortion or decisions relating to deciding where to terminate a pregnancy on the one hand versus all of these other reproductive decisions," Hartman said.

The lawsuit calls on the court to require the Ballot Board to vacate its earlier decision. It asks the court to force the board to divide the petition into individual parts and then certify the approval of each of the individual petitions as containing only one proposed amendment to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who earlier had approved the summary language of the petition. Click here to follow the case...

Part2

The 60 percent constitutional amendment increase proposal made news this week, as Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said that his caucus is mulling whether to place the question on the ballot in a statewide August special election. Ohio voters could decide in August whether the state should increase the votes needed to amend the constitution if Senate Republicans get their way. Also, State Rep. Scott Wiggam chairs a committee in the Ohio House that is also considering the same constitutional amendment increase to 60 percent. 

If the legislature is able to put this on an August ballot and it passes, it will be in place for any future ballot constitutional amendment proposals. It's a race to the ballot! Planned Parenthood and its allies are currently circulating a petition to put abortion through the ninth month of pregnancy on the November ballot here in Ohio. They have until July 5th to secure the 412,500 signatures. In this program, we discuss how the Republicans have already fumbled the ball twice when it came to raising the bar for constitutional change on the ballot. 

All eyes will be on Columbus to see how they handle this one. What's at stake is thirty years of Ohio pro-life legislation in defense of the unborn in the womb.

Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

The 60% constitutional amendment increase proposal made news today, as Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said that his caucus is mulling whether to place the question on the ballot in a statewide August special election. Ohio voters could decide in August whether the state should increase the votes needed to amend the constitution if Senate Republicans get their way. Also, State Rep. Scott Wiggam chairs a committee in the Ohio House that is also considering the same constitutional amendment increase to 60%. 

If the legislature is able to put this on an August ballot and it passes, it will be in place for any future ballot constitutional amendment proposals. It's a race to the ballot! Planned Parenthood and its allies are currently circulating a petition to put abortion through the ninth month of pregnancy on the November ballot here in Ohio. They have until July 5th to secure the 412,500 signatures.  In this program, we discuss how the Republicans have already fumbled the ball twice when it came to raising the bar for constitutional change on the ballot. All eyes will be on Columbus to see how they handle this one. What's at stake is thirty years of Ohio pro-life legislation in defense of the unborn in the womb. 

Ohio SAFE Act H.B. 68 with Rep. Gary Click Protecting Ohio’s Children from Transitioning Drugs and Surgery

Ohio SAFE Act H.B. 68 with Rep. Gary Click Protecting Ohio's Children from Transitioning Drugs and Surgery

State Rep. Gary Click of Ohio's 88th District has re-introduced Ohio's SAFE Act, H.B. 68. Last year, the legislation received hearings in committee from young people who had gone through the horrible experience of transitioning from their birth gender by hormonal treatment and in some cases irreversible surgeries. Their heart-wrenching stories stirred the committee members, and the evidence was undeniable of how harmful this indoctrination of gender dysphoria is to our young people. Ohio's SAFE Act, H.B. 68, is sponsored by State Rep. Gary Click and 40 other House members. Hearings should begin in the next few weeks. Call your representative and urge them to support Ohio's SAFE Act, H.B. 68. Click here to read the legislation   

Part 2

The Pro-Life Battle of Our Time as Abortion Activists Seek to Put Abortion on the Ohio Ballot This Fall

The Ohio Christian Alliance makes the following statement concerning the Attorney General of Ohio approving ballot language for pro-choice Ohio - The amendment if passed would make abortion in Ohio legal until the ninth month of pregnancy, it would wipe out all of Ohio’s pro-life laws that have been passed over the past three decades including the 20-week abortion ban, Ohio’s Heartbeat Law, the Down Syndrome Abortion Ban, our state's parental notification laws and Ohio’s Ban on Partial Birth Abortion. The groups behind this radical abortion amendment are Pro-Choice Ohio, Planned Parenthood, Abortion Fund of Ohio, American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), and a group of abortion doctors. Pro-Life Ohioans will need to come out in force to defeat this ballot proposal. Here to discuss this challenge is Laura Strietmann, Executive Director of Cincinnati Right To Life. Click here to read the full statement.

 

The Pro-Life Battle of Our Time as Abortion Activists Seek to Put Abortion on the Ohio Ballot This Fall

The Pro-Life Battle of Our Time as Abortion Activists Seek to Put Abortion on the Ohio Ballot This Fall

The Ohio Christian Alliance makes the following statement concerning the Attorney General of Ohio approving ballot language for pro-choice Ohio - The amendment if passed would make abortion in Ohio legal until the ninth month of pregnancy, it would wipe out all of Ohio’s pro-life laws that have been passed over the past three decades including the 20-week abortion ban, Ohio’s Heartbeat Law, the Down Syndrome Abortion Ban, our state's parental notification laws and Ohio’s Ban on Partial Birth Abortion. The groups behind this radical abortion amendment are Pro-Choice Ohio, Planned Parenthood, Abortion Fund of Ohio, American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU), and a group of abortion doctors. Pro-Life Ohioans will need to come out in force to defeat this ballot proposal. Here to discuss this challenge is Laura Strietmann, Executive Director of Cincinnati Right To Life. Click here to read the full statement.

Part #2

Bring America Back to Life Convention with Cleveland RTL Director Kate Makra

The pro-life battle is ramping up in the states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Right to Life of Greater Cleveland Executive Director, Kate Makra gives us a run-down of this year's Bring America Back to Life Convention Friday and Saturday,  March 10 & 11. Speakers include Star Parker, Kristan Hawkins, Seth Dillon of the Babylon Bee, conservative blogger Jack Posobiec, and Michael Voris, as well as other special guests. Now is the time for pro-life Ohio to arise and to defeat the monstrous abortion ballot measure this fall. To register for Bring America Back to Life click here. Bringing America Back to Life – Convention

 

Bring America Back to Life Convention with Cleveland RTL Director Kate Makra

Bring America Back to Life Convention with Cleveland RTL Director Kate Makra

The pro-life battle is ramping up in the states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Right to Life of Greater Cleveland Executive Director, Kate Makra gives us a run-down of this year's Bring America Back to Life Convention Friday and Saturday,  March 10 & 11. Speakers include Star Parker, Kristan Hawkins, Seth Dillon of the Babylon Bee, conservative blogger Jack Posobiec, and Michael Voris, as well as other special guests. Now is the time for pro-life Ohio to arise and to defeat the monstrous abortion ballot measure this fall. To register for Bring America Back to Life click here. Bringing America Back to Life – Convention

The Asbury Revival- Is this the beginning of a major move of God in our day?

The Asbury Revival- Is this the beginning of a major move of God in our day? 

On February 8th, a regular weekly chapel service at Asbury University turned into something much more. Unscripted and unplanned, a young man began to confess his sins openly, and the whole student congregation began to pray, confess, fill the altars, and enter into worship that continued night and day for more than two weeks. The little town of  Wilmore, Kentucky of 6,000 residents was inundated with over 55,000 visitors since February 8th. People are coming from all over the country and from other nations.  

On this week's News in Focus, we cover the Asbury Revival and how it is spreading to multiple campuses across the country. We will have eyewitness reports and a pastors panel with Tim Throckmorton and Pastor Rodney Lord to discuss the historical revivals and what this current move of God among our young people might indicate. Don't miss this special broadcast, and please share it with family and friends. It is filled with powerful information about the revival. #revival #asbury #prayer 

Educators and School Administrators have been deceiving parents about what they are teaching our children

Educators and School Administrators have been deceiving parents about what they are teaching our children in Ohio public schools. 

Recent undercover videos by Accuracy in Media disclose that school administrators and teachers are willfully deceiving parents about the question of whether they are teaching critical race theory or pushing an LGBTQ agenda. 

Linda Harvey of Mission America has received a number of reports from concerned parents in school districts across the state, blowing the whistle on this radical agenda in our public schools. Parents need to be aware and take action to safeguard their children against the over-sexualization that is currently being pushed in the public schools. 

Sponsor of S.B. 11 Ohio’s Educational Choice for All Bill discusses the details with OCA President Chris Long

Sponsor of S.B. 11 Ohio's Educational Choice for All Bill discusses the details with OCA President Chris Long

State Senator Sandra O'Brien (District 32)  introduced Senate Bill 11, the Parent Educational Freedom Act. S.B. 11 would expand the current EdChoice Scholarship program to give eligibility to all students in the state of Ohio and would expand the current homeschool tax credit from $250 to $2,000. The newly expanded EdChoice Scholarship would provide $5,500 for students in grades K-8 and $7,500 for students in grades 9-12. This money can be used at any public, community, or chartered non-public school in Ohio.

 “Now more than ever, parents understand the importance of having options when it comes to their children's education. The Parent Educational Freedom Act empowers our parents, encourages healthy competition, and makes Ohio an even better state to raise a family,” O’Brien said. “Every parent has the right to choose a school that best meets their student’s needs, and I look forward to this bill allowing Ohio’s parents to make those choices.”

ACTION ITEM: S.B. 11 is scheduled for proponent testimony in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 21st. Contact your state senator and urge them to support S.B. 11. 

Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

Statehouse Update with OCA President Chris Long

On this week's program, we provide you with an update from the Ohio Statehouse.  We recap the State of the State Address that Governor DeWine delivered last week with the proposals that he highlighted to increase school choice and a major push for reading proficiency in all grade levels. The Governor also announced that if a student graduates within the top 5% of their high school class and attends a college or university in Ohio, the state would provide a $5,000 grant that could be renewed each of the four years till graduation.  

The D-Day Prayer Project: Mission Accomplished - A Prayer for the Nation. The prayer and the Circle of Remembrance are now completed and open to the public. We had the opportunity to visit Washington on January 21st to view the prayer for the first time and to talk with visitors who were reading the prayer plaque and visiting the monument. 

Part 2 Greg Lawson, Senior Fellow at the Buckeye Institute, discusses with OCA President Chris Long the specifics of Governor DeWine's budget proposals. The Governor focused on education and mental health,  proposed economic regional development zones, as well as career center training and expanding the trades programs. He addressed the current educational crisis as students have fallen behind in their pathway to graduation, and specifically that 40% are not proficient in reading at their grade level. He announced an initiative to help every student become proficient in reading at their grade level. He also announced an expansion of school choice. In addition, he proposed, "If you are in the top 5% of your high school graduating class-- wherever you go to high school in Ohio -- we plan to reward you with a $5,000 a year scholarship, also renewable for each of 4 years, if you choose to attend a college or university here in Ohio." Here to discuss the details is Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute. 

State of the State Address with Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute

Governor DeWine delivered his State of the State Address to a joint session of the General Assembly. 

Greg Lawson, Senior Fellow at the Buckeye Institute, discusses with OCA President Chris Long the specifics of Governor DeWine's budget proposals. The Governor focused on education and mental health,  proposed economic regional development zones, as well as career center training and expanding the trades programs. He addressed the current educational crisis as students have fallen behind in their pathway to graduation, and specifically that 40% are not proficient in reading at their grade level. He announced an initiative to help every student become proficient in reading at their grade level. He also announced an expansion of school choice. In addition, he proposed, "If you are in the top 5% of your high school graduating class-- wherever you go to high school in Ohio -- we plan to reward you with a $5,000 a year scholarship, also renewable for each of 4 years, if you choose to attend a college or university here in Ohio." Here to discuss the details is Greg Lawson of the Buckeye Institute. 

Part 2 Jason Stevens, who was elected Speaker by the Democrats, held the first session since his election shocker earlier this month. Today was to be votes for floor leadership and for House rules. Speaker Jason Stevens would not recognize his fellow Republicans, but rammed through his own leadership with help from the Democrats and would not recognize Rep. Josh Williams of Lucas County who stood to speak to amend. It's a bad look for the Speaker to not recognize the newly-elected African American Republican Representative from Lucas County.  Rep. Derek Merrin stood to remind the Speaker that he is to recognize the members for motions and efforts to amend in accordance with House rules. Shoutings of disapproval erupted in the chamber when Stevens would not so much as look at his fellow members for recognition. Here to discuss the shocking development at the Ohio Statehouse are Pastor John Coats of Columbus and Pastor Al Davis.