Countering Extremism:
Creating Meaningful Change In Ohio
Do you find yourself asking the following questions?
As Christians how do we take the principles we hear from the pulpit and apply them in a Christlike way to our shared public life in Ohio?
How do we counter the extremism operating in our state without cultivating hate for others?
How can the church be a place of healing and liberation for both the oppressor and the oppressed?
How does the Ohio statehouse work?
How can we begin to organize for the dignity of our neighbors and affect meaningful policy change at the state level now?
Join Episcopalians from across Central Ohio on Saturday, January 31 to explore each of these questions and more as we welcome guest speakers Maria Bruno, Rachel Coyle and the Rev. Nick Bates to inspire, inform and catalyze our commitment to loving our neighbors in Ohio.
Keynote Speaker, Maria Bruno, Executive Director of Ohioans Against Extremism, will offer a compelling vision of how we fight extremism in Ohio’s state and local government by building community, holding out hope for transformation and not spreading hate.
Workshop Leader, Rachel Coyle, policy director at Honesty for Ohio Education and programs director for Ohioans Against Extremism, will lead her fabulous seminar “How Things Work at the Ohio Statehouse?” for a non-partisan nuts and bolts look at both the political process that results in bills being passed and how to advocate effectively for issues in Ohio.
Small Group Facilitator, Lutheran Deacon, the Rev. Nick Bates, Executive Director of The Hunger Network and Interim ED of The Ohio Council of Churches, will share how people of faith are currently organizing at the state level and facilitate small group discussions for how we can leave this gathering ready to engage as Episcopalians.
PLEASE INVITE ANYONE INTERESTED AND RSVP HERE
ADDITIONAL INFO
SB 172 — Requires all state/local officials to allow all immigration-related arrests with or without a warrant, even if the person is only “suspected” of being an illegal immigrant
STATUS: Passed the Senate (vote breakdown here). Sent to House Public Safety Committee
WHAT IT DOES:
Requires state and local public offices/officials to allow the arrest or detention of anyone who is — or is suspected of being — unlawfully present in the U.S.
Allows such an arrest or detention to happen anywhere in Ohio under any circumstances (notwithstanding current law that extends a privilege from arrest in certain cases)
Applies to arrests or detentions conducted by a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency or officer, with or without a warrant, and regardless of whether the proceedings are administrative, civil, or criminal in nature.
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
Tell your state rep to HELP STOP SB 172, which just came over from the Senate:
Find your state rep by typing your address below this map
Sample script / email (credit to Debby Cooper for drafting it!):
Hi. My name is [NAME]. I’m asking [ELECTED OFFICIAL] to oppose SB 172.
This bill would allow an arrest or detention to happen anywhere in Ohio under any circumstances. Federal, state, or local law enforcement officers could arrest people with or without a warrant for nearly any reason if they claim it’s related to immigration.
It would be very easy for this bill to be abused or used in error. It could easily lead to the arrest of legal American residents and even citizens. We’ve already seen examples of this happening.
There are also very good reasons to allow the “privilege” exceptions this bill would eliminate, especially in certain public spaces.
For example, the court has a responsibility to ensure due process, which is hard to do when victims, witnesses, and defendants won’t come to the courthouse to testify and participate in cases because they fear arrest. Trial fairness is jeopardized, which hurts citizens as well as non-citizens.
I urge [ELECTED OFFICIAL] to say NO to SB 172. This bill hurts all of us.
RESOURCES: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb172