Campaign finance reports were due in Ohio last Thursday, and labor groups supporting a repeal of Senate Bill 5, a bill that would strip public workers of collective bargaining rights, continued to be transparent while Republican groups did not.
Unions and groups like teachers' associations donated $30 million to We Are Ohio, the main group pushing for a repeal. Building a Better Ohio, the main group defending the law and its champion Gov. John Kasich, set up a corporate nonprofit to fund raise and, once again, did not disclose. The group did voluntarily disclose the names of donors, but not donation amounts. Donors included wealthy Ohioans; private businesses; and other front groups like Make Ohio Great, a front for the Republican Governors Association, which funneled millions in out-of-state corporate cash into Ohio to elect Kasich in 2010.
According to the information available, it appears Building a Better Ohio raised $7.6 million, while Make Ohio Great, which is also running TV ads, revealed no information at all.
In an interview with Andrew Stelzer of National Radio Project's Making Contact, Ludwig talks about newly released campaign finance reports related to Issue 2 on this November’s ballot in Ohio. Disclosure of donors and dollars was sparse by GOP-funded anti-union campaigns. Union supporters, looking to repeal SB 5, are spending record amounts as well.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
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In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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