League of Women Voters to Host Informational Session
Voters Invited to Get to Know the Issues on the May Ballot and in Washington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 2024
The League of Women Voters of Tuscarawas County invites all voters registered in Tuscarawas County to an informational session about the issues they will be voting on in the May 6 Primary/Special Election. The session will be held on April 24, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. in the Fourth & Faith facility located at 409 N Wooster Ave. in Dover.
Confirmed speakers include Dr. John Patterson, former Ohio State Representative who developed the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP) with Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp. The FSFP, signed into law in 2021, is a multi-year plan to address the unconstitutionality of Ohio school funding. On April 9, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a budget that ignores the FSFP and, over two years, will increase spending on public schools by $220 million but increase spending on private schools by $500 million. Ninety-eight percent of school children in Tuscarawas County attend public schools. The state budget has now been passed to the Ohio Senate, which may make additional changes to school funding before the July 1 deadline. State Senator Al Landis was invited to speak about these potential changes but remains unconfirmed as of the writing of this press release.
Other confirmed speakers include Jenn Schrock from New Philadelphia City Schools’ Board of Education. Schrock will discuss Issue 10, a combined bond and permanent improvement levy that would cover the construction of a new PreK-6 elementary school for the district. April King, Director of the Gnadenhutten Public Library, will talk about Issue 12, a current expense levy for the library. County Engineer Doug Bachman will speak about Ohio Issue 2, the Local Public Infrastructure Bond Amendment, which will assist local governments in funding public infrastructure improvement projects. Representatives from the Strasburg-Franklin Local School District were invited to speak about their district’s proposed bond issue but have not responded to our invitation as of this press release.
Other invited speakers who have not yet accepted the invitation are Representative Michael Rulli of Ohio’s 6th congressional district in Washington and Representative Troy Balderson of Ohio’s 12th congressional district in Washington, both of whom recently voted in favor of the SAVE Act. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and stands to disenfranchise many communities of voters. Senators John Husted and Bernie Moreno, who will be voting on the SAVE Act next, were also invited.
Founded in 1920, League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization working to protect voting rights and ensure that everyone is represented in our democracy. LWV empowers voters through advocacy and education at the local, state, and national levels. To learn more about the League of Women Voters of Tuscarawas County, visit lwvtusc.org or search for League of Women Voters - Tuscarawas County OH on Facebook.
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