We join with UHCAN Ohio and Raising Women’s Voices in Support of Medicaid Expansion for Ohio.

Check out this PDF for a deeper explanation of the issue and how it makes sense economically and morally for Ohio.

Join your voice together with other Ohioans who are calling on their state leaders TODAY and BEYOND  to ask them to: “Expand Medicaid By June 30th!” as part of the Statewide Day of Action for Medicaid Expansion.

Please follow the instructions below to help us move the General Assembly to expand health care to 275,000 Ohioans.

Step 1: Email your State Senator

• Click here to email your Senator.
  
•  Edit / personalize the form email. It makes your message more effective.
  

Step 2: Call Leaders in the Ohio House and Senate

• President Keith Faber – 614-466-7584
  
• Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder — 614-466-8140
  
• Your Senator 

Use the following sample script: “We can’t afford to miss out on the historic opportunity to extend health care coverage to 275,000 Ohioans. Will you take leadership NOW and support extending Medicaid coverage by June 30? Our communities can’t afford to wait!”

Step 3: Spread the Word

• Forward this message to a friend
• Share your calls and the call in information on Facebook and Twitter
• Use our social media toolkit to spread the word

Thanks for all you’ve done already and for all you continue to do to help make Medicaid Expansion a reality in Ohio!

Pull out your calendars and to-do lists!  Places to go and People to see!
Anytime would be a good time to contact your Ohio Representative or Senator For your Ohio Senator, please tell them that you OPPOSE at least two of the recent budget amendments under consideration.  Here is a sample SENATOR letter/email to start from.  We OPPOSE the Re-prioritizing of Title X and Title V funding with the intent to De-Fund Planned Parenthood and similar clinics.  This Testimony from Jaime Miracle of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio summarizes the negative impacts of such an approach.  We OPPOSE the Re-prioritizing of TANF funding such that dollars go to so-called “Crisis Pregnancy Centers”, which we have found to provide misleading and potentially dangerous information to women seeking reproductive health care. Check out this report from NARAL ProChoice Ohio which explains why these centers do NOT deserve funding.

For your Ohio Representative, please tell them that you SUPPORT Medicaid Expansion (check out this presentation from UHCAN Ohio explaining the importance of expanding Medicaid with the billions of federal dollars offered to Ohio).  Here is a sample REP letter/email to start from.  As people of faith, we cannot see the logic of sending low-income people to emergency rooms for care when it might be possible for low-income people to have preventative, planned health care which leads to less suffering, more dignity, and certainly, less cost for all.

Tuesday, April 23, in Cincinnati, at Hebrew Union College, we will be having another Clergy and Lay-Leader Empowerment Conference, from 10:00 to 4:00. Please come, or please let your friends in Cinci know, and ask them to RSVP to Cathy Levy, ohiorcrc@sbcglobal.net ,  so I know how many copies to make and how much food to bring. This invitation gives details.

Saturday, on April 27, in Columbus, at First UU on Weisheimer Road, we will be having a shortened version of the conference, calling it an Empowerment Workshop, from 10:30 to 1:30. Please come, or let your friends here in Columbus know, and ask them to RSVP to Jane Larson, janelarson47@gmail.com, so we know how many copies to make and how much food to bring. This invitation gives details.

Sunday, April 28, in Columbus, you can blow off the steam from all this great work by help women afford their choices through Women Have Options, Ohio at their Bowl-a-Thon, or sponsor someone like Nancy Pitts, their board president!

This would sure be a great time to write a letter to the editor, do a blog, post to facebook, or host a Chocolates for Choice party!  Lots to talk about and advocate for!  If you’d like help getting started, or if you’d like someone to review your work, we have contacts in high places who might be able to help.  Let me know, ohiorcrc@sbcglobal.net .

Thanks for all you do for women and families, and for spreading the word about all that is happening that is SHORT-TERM-URGENT and LONG-TERM-IMPORTANT!  Thanks to YOU, our supporters, for working with us financially, spiritually, and through your efforts, we can help CHANGE THE WORLD, bringing moral dignity to reproductive justice for all!

Women don’t turn to politicians for advice about mammograms, prenatal care, or cancer treatments. Politicians should not be involved in a woman’s personal medical decisions. However, for the last two years, the Ohio Legislature was busy working to restrict a woman’s access to health care.

This why it is critical that you join us for this year’s Reproductive Health Lobby Day on April 17^th to urge legislators to put the health care interests of women ahead of politics. Our message is simple: health care decisions must be left to a woman, her family and her faith, with the counsel of her doctor or health care provider.

If you haven’t “lobbied” before, FEAR NOT!  You will work with a team, and be grouped with colleagues who are experienced.  You will be prepared and practiced before you go to talk to your legislators.  We need YOU to tell them what their constituents really need for Ohio’s reproductive health care systems.

Last year, with your help, we successfully beat back the most egregious bills of 2012, including the so-called heartbeat bill and the Planned Parenthood defunding bill. We anticipate similar bills along with other bills attacking reproductive rights this year and we need you to stand on the front line in defense of accessible and affordable reproductive health care once again.

Details:

Reproductive Health Lobby Day 2013: Can you hear us now?

Wednesday April 17, 2013 9am-4pm

YWCA Columbus (65 S. Fourth Street, Columbus, OH 43215)

Register on-line: http://form.jotformpro.com/form/30215786809965.  RSVP is required

Cost: $20- general admission; $10- students;

(Scholarships are available, email FOCOhio@gmail.com for information)

Questions? Call 614.221.2594 or email FOCOhio@gmail.com for more information.

This event is sponsored by FOCO, Freedom of Choice Ohio, which is a coalition of pro-choice organizations that work for reproductive health, rights, and justice.  Ohio RCRC is a very active member of this coalition and proud supporter of Lobby Day.

Please call or email your State legislators  tomorrow as part of a state-wide “call-in day”, in support of Medicaid Expansion.

Expanding Medicaid support to people who have incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level is a key aspect of the Affordable Care Act (Health Care Reform).  According to a 2012 Supreme Court decision, each state must make their own decision regarding whether to expand medicaid in this way.  Governor Kasich supports the expansion, and has proposed the expansion in the current budget.  We must now encourage our Ohio House and Senate to support the expansion.

In Ohio, Medicaid currently only covers people who are children, who are parents of children, or are disabled.  Expanding Medicaid to ALL people with incomes up to 138% of the poverty level makes sense from:

• An economic perspective.  The state of Ohio will gain jobs, federal funding, and economic health with Medicaid Expansion.  The Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study Brief gives details: The brief can be viewed at: http://bit.ly/ZLGk5p . A two-page executive summary is available at: http://bit.ly/XIF0Km
• A compassionate perspective.   With health care that is insured, rather than emergency-room based, people in poverty can seek preventative care, which is a much more humane and compassionate approach.  As religious, spiritual, and moral people, we look for approaches that “Love to Full Capacity”.

This website, by UHCAN Ohio, a coalition of consumer advocacy groups, shows how to participate in the legislative call-in day, Thursday, March 7.

We are pleased to pass on this wonderful news, as reported from our national organization, RCRC:

“The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice applauds the reauthorization of the inclusive Violence Against Women Act,” said RCRC President and CEO the Rev. Harry Knox. “As a religious organization dedicated to compassion and justice, we’re thankful that Congress finally recognized that we should seek to prevent domestic violence and support survivors in the strongest ways possible. The inclusive version of VAWA includes critically important protections for the groups most at risk, which is precisely what our laws and policies should do: offer helpful and healing resources to the individuals and families who need it most.”

 
Thank you for your persistent advocacy that allowed us to reach this moment. Your calls, emails and local organizing certainly paid off and we are a better, safer and more just nation because of your commitment to ending domestic violence.  Thank you.

Blessings and Gratitude,

Rev. Harry Knox
President & CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Can you believe that while it has been forty years since Roe v. Wade, Americans still use our newspaper editorial pages, our nightly news, our places of worship, and of course, the sidewalks of our clinics, to discourage access to healthcare and birth control?

Are you discouraged over the generalizations and stereotypes made by the media and the general public about what it means to be “religious” today?

At Ohio RCRC, we are out to change stereotypes, end stigma, and fight for reproductive justice using our peaceful and powerful religious, spiritual, and moral voices.

This January, we joined together to DECLARE our support for reproductive freedom:

Please join us in thanking the 89 people who signed our DECLARATION!

Look for the ads with our logo, published in the online editions of the Columbus Dispatch and Cincinnati Enquirer, near the anniversary of the January 22, 2013, Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision, that point to this wonderful Declaration, “We Believe that Reproductive Freedom is a Vital Part of Religious Liberty and Human Dignity“, with 89 of your names.  Thank you ALL for working to end stigma and stand up for families, faith, and reproductive choice.

Thank you! Thank you for voting, for getting out the vote, and for working to bend the arc of the universe toward justice.  We can’t thank you enough for your support, your solidarity, and your faith!

Thank you!  Thank you for letting our legislators know that we oppose the De-Funding of Planned Parenthood and the Heartbeat Bill!  We learned on 11/27 that the Ohio Senate leader Tom Neihaus has decided to postpone further hearings on these bills in 2012.  So, we have a breather until they are re-introduced in 2013 (a high likelihood, although we hope they fade away!)

Do you think we can rest now??  No, we are not done.  We have more GOOD work to do.

Sponsor, publicly or anonymously, our annual Declaration, published near the anniversary of the January 2013, Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court Decision, and Declare “We Believe that Reproductive Freedom is a Vital Part of Religious Liberty and Human Dignity“.  Our first ad, linked to from ads in the online editions of three major Ohio papers, was a big success!

Host a “Chocolates for Choice” in your home. We will do all the heavy-lifting; we just need your help inviting your people. Or, at your place of worship, or at another organization you are part of, invite FOCO (Freedom of Choice Ohio, the coalition of pro-choice organizations in Ohio that Ohio RCRC partners with) to SPEAK at one of your meetings.

At your place of worship, suggest that the youth leadership work with Ohio RCRC to facilitate Comprehensive Sexuality Education so that their youth and college students see that their spiritual leaders embrace a healthy sexuality and aren’t afraid to address this.

Advocate!  Read our e-Newsletter and ACT.  These electronic newsletters tell you how to get personally involved in opposing or supporting legislation that affects our reproductive freedoms and affects our ability to build strong families.

Talk to your friends and family about your views on reproductive choice.  Let them know that you understand the complexity of making a decision about a pregnancy and that you are a safe person to talk to.

Volunteer as a board member, committee member, or help with office work like project work, editing, phone work, and computer tasks.

Stay up to date, and Spread the Word:

Sign up to receive our e-Newsletter by e-mailing us at ohiorcrc@sbcglobal.net and ask to be added to our mailing list.

Follow Twitter @OhioRCRC

Do you like what we do?  Then join as a Member or Make a One-Time Donation!

The time is NOW for religious, spiritual, and moral people to stand up for a more compassionate world!

Check out this classy letter and video from Rev. Harry Knox, the head of our national organization, RCRC:

Dear Supporters,

Why do you vote?

It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves a lot lately. Don’t get us wrong, we’re the kind of people who wouldn’t dream of missing an opportunity to make our voice heard at the polls (especially in a year like this when women’s health has been so much in the headlines), but sometimes it’s nice to hear folks who also believe strongly in reproductive justice talking about why it’s so important.

We’re biased, of course, but we love it when those people speak their truth from a place of faith.

With all the vitriol that has been hurled about this election season, we decided we wanted to salve the soul a little by lifting up some voices of people we love to help remind us why it’s so important that we get to the polls next week.

“Your Voice. Your Vote.” is a video we made that talks about the reasons people vote, and why they vote through a lens of reproductive justice. It features clergy, laity, RCRC staff and secular supporters – including some who serve on our Board and Coalition Council.

While you’re watching the video, ask yourself why you vote – and start making a plan for getting to the polls on (or, before!) Election Day. As the terrible weather on the East Coast proved this past week, making a plan – and perhaps getting there early – is critical if you want to have your voice heard. Carpool with friends and family to your polling location, check in with that awesome older woman in your neighborhood to make sure she has a ride, take your sons and daughters into the voting booth with you to make a memory for them of voting together. Vote – because it matters.

You’ve heard over and over again that this is a critical election, so we won’t say it again. Perhaps what you haven’t heard enough from us is how much we appreciate the courageous, compassionate, and thoughtful way in which you approach this issue. Perhaps you’ll see yourself in “Your Voice. Your Vote.” – we certainly see you.

Regardless of what happens next week, we have much to do. Thank you for being a part of that work with us.

In faith,

 

Rev. Harry Knox
President and CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

For more on voting in Ohio, and for ideas on how to make this a special election as person of faith, go to our Voting Page.

Prominent leaders from 7 ecumenical faiths have signed onto an important letter asking Ohio clergy and their lay-leaders to JOIN with RCRC‘s Clergy for Choice, Ohio RCRC‘s e-Newsletter list, and also consider attending our exciting new one-day conference:

Clergy Empowerment for Reproductive Justice
Monday, November 12, 10:00 to 4:00
North Broadway Methodist Church, 48 E. North Broadway, Columbus, OH 43214

To signup, please use the flyer, or sign-up online at http://bit.ly/ClergyTrainingNov12

Why is it important to join RCRC’s Clergy for Choice and receive Ohio RCRC’s e-newsletters?  To stay informed and connected at both the national and local levels, and learn how we can personally respond, if we choose, to work for reproductive justice.  No matter who wins elections, it is ever more important for us to bring moral dignity to reproductive justice.  If we don’t bring meaning to this sphere, if we don’t show our world views of empathy, compassion, and service, then the others will that void instead.

The one-day conference promises to be empowering for clergy and lay-leaders who are new to the movement as well as those of us more experienced with speaking out.  Bishop Judith Craig, a retired Methodist theologian, will speak early on in the program, helping us all find our voice to work prophetically in this important arena. Rev. Harry Knox, President and CEO of national RCRC and Rev. Rob Keithan, Director of Policy, RCRC, will coach us on the theology of choice, as well as techniques for dealing with the media and messaging tips.  Jaime Miracle, Policy Director, NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, will update us on threats to Ohioan’s access to reproductive health care. Rev. Richard Venus, Ohio RCRC Board President, and other area lay-leaders and clergy will share their stories and tips for how to step out as a voice for justice with a strong but peaceful voice, without alienating others.

Join us!  Come on Monday, Nov 12!  Work with one-another, for one-another, to love one-another!

Many thanks to the Columbus Dispatch for publishing our Letter to the Editor on Sunday, October 14th, which responded to their front page article of October 3rd.  Indeed, faith-issues do drive voters.  So, take the voter pledge, and get out and vote!

‘Strongly Religious’ Not Limited to GOP

The Oct. 5 Dispatch article “Faith-linked issues guide some voters” cited a trend that “strong believers” in religion tend to be conservative Republicans and others tend to be Democrats.

I am wondering whether this trend analysis might have overlooked the “strong believers” such as myself and so many of my friends and colleagues, who are truly not conservative when it comes to social issues. As a leader of a nonpartisan, interfaith, pro-choice organization, the Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, I see an altogether-different trend.

Progressive, tolerant, religious, spiritual and moral people tend to be very polite and nice when other religious people claim contrary beliefs. This often stems from our devotion to our country’s religious freedom and freedom of speech, so we generously grant rights to diverse opinions and ways of life. We are peaceful.

Since we are so polite and nice, the media, and perhaps the trend-analyzers, don’t notice us. It’s time for us to get noticed. When conservative people try to control other people’s decision-making and lives in order to “express” their religious principles, either through stigma, law, restrictive insurance policies or an oppressive lack of opportunity, we have to step up and call that social injustice.

We “strongly religious” people must vote, speak, write, march, pray and cry out to oppose such injustice. We must work, in peace, for change that will create a more-tolerant community where strong families of every shape and size are supported and loved.

Indeed, “strongly religious” people need to speak up so that we are not lumped into the conservative stereotype suggested by the trend-analyzers, and more importantly, so that we can help bring about the change that hearts ache for.

CATHY LEVY, Executive director, Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Hilliard