An intriguing but not unexpected development

Look like we just might have some competition...

Pro SB5 group will become official on Tuesday


The group that will lead the effort to save Senate Bill 5 from a November referendum effort is expected to officially file with the secretary of state’s office on Tuesday.


The group is expected to file as a nonprofit 501c4, with an affiliated political action committee. Such a setup could allow the group to hide the sources of its contributions, but those familiar with the effort say the plan is to voluntarily disclose all contributors to the secretary of state.


The group will battle head-to-head with We Are Ohio, the coalition of union supporters that is currently collecting the 231,000 signatures needed to place the collective-bargaining-slashing law on the ballot in an attempt to overturn it. One month into signature gathering, We Are Ohio was well on its way to getting enough names.


Vaughn Flasher, a veteran lobbyist and Republican political consultant who since 2006 has run the Senate GOP’s campaign committee, will lead the pro-Senate Bill 5 team.

A good first step

Nice headline today: Wisconson judge strikes down collective bargaining restrictions.

Not quite perfect because it was only struck down on a technicality, but it's a good start.

Now we just need the ones in Tennessee, Indiana, New York, and especially Ohio struck down / overturned / repealed, too.

By the way, thanks to Rachelle Williams, Linda Pope, and Pat Walden for turning in their petitions.

A favor to ask

We're supposed to be collecting signatures before tonight's middle school band concert at PHS (from 6:15-7:15 at the corner of Sharon and Chester Roads). If you have any sort of magical weather-controlling powers, do what you can to get us some good weather, would ya?

Another petition signing opportunity

From Michelle Turner...

I will be collecting signatures outside of the Sharonville Public library Thursday, May 26^th, from 4:15-4:45 (for Hamilton and Butler County residents only). A Sharonville parent is sending it to their distribution list.

Outstanding, Michelle. Thanks for the notice.

Spread the word, folks.

Circulators, any of you have any other signing opportunities coming up?

Standing out on the corner

Just wrapped up two outstanding nights hanging out on the corner of Chester and Sharon visiting with the parents of our middle school music students. Well, maybe not visiting with them exactly but at least speaking with them and watching a number of them support our cause by signing our petitions. A few passed us by with a congenial 'no thank you', but a lot more passed us by with an 'already signed'. We didn't mind that second comment nearly so much.

Hopefully we'll get a lot more signatures before Thursday's PCMS band concert, when we'll be back out working the corner...

...with our petitions, c'mon, folks.

By the by, big thanks to Maggie Jones of Lincoln Heights for being the first to turn in her petition. Remember, all circulators, we need your petitions turned in post haste so the OEA can begin verifying the signatures.

PS - For those of you who might've been around PCSD for a year or two, Gretchen Tash passed along this photo of a certain past PCSD superintendent <cough Richard Denoyer cough> signing our petition with his wife Saturday at Washington Park. For those of you who are newer to PCSD, ask somebody around who remembers Dr Denoyer.

Evening signing times

If Saturday afternoon didn't work for you - and a big thanks to those of you who did come join us at Washington Park this weekend - see if you can convince a spouse, a neighbor, a friend, a relative, a recent grad to come out and sign the petitions at any of this week's evening concerts at PHS.We'll be at the corner of Sharon and Chester Rds from about 6:15 - 7:15 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Or, if you're up Mason or West Chester way, the Lakota Education Association will be at Voice of America Park Wednesday afternoon from 2:30-5pm to rally their signatures as well.

As a fellow PACE member today said, "240 thousand isn't that many...as long as everyone doesn't say 'oh, I'm sure they'll get that. I don't need to sign'."

We need your signature, and we need those of everyone that you can muster.

In happy news, it looks like we may need to do this all again next year, anyway...

C'mon out to the park

The weather looks to be absolutely gorgeous,so why don't you come on out to Washington Park with us this afternoon?

We'll be there from 12-5 offering petitions to sign.