Mandel Voted Against $209,035,021 For Medical And Health Programs, Including $10,020,403 For Hospitals. In 2010, Josh Mandel was one of only 18 legislators in both the House and the Senate (out of 129 legislators) to vote against House Bill 462, the capital re-appropriations bill. The bill included $209,035,021 for medical and health programs, including $10,020,403 for hospitals. [H.B. 462, 3/16/10]

2009: Mandel Voted Against Requiring Health Insurers To Cover Diabetes Supplies. In 2009, Mandel voted against HB 81, “to require certain health care policies, contracts, agreements, and plans to provide benefits for equipment, supplies, and medication for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diabetes and for diabetes self-management education and create the mall Business Health Care Affordability Task Force. The bill passed 58-38.” [H.B. 81, 12/08/09]

2009: Mandel Voted Against Prohibiting Health Insurers From Excluding Coverage For Autism.In 2009, Mandel voted against HB 8, “to prohibit health insurers from excluding coverage for specified services for individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.” The bill passed 57-39 [H.B. 8, 12/8/09]

An Estimated 36,000 To 57,000 Ohioans Have Autism, And 1 In 98 Are Born With It. An estimated 36,000 to 57,000 Ohioans have autism, and in October 2009, the Journal of Pediatrics estimated 1 in 98 children are born with Autism. [Columbus Dispatch, 12/9/09]

2007: Mandel Voted Against Expanding Health Care Coverage For Low-Income Families. In 2007, Rep. Mandel voted to not concur (agree to) the $52.3 billion, biennial state budget for 2008-2009, as proposed by the Senate. It failed 46-53. The Senate version of House Bill 119 included boosting Medicaid eligibility for children in families making up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($51,510 for a family of three), expanded Medicaid coverage to individuals released from foster care who are ages 18 to 20, and eliminated the waiting list for PASSPORT – an in-home care program for low-income seniors. [House Journal, H.B. 119, 6/19/07, Page 491; Ohio Legislative Service Commission]

and more information re: Josh Mandel …

“Josh Mandel really wants to run for Senate again? Josh Mandel’s absenteeism is only rivaled by Marco Rubio’s — and that’s not the kind of work ethic the people of Ohio look for in their elected officials,”said American Bridge 21st Century President Jessica Mackler. “The only thing Ohio’s No-Show-Treasurer can be counted on is to push ethical boundaries and make cronyism a common practice. I’m shocked he’d set himself up for another embarrassing loss, but can’t wait to see how he screws up next.”

Cronyism: “Days after being accused of hiring young, inexperienced staffers for key positions in the state Treasury, new evidence shows that Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, the Republican nominee for the state Senate race, dispatched a top aide to a beginner’s course in the subject he was overseeing.”

resources: American bridge 21st Century

Jeff Sessions is a liar, a racist, and a white supremacist. Last week, Sessions testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and one thing is clear — enough is enough. Sessions’ entire political career has been to undo major progress hard fought and won from decades-long work by Black people and communities of color. And he continues to spread so many untruths just to maintain power that keeps him in close proximity to the ugliest and most dangerous White House administration. Sessions does not represent and never will represent any symbol of fairness and justice.

Jeff Sessions holds a prominent law license from the state of Alabama that gives him the power to be Attorney General. He should not be the Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice and he has no place in this country to practice law.It is long overdue to finally shut down his power and access as well as stop the harm that he continues to inflict. And the way we’re going to do it is by getting him disbarred from the Alabama State Bar. Bar associations are responsible for issuing licenses for lawyers to practice but just as importantly ensuring that the integrity of how lawyers use their role is upheld.

The Alabama State Bar should not allow Jeff Sessions to keep a license to practice law. He is dishonest and corrupt. It’s time to disbar him today.

Jeff Sessions has spearheaded Trump’s entire Law and Order agenda. As Attorney General, Sessions has built a false, racist narrative that crime has exponentially increased across the U.S. Right after being sworn in as Attorney General, Sessions said national crime rates were the highest they’d ever been–but it was a lie. According to FBI data, the national rate was decreasing.¹ Sessions is following the eerie and distorted words of Trump who said, “In many of our biggest cities, 2016 brought an increase in the number of homicides, rapes, assaults, and shootings.”² This in and of itself is a violation of the Alabama Bar Code of Ethics — Sessions is actively engaging in dishonesty as a chief law enforcer. This ignites fears and sets up a big platform for ruthless policies that directly impact Black people and many other marginalized groups.

This white supremacist narrative of Black people and immigrants as violent and dangerous has led to extreme changes and further violates another ethics code of being prejudice and bias. Sessions was determined to bring back the war on Black people by restarting the “War on Drugs.” This includes pushing prosecutors to issue the most severe punishment against people who commit drug offenses, giving local police departments more power to arrest and surveil with access to militarized equipment. He’s against any form of police accountability and has eliminated consent decrees. Sessions even went after Sanctuary cities by threatening to withhold federal funding for refusing to comply with harsh immigration laws. And Jeff Sessions reversed the ban on federal private prisons. Sessions said, “the ban on private prisons hurt the prison system’s ability to meet the future needs for housing.”³ This, of course, is all code for locking up more people for profit. This list goes on and on, and it will continue as long as Sessions has the power to keep his license.

Jeff Sessions does not represent the people. His job is to only target and criminalize our people. Alabama State Bar must take away his license now.

We already know who Jeff Sessions is. It is not just lies — but he is unapologetic in wanting to dismantle democracy and destroy the rights of all our communities. Plain and simple he is a White man with a lot of privilege and power he doesn’t deserve. He is incapable of upholding the integrity of his position in the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeff Sessions has abused his power long enough.

Sign the petition.

Until justice is real,

Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Anay, Clarise, Enchanta, Malaya, Kristen, Katrese, and the rest of the Color Of Change team

References:

1. “The ACLU says Trump’s executive order on crime aims to “stop national trends that don’t exist”,” Quartz, 02-09-2017 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/9697?t=9&akid=8090%2E1174326%2ErNeEKD

2. “Sessions calls rise in crime a ‘dangerous permanent trend,’ but FBI data shows rate consistently falling,” Yahoo News, 02-09-2017 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/9698?t=11&akid=8090%2E1174326%2ErNeEKD

3. “Justice Department Keeps For-Profit Prisons, Scrapping an Obama Plan,” New York Times, 02-23-2016 https://act.colorofchange.org/go/7973?t=13&akid=8090%2E1174326%2ErNeEKD

Imagine burying a loved one who was denied funeral rites just because of who they loved. It’s a reality LGBTQ families and their loved ones are facing due to the actions of Bishop Robert C. Morlino.

My family has a long, proud history with the Madison, Wisconsin Diocese that Bishop Morlino now presides over. We were raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and believe love is core to our faith. Now, Bishop Morlino is putting bigotry and hatred front and center.

Bishop Morlino has instructed priests to consider withholding funeral rites or exclude the partner of the deceased to minimize “risk of scandal or confusion.” This is not being directed by church leadership or being asked for by parishioners, but solely based on his own bigotry.

Pope Francis is transforming the church to return to love and compassion where people like Bishop Morlino have tried to instill hatred and bigotry. It’s why I’m calling on His Holiness Pope Francis to remove Bishop Morlino.

In these moments of grief, providing these sacred rites is not a scandal — it’s what is right. I can’t imagine losing someone and then being interrogated about their sexuality.

Trying to deny LGBTQ people burial rites is just the latest example of Bishop Morlino’s divisive behavior. He has ordered priests to call on parishioners to stand against same-sex marriage, instructed priests to avoid monasteries that disagree with his worldview, and tries to infuse his personal politics into the pulpit.

Bishop Morlino’s 14 year pattern of hate and abusing his power has no place in the Madison Diocese, let alone the Catholic Church. I’m calling on His Holiness Pope Francis to remove Bishop Morlino. With your support, he will hear our voices and restore love to our community and send a message that hate has no place in the Catholic faith.