State Reps. Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Columbus) and Ismail Mohamed (D-Columbus) today urged fellow lawmakers to sign onto their legislation that would increase Ohio’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2028.

In their co-sponsor request memos, the Democratic lawmakers said that raising wages for working Ohioans will bring more economic security and stability to millions of Ohioans living paycheck to paycheck and boost the long-term health of the state’s economy.

“While I am grateful that voters in Ohio passed the Ohio Minimum Wage Increase Initiative, here’s the unfortunate truth—$10.10 does not go far enough to support our working families. At its current level, our minimum wage does not offset the pain inflicted by inflation,” said Rep. Jarrells. “Our legislation cuts workers in on the deal and puts money back into our local economies. Simply put, raising the minimum wage ensures that no family has to work two to three jobs just to make ends meet. That’s an Ohio that works for all of us.”

Thursday, February 9, 7pm, this on-line event requires advance registration

This talk will explore the origins of black freethought among 19th-century slaves, many of whom could not reconcile notions of a loving God with their condition on Earth. The talk will then examine the intersection of freethought with twentieth-century cultural and political movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, radical leftist politics, and the Black Power movement. Cameron argues that religious skepticism was prevalent among some of the most prominent voices in African-American history, including Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, A. Phillip Randolph, Richard Wright, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Huey Newton, and Alice Walker.

Christopher Cameron is Professor of History and Interim Chair of the Africana Studies department at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

RSVP for this event by using this link.

Hosted by Secular Student Alliance.

”Certified lunatics are shut up because of their proneness to violence when their pretensions are questioned; the uncertified variety are given the control of powerful armies, and can inflict death and disaster upon all sane men within their reach.” -- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

“Show, by your actions, that you choose peace over war, freedom over oppression, voice over silence, service over self-interest, respect over advantage, courage over fear, cooperation over competition, action over passivity, diversity over uniformity, and justice over all.” -- Anthony J. Marsella, PhD

“It takes only one man to commit a crime but an entire community to conceal it” -- Krishnamurti

“We're not made by God to mass kill one another, and that's backed up by the Gospels. Lying and war are Quotablealways associated. Pay attention to war-makers when they try to defend their current war; if they’re moving their lips they're lying.” -- Phil Berrigan

The Feds Have Attacked Independent Campaigns; The Rabbi Celebrates the Earth

At GREEGREE #125 Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2016 Presidential candidate, schools us in how the Federal Elections Commission protects America’s duopoly.

Stein is being PERSONALLY sued by the FEC for an independent campaign dating to seven years ago.  It’s an astounding story of fascism in action with serious implications for grassroots campaigns going forward.

RAY MCCLENDON of the Georgia NAACP and co-convenor JOEL SEGAL confirm the need to transform how we connect with grassroots donors and volunteers to challenge the duopoly’s unyielding power.

“We need publicly financed elections, period,” says Segal.  

With Stein’s terrible experience as background, the FEC must be changed to a non-partisan operation.  “It’s all about the oligarchy,” says Stein.

TATANKA BRICCA tells us about Exxon now pouring trillions of dollars into Swiss “non-profits” to hide their money while promoting fossil/nuclear fuels which destroy the Earth.

We then hear from CAROLINA AMPUDIA about the fight for progressive policies within the Florida Democratic Party.