More Restrictive Election Bills Passed Fannie Lou Hamer: Civil Rights Legend

Montgomery County, MSBorn in rural Mississippi in 1917, Fannie Lou Hamer was the youngest of 20 children. At age 6 Hamer began picking cotton to help support her family, eventually dropping out of school at age 12 to work full-time. She married in 1944 but was unable to carry children due to an unconsented hysterectomy, a standard operation among medical practitioners in their efforts to sterilize black women. It wasn't until 1962 that she attended a protest meeting with the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee and met civil rights activists who encouraged blacks to register to vote, setting her on a trajectory to affect social change. After registering to vote, Hamer was fired from her job and forced to leave the plantation at which she had lived and worked for nearly two decades. Though she lost her job and home, Hamer saw this as an opportunity: "They kicked me off the plantation, they set me free. It's the best thing that could happen. Now I can work for my people." In 1964, she helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party after working with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Hamer also worked to achieve financial independence for blacks, leading to her help in starting Freedom Farms Corporation, which lent land to blacks until they had enough money to make the purchase. She is known for saying, "Sometimes it seems like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed. But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom. I'm not backing off."
Source: "Fannie Lou Hamer," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/fannie-lou-hamer-205625.

ColumbusOn February 19, two unnecessary and restrictive elections bills passed the General Assembly with the support of Republican majorities in both chambers. Senate Bills 205 and 238 will prohibit county boards of elections from proactively mailing absentee ballot applications and reduce the number of days available for early voting, respectively. In a formal journal protest (pg. 1576 after link) to the passage of S.B. 238 filed with the Senate Clerk, Senator Turner noted that the "continual attacks on access to the ballot embraced by this chamber are clearly crystallized by this bill." The sole purpose of S.B. 238 is to reduce voting opportunities by eliminating Golden Week, the period in which individuals can register and vote in the same trip to their board of elections or early voting location. "There are many ways in which government can promote participation in elections that we should consider," Senator Turner commented. "Unfortunately, this bill rejects one of the best tools for increasing participation and turnout. In exchange for this unwarranted restriction voters have not received any benefit. The core question any senator should ask his or herself before voting on an election bill is whether the bill, on balance, improves the voter's experience. In the case of this legislation the answer is a resounding no." The bills now move to the desk of Governor Kasich, who has an opportunity to exercise a veto and preserve access to the ballot for eligible Ohioans. House and Senate Democrats have sent a letter imploring the Governor to consider the facts and acknowledge that Ohio voters will receive no benefit from these measures. With the Governor's signature, the provisions will take effect following the May primary election, adding to the environment of ever-changing election regulations created in recent years.

Lake County Communities Receive Grant for Lakefront Connectivity Plan

Last month, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) announced that the Lakefront Connectivity Plan will move forward, thanks to funding secured through a grant opportunity. The 45-member NOACA governing board voted unanimously for the project to receive funding under the Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative, citing the tremendous economic and recreational benefits to Lake County residents, businesses, and visitors that the new connector will create. Originally conceptualized by local communities and organizations, the project will create greater accessibility to lakefront areas through new transportation initiatives. The communities of Painesville, Mentor, Grand River, Painesville Township, and Fairport Harbor came together with Lake County General Health District, Lake County Planning Commission, Laketran, and Lake Metroparks to devise the 24-square mile plan. This is a noteworthy collaboration that addresses the need for improved access to and from regional Lake Erie lakefront destinations and nearby local sites of interest for multiple modes of transportation. In addition to the already established Lake Metroparks trails, Lake County residents will be able to use the connector for travel to destinations such as Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park or the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve. New bike trails, walking paths, and water trails are just some of the additions that will be available to the public from this initiative.

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