Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast

In our 7th episode of Season 2 of the OAE Podcast and 4th “WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse?!” presentation of the 136th General Assembly, Maria & Ainslee are again joined by experts on the front lines of Statehouse advocacy. In today’s discussion, we go over the controversies that are front and center at the Statehouse and share some predictions about what we expect the rest of the year. Spoiler: Shenanigans are afoot!Find links to the organizations referenced and calls to action below. And check out earlier presentations to get a deep dive into specific bills under consideration. Recorded: Tuesday, May 26, 2026Previous Episodes Covering the 136th GA* WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse?! - February 27, 2026* WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse?! - November 13, 2025* WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse?! - May 15, 2025OAE UpdatesCHECK OUT OUR PODCAST!We give a behind-the-scenes look at the madness at the Ohio Statehouse.BECOME A COMMUNITY PARTNER!Complete the Community Partner Interest Form on our website to become an Ohioans Against Extremism Community Partner.CHECK OUT OUR BILL TRACKER!The full weekly hearing list for the hundreds of bills we track is available at any time at OhioBills.WTFNEW! POLICY EXPLAINERS If you have a request for a topic for our new Policy Explainers, or if you are interested in helping produce these explainers, please reach out to [email protected] Schedule & Shenanigan ForecastNow through sometime in June: “Mini Lame Duck”They say they want to leave at the beginning of June. They say that every year. Fool us once…They will return on [REDACTED]They can technically come back at any time. Sometimes they come back as early as August to do some more campaigning via policy-making. Sometimes they stay out until mid November.Post election: Lame Duck mayhemBills expire on December 31. They will go to the buzzer if they have to, particularly those not returning next sessionIt’s all theatre all the time. Smile for the CameraEver heard, “Don’t wrestle a pig in mud”? Well.. that applies here. They want to earn their viral story, their Fox News guest appearance, their shout-out from Elon.The wildcards are the ones not coming backBrenner, Williams to name a few…The girls are still fightingThere is a lot of discontent within the Republican party. There are going to be a lot of power plays.THIS WEEK’S SHENANIGANS! HJR 9/ SJR 10What it isA constitutional amendment to add voter photo ID requirements (already established in state law) to the Ohio Constitution.What’s happening this weekTestimony for and against the bill. To change the constitution. For forever. With legislation just introduced this month. Right before they leave for the summer and campaign for their own reelection. Total coincidence we’re sure.Sign up to stay informedSign up to be part of a phone bank calling Ohio legislatorsMedicaid fraud circular firing squadWhat it isAfter a viral story from the Daily Wire sparked accusations that there is wide-scale fraud in Ohio’s medicaid systemWhat’s happening this weekThe State Auditor, the Attorney General Office, and the Department of Medicaid were invited to testify. The State Auditor is currently in a competitive election to become the attorney general. Total coincidence we’re sure.The committee chair is Representative Gross, who has stated that Ohio is in “crisis” due to widespread medicaid fraud.WHO WE FOLLOWDemocracyWHO TO FOLLOW FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Common Cause* League of Women Voters* Ohio Voter Rights Coalition* All Voting is Local* ACLU of OhioORGANIZING EFFORTS* Ohio Ballot Protection* Red Wine & BlueCriminal JusticeWHO TO FOLLOW FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Ohio Families United for Political Action & Change (OFUPAC)* ACLU of Ohio* Ohio Justice & Policy Center* Ohio Poverty Law CenterORGANIZING EFFORTS* CONGRATS to the Columbus Safety Collective for the passage of Issue 5! * Ohio Coalition to End Qualified ImmunityImmigrationWHO TO FOLLOW FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Ohio Immigrant Alliance* ACLU of Ohio* Vibrant OhioORGANIZING EFFORTS* OhioIsHome.org* Ignite Peace* OPAWL* LULAC* CRIS Ohio* CAIR OhioEnvironmentWHO TO FOLLOW FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Ohio Environmental Council* Ohio Citizen ActionORGANIZING EFFORTS* Conserve Ohio* Ohio Residents for Responsible Development * Save Ohio Parks* Buckeye Environmental Network* Local solar power ballot initiative in Richland (narrowly failed)HealthcareWHO TO FOLLOW FOR UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Policy Matters Ohio* Planned Parenthood of Ohio* Abortion ForwardORGANIZING EFFORTS* Ohio Women’s Alliance* New Voices for Reproductive JusticeImportant legislative highlights:* HB 324 (telemedicine ban for a variety of prescriptions)* TESTIMONY NEEDED! Had proponent testimony last week and we expect that it will have opponent testimony as early as Wednesday June 3rd - if you would like to testify please email [email protected] - * people can take action and tell their legislator to vote NO on HB 324 hereLGBTQ+ RightsWHO TO FOLLOW FOR LEGISLATIVE UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Equality Ohio* TransOhio* LoveBoldlyORGANIZING EFFORTSEqual Rights AmendmentBILL TRACKERS* Buckeye Flame* Love BoldlyImportant legislative highlights:* HB249 (Drag Ban) - has not passed and it will not be passed in time to impact any prides this year.* HB693 (anti-LGBTQ bill impacting child welfare and foster care systems) - Equality Ohio is looking for families impacted by the child welfare systems willing to speak on the harm of this bill.EducationEducation @ the Statehouse TLDR: Brenner still sucks and doesn’t understand DEI; Introducing some GOOD transparency and accountability bills (SB443)WHO TO FOLLOW FOR UPDATES & ANALYSIS* Honesty for Ohio Education* Ohio Federation of Teachers * Ohio Education AssociationBILL TRACKERHonesty For Ohio EducationImportant legislative highlights:* SB443 (voucher transparency & accountability) - GOOD BILL! Bipartisan bill being introduced this week.* SB113 - DEI ban for K-12* HB485 and SB310 (Baby Olivia bills) could see opponent testimony scheduled at any time. They further erode our nonexistent health education standards and push “fetal personhood” along with absolutely inaccurate language about fetal development.* Reminder: Property tax bills inherently impact public school funding!Rely on our tracking and analysis? Please consider supporting our work.We don’t have any billionaire friends, and we don’t paywall our updates. We rely on the generous support of Ohioans like you to keep us going. Please consider becoming a monthly donor. Even $5/month can make a big difference.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismNEW! Policy Explainers!We are supplementing our weekly posts with policy explainers that dive into the weeds of complex policy issues.* SB202 Is About More Than Just a Flag (May 14, 2026)* What HB 1 and HB 292 tell us about the future Ohio lawmakers are building (May 21, 2026)If you have a request for a topic, or if you are interested in helping produce these explainers, please reach out to [email protected] our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | PodcastThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Ainslee is joined by our producer and host of her own podcast, Columbus Can’t Wait, Tareya Palmer. Columbus Can’t Wait focuses on local politics in Columbus and holding those in power accountable to the community. Tareya and Ainslee get candid about why it feels so hard to keep trying to make positive change in Ohio politics, especially when we keep losing. They discuss the creative ways Ohioans can keep pushing Ohio towards progress, even when everything is stacked against us. The voters decide, then the politicians overrule.Ohio politics is always rough for progressives, but in recent years it’s been altogether demoralizing. Despite continuing to have a purple electorate and powerful tools for a people-led democracy, Ohio’s state government is bright red, with seemingly endless hostility towards anyone outside the MAGA multiverse. Even worse, many of the politicians in power weaponize their authority to undermine hard-earned voter victories, be it redistricting reform, abortion rights, or marijuana legalization. It can feel hopeless, and for good reason. But we find hope anyway. We keep going. Because we have to.Whether it’s mobilizing around ballot initiatives, demanding more proactive action from politicians, or learning from policy successes in other parts of the country, there are ways that even the most frustrated Ohioans can get to work to preserve what’s left of our state’s democracy. It might involve building coalitions with groups you don’t agree with 100% of the time. It might involve finding common ground with people you’re still pretty mad at.It might involve difficult policy compromises. The fight for justice is always a worthwhile endeavor.Episode Information:Recorded: Tuesday, April 14, 2026In this Episode: Ainslee Johnson-Brown, Tareya PalmerProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerSupport Our WorkThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismSave the Date! June 17: Ballot Fair in AkronOn the evening of Wednesday, June 17, Ohioans Against Extremism will host our second ballot fair in Akron. Look out for an RSVP form soon. Email [email protected] if you are working on a ballot issue or voter education in the Akron area and would like to be a part of this event.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Get the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join the Helpers CohortThe Helpers Cohort offers mentorship, networking, and skill-building opportunities to “politically homeless” activists in Ohio. This cohort will help experienced activists find their next pet project and help newer activists learn how their strengths can make a difference in the fight against extremism.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.OHAGAINSTEXTREMISM.ORG Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

In 2023, Laura Mullen was just another fed up mom. Fast forward to 2026, and she is an elected school board member and the Ohio programs director for Red Wine & Blue, an organization dedicated to mobilizing the now infamous “organized gangs of wine moms” pushing back against authoritarianism in Ohio and across the country.FIRE SALE: Black "Against Extremism" tote bags - order by May 21!If you had told Laura back in 2023 that just three years later she would know state representatives’ names and have strong feelings about them, she would have said you were crazy. If you had told her back then that thousands of Ohioans would come to her for advocacy guidance, she wouldn’t have believed you. But it’s true.Red Wine & Blue’s presence in Ohio is no joke. It’s a big network that’s growing fast, with more than 60,000 members in Ohio alone. No wonder why they’ve got Trump and allies so worried.Laura, Ainslee, & Maria discuss how suburban moms and their allies can channel their frustration into tangible actions that help their local communities while disrupting the status quo. They discuss how to make advocacy fun, and share how each of them decompress after a long day of kicking ass.Perhaps most importantly, they discuss how the small staffs at OAE and RWB rely on each other to do their best work, and why supporting our organizations’ work supports tens of thousands of Ohio advocates that look to us for leadership.Support Red Wine & BlueSupport Ohioans Against ExtremismFinally, while they didn’t get to it on the pod, Red Wine & Blue is having an advocacy day at the Statehouse this coming Tuesday. Check out more information below about the lobby day and training calls beforehand. If you’re ready to start your advocacy journey, here’s your chance!Episode Information:Recorded: Monday, March 16, 2026In this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-Brown, Laura MullenProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerJoin Red Wine & Blue on March 24 for an Ohio Statehouse Lobby Day!Future in Focus: Lobby Day for the Ohio We Deserve Tuesday, March 24, 2026 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM ETDo you care about Public School funding? Vouchers? Immigration? Health care? Voting rights? Data Centers? Countering Extremism? Saving Democracy? You don’t need to be an expert. You don’t need political experience. You just need to care about the future of our state — and be willing to raise your voice for it.PRE-LOBBY DAY PREPARATION CALLS:Lobby Day Training Evening session Thursday, March 19, 2026 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM ETOHIO Testimony Preparation Session Sunday, March 22, 2026 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM ETSupport Our WorkThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismJoin our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Coffee with UsJoin Ohioans Against Extremism at the Columbus Library to drink coffee, decompress, and discuss the stuff that keeps us hopeful and motivatedGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join the Helpers CohortThe Helpers Cohort offers mentorship, networking, and skill-building opportunities to “politically homeless” activists in Ohio. This cohort will help experienced activists find their next pet project and help newer activists learn how their strengths can make a difference in the fight against extremism.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.OHAGAINSTEXTREMISM.ORG Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

ICYMI: WTF is Going on @ The Ohio Statehouse Webinar 2/24/26 In this special episode, we replay our Tuesday webinar discussing legislation under consideration at the Ohio Statehouse. Learn about bills being considered, then take action!Warning: It’s a lot. Remember, you don’t have to fight every battle. Pick a couple bills to focus on, then get to work!Presenters:Maria Bruno, Ohioans Against Extremism Emily Cole, OFUPACCriminal Justice (5:00 - 9:09)Jona Hilario, OPAWLImmigration (9:30 - 20:45)Spencer Dirrig, Ohio Environmental Council Action FundEnvironment (20:57 - 27:38)Danielle Firsich, Planned Parenthood of Ohio Healthcare (27:46 - 32:03)Josh Meek, Equality Ohio LGBTQ+ Rights (32:12 - 41:03)Christina Collins & Rachel Coyle, Honesty for Ohio Education Education (41:27 - 50:15)Criminal Justice (5:00 - 9:09)Presenter: Emily Cole, OFUPACBills discussed:* SB 321 - *bad* - Allows “special police officers” to be armed while escorting patients, patrolling grounds, operating medical detectors in behavioral health hospitals* SB 295 - *bad, signed into law* - Extended competency restoration to three years for aggravated murder, murder or where life in prison is possible sentence* HB 338 - *pushing amendment* - Creates survivorship benefits for COs; eliminates higher education/rehabilitation program access, tablet access for residents in max security* HB 548 - *GREAT!* - Mandatory substance use and alcohol screening after every use of force incident for all peace officersTake Action: Follow OFUPAC to get action alerts and legislative updatesImmigration (9:30 - 20:45)Jona Hilario, OPAWLBills discussed:* ICE Bills* HB 26 - require law enforcement cooperation with ICE* HB 281 - require hospitals cooperate with ICE* HB 200 - require local govt and LE cooperate with ICE* HB 42 - require agencies including schools collect immigration and citizenship data* SB 172 - require officials allow arrests with or without warrants anywhere* HB 544 - expands scope of obstruction of justice* Dems’ immigration bill package - 8 billsTake Action: Sign up for updates from OPAWL, stay tuned for action alerts if one of the bills keeps movingEnvironment (20:57 - 27:38)Spencer Dirrig, Ohio Environmental Council Action FundBills discussed:* HB 303: Sponsored by Rep. Ray (R) and Rep. Hoops (R) - Establishes a Community Energy Pilot Program, capped at 1,500 megawatts total. 500 MW reserved specifically for distressed sites and commercial or public rooftops* SB 329: Sponsored by Sen. Hicks-Hudson (D) and Sen. Smith (D) - Prohibits the surface application of brine from oil and gas wells on roads in OhioTake Action:* Ask Senate Energy Committee Chairman Sen. Chavez to schedule hearings on HB 303!* Ask Senate Natural Resources Committee members to move forward to SB 329 for Ohio’s health and safety.* Keep up with Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund for future calls to action.Healthcare (27:46 - 32:03)Danielle Firsich, Planned Parenthood of Ohio Bills discussed:* SB 309: would force providers to deliver a state-written disclosure that frames medication abortion as unusually dangerous; includes civil & criminal liability for providers* SB 310: fetal development video required in any school instruction related to human growth or sexuality* HB 347: reinstates the 24-hour waiting period before an abortion procedure and forces providers to give medically inaccurate information about the risks of abortion* HB 324 (attack on medication abortion) and HB485 (Baby Olivia Act) passed the House in November and have been referred to the Senate.Take Action: Sign up for alerts from Planned Parenthood of Ohio for calls to actionLGBTQ+ Rights (32:12 - 41:03)Josh Meek, Equality Ohio Bills discussed:* Slate of Hate* HB 693: Parental Right to Harm Bill - Enshrine discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ principles into nearly every aspect of Ohio’s child welfare and family law system* HB 249: Drag Ban - Legally defines drag performances and being transgender as “obscene” * HB 172: Emergency Youth Mental Health Access - Repeals Emergency Youth Access to Mental Health Services Without Parental Consent* Slate of Love* HB 136 (Rader, Lett) & SB 70 (Antonio): Ohio Fairness Act* HB 300 (Brownlee, Lett) & SB 71 (Antonio, Liston): Conversion Therapy Ban* SB 211 (Antonio): Designate Love Makes a Family Week* HJR 4 (Synenberg, Somani): Marriage Ballot Initiative* HB 327 (Brownlee, Brewer): P.R.I.D.E Act - LGBTQ+ Healthcare* SB 221 (Antonio, Smith): Equality Ohio License PlateTake Action: Sign up for updates from Equality Ohio to get action alerts about these bills.Education (41:27 - 50:15)Christina Collins & Rachel Coyle, Honesty for Ohio Education Bills discussed:* Good Bills!!* HB 25 — Support for students in foster care* HB 523 — “Future Educators Support Act”* Funding threats* HB 698 — SB1 Compliance Act* HB 671 — Withhold funds from school districts that join the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit* Curriculum related bills:* HB 326 — Classic Learning Test)* SB 113 / HB 155 — K-12 Diversity Ban* SB 156 / HB 269 — “Success Sequence”* SB 34 — Ten Commandments in public schools* HB 485 — “Baby Olivia”* HB 486 — Charlie Kirk* Other Bills:* HB 153 / SB 107 — Partisan school board races* SB 127 — State can close schoolsTake Action: Keep up with Honesty’s legislation tracker and sign up for updates.Read more about the bills we’re tracking: OhioBills.WTFThank you for your patience as we transition to the new tracker. Email [email protected] for inquiries and tips.Rely on our tracker? Please consider supporting our work.We don’t have any billionaire friends, and we don’t paywall our updates. We rely on the generous support of Ohioans like you to keep us going. Please consider becoming a monthly donor. Even $5/month can make a big difference.Quick Statehouse LinksThis Week’s ActionThe Ohio SenateThe Ohio HouseGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismCoffee with UsJoin Ohioans Against Extremism at the Columbus Library to drink coffee, decompress, and discuss the stuff that keeps us hopeful and motivatedJoin the Helpers CohortThe Helpers Cohort offers mentorship, networking, and skill-building opportunities to “politically homeless” activists in Ohio. This cohort will help experienced activists find their next pet project and help newer activists learn how their strengths can make a difference in the fight against extremism. This is a free program with limited space.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

There has been a coordinated effort to paint immigrants and poor people as fraudsters and freeloaders taking advantage of taxpayers. But who gains the most when we focus on the little guys? The big guys. The truth is, if we are going to care about fraud — real fraud — we need to look at the folks that are profiting off of a broken system: the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. Inspired by a recent video from More Perfect Union, Maria & Ainslee return to a topic that Ainslee wrote about last year about: corporate greed. Ainslee & Maria discuss ways you can organize to proactively protect your communities from the real fraudsters. They end with previewing a few new programs kicking into gear next month. More information about those programs are below.Links from this episode:* More Perfect Union full video* Next week’s webinar RSVP* The Helpers Cohort application* March 27 Coffee with Us RSVP* Ohio Equal Rights Seasonal Connections ToolkitEpisode Information:Recorded: Tuesday, February 17, 2026In this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerSupport Our WorkThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismWebinar: WTF is Going on The Ohio Statehouse?!Join Ohioans Against Extremism to learn about bills being considered in the Ohio Legislature and ways you can take action to make a difference. Get caught up on what’s gone down so far and what experts and insiders expect to happen next. Yes, it will be recorded. Coffee with UsJoin Ohioans Against Extremism at the Columbus Library to drink coffee, decompress, and discuss the stuff that keeps us hopeful and motivatedGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.OHAGAINSTEXTREMISM.ORG Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Editor’s note: We will just say sorry now — Ainslee has some microphone tech issues throughout the episode. We did our best to adjust, apologies for any hearing difficulties!!S2 Ep 3 - This Year in Ohio Politics: Which Way Will We Go From Here?In this episode, Ainslee and Maria give you a break from national political madness to discuss… Ohio political madness.Ainslee & Maria debrief about the community response to ICE’s recent visit to Columbus. They discuss why community network-building isn’t just busy work — in an emergency situation, it can be lifesaving!They also discuss the stakes of the Governor’s race, specifically how the next Governor will be the most consequential person on our 2026 ballot in deciding the direction of Ohio’s future.Finally, Ainslee & Maria preview a couple new programs on deck for Ohioans Against Extremism: a Helper’s Cohort for newer activists, and coffee meet-ups for frustrated Ohioans. More information on both to come, but you can sign up here to be the first to know about application details and deadlines for the Helper’s Cohort.Episode Information:Recorded: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at 1pmIn this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerWARNING: Next week is BACK TO THE STATEHOUSE!Before we go, we feel obligated to mention that it’s official: our break from Statehouse madness officially ends next week. We’ve already gotten word about hearings on a few anti-abortion bills and a handful of committees are convening. TBD on how much damage they’ll try to cause on their first week back , but be sure to subscribe to our updates to stay in the loop!Support Our WorkThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Even $5 a month can make a big difference.DONATEMore from Ohioans Against ExtremismGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

The Ohio Legislature has finally gone home. Hopefully for the year. There is a possibility that they return for more shenanigans mid-December, but we are crossing our fingers that they find literally anything better to do with their holiday season.While they’re on break, we’re going to focus our weekly updates on different policy issue areas to help readers better understand the chatter around some of the more controversial bills being considered in the General Assembly.But this week, since it’s a holiday, we’re focusing on a different topic: getting the f*ck off your phone.So here’s a short rant essay on why deciding to live in the real world is the best way to stick it to tech billionaires.The best way to undermine billionaires is to get off your f*cking phone.“After this episode, then I’ll start my laundry,” you say, watching the 13th autoplayed episode of the reality show you barely like.“I’m still listening, I’m just looking at something real quick” you say, watching the clip of your favorite actor’s girlfriend’s mom explaining how she thinks vaccines work.“Let me just check my socials one more time before bed.” You say, bracing yourself for horrifying videos of death and destruction right before you try to fall asleep.Every single day, for hours on end, most of us stare at our screens consuming headlines and opinions and entertainment curated for us by billionaires that control the algorithms. The internet rabbit holes are infinite and addictive – by design. We scroll and scroll and scroll our social media feeds, looking for the next witty quip to consume and reshare.You won’t find anyone arguing, “it was totally worth 3 hours of my day to be the 79th person to retweet that Joe Rogan clip.” And honestly, we are all pretty unanimous in believing that staring at our phones all day is bad. But few of us actually work to spend less time doing it.Thanks to tons of scraped data, our corporate overlords can target our personal insecurities, grudges, and trigger issues. They study your behavior every time you ask google how much water your plants need. They track your news consumption, buying habits, search terms. They’ve read about your weird mole, too. They know you spent 38 minutes studying that lady from work’s instagram. They know if you’ve been bad or good. Tech billionaires have real-life, Santa-level surveillance on all of us, with none of the accompanying presents.The owners of our ever-consolidating media conglomerates have a goal, and that goal is more money, more power, and more complacency. They show us what we need to see in order to get their desired behavior out of us. They want us scared, angry, hopeless, and exhausted. This is how they keep us hooked. This is how they keep us compliant. Algorithms weaponize your weaknesses – and keep you in your virtual information bubble. But you can stop playing along at any time.This may all seem quite doom-and-gloom but there’s a silver lining to all this: digital power is fragile. And so, so breakable. Billionaires bleed millions just from their websites being down for a few hours.We are a couple organized boycotts away from undermining the power of all the right people. They know it, too. But that will never happen if everyone stays addicted to their social media slop. Our feeds prop up fringe narratives, reward name-calling, and monetize hate. Some of the biggest IRL losers are “King of the Trolls” on social media.The real world hits back harder, and that can be a good thing. Online, the richest guy in the world has millions of people forced to hear his ideas. In real life, he asks a computer to feed him jokes so people might talk to him at parties. It’s not exactly a mystery why he’d rather be shitposting than attempting to make real friends in real life.Billionaires are a lot less scary when you think of them in terms of their heartbeat rather than their net wealth. The biggest antagonists in American politics are a handful of clowns with everything to lose, walking in mile-high stilts they have no business wearing.And they’re hoping we never figure out that all we have to do to get away from them is throw a banana peel: Look away from the screens and live in the real world.This week is a great time for you to practice. Make cookies. Go on a hike. Play a board game. Do… anything!Just please, please, get the f*ck off the phone.In this episode: Maria BrunoThanks for listening. Please consider supporting our work.We don’t have any billionaire friends, and we don’t paywall our updates. We rely on the generous support of Ohioans like you to keep us going. Please consider becoming a monthly donor. Even $5/month can make a big difference.Support Our WorkGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismJoin our Community Partner NetworkJoin a network of 45+ community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety and planning resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more.Learn MoreSupport & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate to Ohioans Against ExtremismSponsor an OAE Program or ActivistDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Today we have a conversation with John Patterson, a former state representative and State Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency who has spent his career fighting for his community. He’s also the last rural Democrat to be elected to the Ohio Statehouse, and is likely to continue to hold that title for the foreseeable future. We discuss Patterson’s journey from educator to elected official, his experience working across the aisle, and his concerns about the hardships facing Ohio farmers.Patterson is best known for the “Cupp/Patterson school funding bill”, which attempted to overhaul the funding formula for Ohio’s public schools. The conversation gets a bit into the weeds, so here’s a little context for those less familiar with Ohio’s Public School funding saga:Context: A very, very brief history of education funding in OhioIn 1997, Ohio’s school funding formula was ruled to be unconstitutional in a decision mentioned several times throughout this episode, the “DeRolph Decision”. This ruling required that Ohio overhaul its school funding formula, a requirement that went unaddressed by the Ohio Statehouse for another 20-something years. A full chronology of the DeRolph decision can be found here.It wasn’t until our friend John Patterson got on the scene and teamed up with a Republican legislator, Bob Cupp, to finally fix school funding and pass the Fair School Funding Plan, colloquially known as the Cupp/Patterson Plan.But not so fast. Since that funding plan passed and both primary sponsors termed out, Ohio Republicans have failed to enact the formula, and instead favored private school vouchers (also recently found to be unconstitutional) and disinvesting from local schools, forcing heavier reliance on property taxes. So the fight for fair school funding is far from over.Thanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.Episode Information:Recorded: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 4pmIn this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerMore from Ohioans Against ExtremismGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a network of 45+ community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety and planning resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

This Monday, we cohosted our quarterly(ish) WTF is Going on the Ohio Statehouse?! presentation with our friends at Red Wine & Blue, and have repurposed the presentation as a special episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast. We are joined by a handful of our favorite topic experts to debrief the 2025 election results and discuss pending pieces of legislation at the Ohio Statehouse. Here are the slides (with links) from Monday’s presentation. We focus on the worst of the worst legislation under consideration, so don’t take this presentation as an all-inclusive list of the bills that we care about. And make sure to listen all the way to the end to hear about a few more bills some of our allies are paying attention to.For a fuller overview of alllll of the bills we’re watching, check out our tracker, OhioBills.WTF.Presenters:Maria Bruno, Ohioans Against ExtremismLaura Mullen, Red, Wine & BlueRachel Coyle, Ohioans Against ExtremismCatherine Turcer (with pop-in from Mia Lewis), Common Cause OhioDanielle Firsich (which Maria definitely now knows how to pronounce!), Planned Parenthood Advocates of OhioRead more about the bills we’re tracking: OhioBills.WTFRely on our monitoring? Please consider supporting our work.We don’t have any billionaire friends, and we don’t paywall our updates. We rely on the generous support of Ohioans like you to keep us going. Please consider becoming a monthly donor. Even $5/month can make a big difference.Get the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismJoin our Community Partner NetworkJoin a network of 45+ community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety and planning resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more.Learn MoreSupport & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate to Ohioans Against ExtremismSponsor an OAE Program or ActivistDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSky Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

We’re baaaaaaccckkkkk.The Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast is back with Season 2. In our first episode of the new season, Maria and Ainslee discuss redistricting shenanigans, the No Kings protests, and dissect the bad faith attempt by the current administration to label political dissent — and by extent, half of the country — as extreme. Plus, don’t forget to join us Monday at noon for a webinar that discusses WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse (more info below).A couple updates since we filmed…The car hitting a No Kings protestor was determined to be an accident. The person that had been harassing protestors was a different person from the one that hit the demonstrator with his car. There’s no indication that the car crash was intentional. Nonetheless, our point stands: it takes some cojones to protest Trump in “Trump Country”.The Ohio Redistricting Commission passed congressional maps…unanimously. As we mentioned at the top of the episode, since we filmed, the Ohio Redistricting Commission passed new maps. Our friends over at The Rooster wrote up a pretty thorough summary of the behind-the-scenes horse-trading that went down to get these new maps. Decide for yourself which party ended up getting the better end of the deal. TLDR: it was an opaque clusterf*ck.More about Ohio’s new congressional maps:* Both parties get heat for Ohio’s new congressional district map as citizens look to future fights, Ohio Capital Journal* Winners and losers with adoption of Ohio’s new congressional districts, Cleveland.comThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.Episode Information:Recorded: Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 4pmIn this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerJoin our webinar this Monday, where we will discuss WTF is Going On @ the Ohio Statehouse?!If you’re looking for a more thorough update about the Statehouse and Ohio’s elections, join us this coming Monday at noon. We will share the issue advocacy priorities of our partners and allies. It will largely focus on the Statehouse but we will do a very brief summary of 2025 election results and 2026 election preview. More from Ohioans Against ExtremismGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a network of 45+ community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety and planning resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more.Learn MoreSupport & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate to Ohioans Against ExtremismSponsor an OAE Program or ActivistDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, our co-founder Ainslee Johnson-Brown received the J. Maynard Dickerson Community Service & Activism Award for the Class of 2025 Buckeyes Under 40, presented by The Ohio State University Black Alumni Society. We couldn’t be more proud.This distinguished recognition highlights young alumni who are making a powerful impact through service, leadership, and community engagement. It’s no wonder they thought of Ainslee. She was honored alongside an inspiring group of leaders and change-makers from across the country. Organizing builds resilience and independence.While accepting her recognition, Ainslee shares an important and timely reminder: we can’t get kicked out of rooms that we build and maintain ourselves.The Ohio State University Black Alumni Society has leveraged “the room they built” by loudly pushing back against SB1 and other attacks to free and fair education. They’ve been working overtime to protect Black students from being denied education and career opportunities while statehouse politicians do everything they can to undermine their futures. That is exactly the kind of bold leadership that this moment requires.Plus, they’ve got great taste in Awardees.Listen to Ainslee’s comments, and maybe even show her some love by donating to Ohioans Against Extremism in Ainslee’s name.Keep shining, Ainslee.Thanks for reading. Please consider supporting our work.We don’t paywall, and we don’t have billionaire friends. Our work is sustained through small dollar donations from fellow Ohioans against extremism.Will you help us keep going and growing?Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

September 11th is an incredibly tragic day in American history. In 2001, a terrorist attack resulted in three thousand people losing their lives, and many more suffering lifelong trauma and health issues. We can never lose sight of the tragedy that took place on that day.Terrorism is a threat to democracy and freedom. It’s meant to scare you. It’s meant to build resentment towards each other. And that’s why we must always denounce it.Let’s talk about what happened yesterday.Yesterday, we (Maria & Ainslee) were scheduled to get together to film some cute videos showcasing recent citizen-led advocacy efforts in Ohio. Whether it’s ballot initiatives or protests, many in Ohio are mobilizing and inspiring others to do the same, and we hope to help folks learn from each other’s successes.But literally moments before we were scheduled to record, we learned of the very public shooting of Charlie Kirk (Note: it would be only minutes after we finished filming that we learned he did not survive).Kirk was not based in Ohio, but his influence over the conservative movement, and, in turn, the Republican Party’s policy agenda, is undeniable. He was a frequent headliner and perpetual source of social media content promoting what we would easily describe as extremist policies and rhetoric.This was no friend to our work and our goals. Yet, in learning about the shooting, all we felt was an overwhelming sense of sadness. Sadness about how hostile our political system has become. And we felt fear that the shooting would be used as a pretext for more extremist violence.So we pivoted.Watch Maria and Ainslee’s raw reaction to yesterday’s shooting (or should we say, one of yesterday's shootings, since there was a school shooting in Colorado yesterday afternoon, too). There was no script. It’s not polished. But it’s honest. If nothing else, we can always promise you honesty.We really do believe that the antidote for extremism and political violence is community-building and constructive dialogue. You might think that’s corny. Maybe it is. But we’d rather be corny than be in a gunfight.This isn’t about giving anyone a post-mortem rebrand, or pretending that someone’s words and actions didn’t result in fatal consequences for others. We can appreciate why it’s difficult to muster up the empathy for someone being killed by gunfire when he has literally said empathy is made up and does damage and some gun casualties are “worth it”.But you can’t just shoot people.And sometimes it’s actually important to say that out loud.Recorded: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 4pmIn this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownRelated Episodes:So, how can we get started building community? with Rachel Coyle & Tareya Palmer (August 2025)So You Want To Create Political Change with Tareya Palmer (May 2025)So, what’s up with white dudes? with Nick Chmura (April 2025)Words of hope: A holiday meal in a snowstorm (February 2025)Before you go: Today, let’s honor the heroes of 9/11 by pressuring Congress to take care of themWe are thinking of and honoring all of those who lost their lives and their loved ones. We’re also thinking about the incredible heroes from that day, some of whom are still waiting for access to lifesaving medical care, and recently suffered further cuts to care thanks to Congress. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention, Congress can actually still show their gratitude for these heroes by taking action, and we all should be pressuring them to do just that.Thanks for listening. Please consider supporting our work.Support & Follow Ohioans Against Extremism:Donate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSky Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

We’re on location at Ohioans Against Extremism’s inaugural training session in Columbus. We start the conversation by hearing from Rachel Coyle about our new speaker training program.Then, Ainslee and Maria debrief the State budget process, discuss what we can expect to see in Ohio politics the second half of the year, and break down Ohioans Against Extremism’s role in all of it. Check out our bill tracker, OhioBills.WTF to learn more about what’s happened at the Statehouse so far this year.Finally, we return to our May discussion with Maria and Tareya, this time about engaging with the MAGA people in your own lives. There’s no perfect solution, but we know that any real solution starts with an honest conversation.Recorded: Wednesday, July 8th, 2025 at 8pmIn this Episode: Maria Bruno, Rachel Coyle, Ainslee Johnson-Brown, Tareya PalmerProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerRelated Episodes:So You Want To Create Political Change with Tareya Palmer (May 2025)So, what’s up with white dudes? with Nick Chmura (April 2025)More Information About OAE’s Training SeriesIn a nutshell, we’re dispatching trained advocates all across the state to teach their own respective communities how to hold their lawmakers accountable at the Statehouse. New training dates are coming soon, so be sure to get on our wait list and you’ll be the first to know about future opportunities to get trained.Get Caught up on our Statehouse Bill Tracker, OhioBills.WTFThe Statehouse is on Summer Break. It’s a perfect time to 1) Build relationships with your lawmakers and their staff and 2) get up to speed on where the Statehouse bills now are in the process.Join our Community Partner Network!Join our network of 40+ community organizations working every day to fight against extremism in our communities and at the Statehouse.We want to hear from you!Want to tell us what we’re doing wrong? Have a relevant blog post you want us to publish? Don’t be shy! Email us at [email protected] or comment/message directly on our substack.Thanks for listening. Please consider supporting our work.If you liked this post, please consider supporting our work. We are sustained through the generosity of everyday Ohioans that share one thing in common: being done with the b******t.…We also don’t have any billionaire friends :(Support & Follow Ohioans Against Extremism:Donate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSky Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

This past weekend, our founder & executive director Maria Bruno was chosen as Columbus Community Festival’s 2025 Honored Community Activist. This award is given to an individual that embodies the Festival’s principles by working towards “collective action in common purpose to improve our community and change our country in ways that make it more closely resemble the ideals it professes to the rest of the world… kindness, cooperation, and a commitment to fairness and justice.” Not too shabby for our first year as an organization, huh?We couldn’t be prouder of Maria and of the impact that Ohioans Against Extremism has already had on Ohio politics within its first year as an organization. Listen to Maria’s brief remarks (and introduction by friend and colleague Bethany Sanders), and read her Comfest profile below.In case the image is too hard to read, we’ve reprinted the text* below.*While correcting a couple minor editing mistakes.Community Festival 2025Honored Community ActivistMaria BrunoMaria Bruno describes herself as shy by nature. But when she experiences injustice, she gets angry and is compelled to act. Maria’s deep sense of justice and feisty outspoken style led her into community activism and law before finally founding her own advocacy organization, Ohioans Against Extremism, in 2024.Ohioans Against Extremism emerged in direct response to the rise of hate groups, particularly ones targeting the LGBTQ+ community, that were becoming a vocal presence around the state. It’s grown into a network of more than 40 organizations to build advocacy and involvement and to educate people about what's happening at the Statehouse.Maria grew up in a big family in Medina’s small, conservative community, so she learned to use her voice and hone her arguments if she was going to get taken seriously. She enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh just in time for the upheavals of the Great Recession.There she became immersed in student organizing, “learning from Teamster union organizers.” She became the President of STAND, which organized students against genocide and mass atrocity, and began thinking about cross-issue collaboration. She started a group called Open Books to promote socially responsible investment of university endowments.Maria began working for State Representative Dan Frankel. She found his perspective refreshing and asked him for a job. He said yes. This positive experience exposed her more directly to law and government and inspired her to attend the Ohio State Moritz College of Law on a full scholarship.In her second year at OSU, only hours after turning in her last final, Maria suffered a stroke that left her partially blind and subject to perpetual severe headaches. She had to adjust and focus on soft skills like public speaking and auditory learning to make up for her inability to spend long periods of time reading or using computers. She learned about resilience and her ability to adapt as she encountered two more serious health events in the next 10 years.“I'm probably much more in touch with my mortality than most people,” she says. A life-threatening health event offers another chance to live, making it “pretty easy for me to keep my priorities straight.”After law school, Maria worked at ACLU Ohio and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. While working as public policy director at Equality Ohio, she had the idea to start Ohioans Against Extremism.In 2023, the apparent normalization of attacks and intimidation in public forums shook her. “One of the first events Nazis showed up to was just down the road from where I'm from,” she recalls. “I knew... this kind of hate wasn't going away unless it was beaten back through strong, unified organizing and advocacy.”Bethany Sanders, a former board member for Equality Ohio, says, “Be it for civil liberties, housing, voting, LGBTQ+ equality, or extremism, [Maria] is always thinking of and working for those most often left behind. She wants to build a community where everyone can thrive and in doing so lives ComFest every day.”Maria hopes Ohioans Against Extremism will galvanize Ohioans across the political spectrum to focus on shared values and goals while connecting voters with tangible anti-extremism actions they can take to make a difference in their communities.Some efforts, "in real time, felt completely useless," she says, "only to watch a seedling of what I did allow someone else to plant a whole garden full of progress. So even if what you are doing isn't immediately rewarding, it doesn't mean it isn't making a difference. Don't let other people disagreeing with your ideas stop you.”Ainslee Johnson-Brown met Maria during Maria’s time with Equality Ohio and later became board president of Ohioans Against Extremism.“Maria is a dragon slayer,” Johnson-Brown says. “The energy and audacity she brings to the advocacy work here have played an integral part in motivating average Ohioans like me to take action, using whatever talents and resources we already have."Maria’s bravery in the face of adversity and ability to inspire others, particularly those on the sidelines, explain her selection as this year’s ComFest Community Activist.— Graham BowmanRead the full program here to read about the other honorees, or visit Comfest.com.We do it all for you, Ohio.We do it all for the people of Ohio, and the people of Ohio are noticing. We’ve gotten feedback from across the state, including and especially from Ohioans in rural and small town Ohio, telling us how Ohioans Against Extremism helps them hold their own lawmakers accountable. That’s been our goal from the start. And it’s working. This is just the beginning.(obligatory plug that even $5 a month makes a huge difference to us!)Get involved with Ohioans Against ExtremismBecome a “How Things Work at The Statehouse” Presenter Attend our 2-part workshop and present about the Statehouse in your own community. Happening NEXT WEEK! (Registration Required)Join our Community Partner NetworkWe convene a network of 40+ community organizations around the shared goal of stopping extremism in OhioTrack Extremist Ohio BillsThe legislature just recessed for Summer break, making it a perfect time to get caught up on extremist statehouse legislationCheck out our podcastWe explore a wide variety of political topics, diving into the real life causes and consequences of extreme legislation and rhetoric.We need your support to keep us going. Yes, really!Did you appreciate this post? Do you rely on our bill tracker? Please consider supporting our work. We don’t have billionaire backers. Instead, we rely on the support of everyday Ohioans like you, and we can do more cool stuff with more $$. Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Don’t just be a backseat driver when it comes to political advocacy — it’s time for you to get in the driver’s seat.In this episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Maria is joined by our producer, friend, and fellow podcaster, Tareya Palmer, co-founder and host of Columbus Can’t Wait. Columbus Can’t Wait is a podcast launched in 2020 that focuses on supporting the learning journey on local politics and community from Black perspectives. In this conversation, Maria and Tareya discuss why proactive action is what this moment requires, and offer some advice on how to avoid common pitfalls for new organizers. They talk about what authenticity in politics really means in real life, and why trolling on the internet isn’t the same thing as organizing for change. Maria and Tareya share what they’ve learned during their own journeys in political organizing in Ohio, and discuss how someone can move from frustrated commentator to active organizer. Recorded: Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 10amGuest: Tareya Palmer, Columbus Can’t WaitHost: Maria BrunoProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerKeep up with Columbus Can’t Wait: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | InstagramWe really, really don’t want to paywall our work. Can you help us keep our stuff public?Did you appreciate this episode? Please consider supporting our work. We’re independent and our work is open to everyone, and we’d like to keep it that way. Knowledge is power, and we really, really don’t want to paywall power. Your $5 a month can go a long way in keeping our work free and open to all. Yes! For the price of a cup of coffee/month, you can help us provide critical support and guidance to Ohioans battling extremism in Ohio. Wow, what a deal!! Support & Follow Ohioans Against Extremism:Donate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSky Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

TLDR: To testify in-person on the state budget next week, submit your testimony by THIS Friday (5/23) at 5PM CORRECTION: THE VIDEO AND ORIGINAL POST INCORRECTLY STATED MAY 27 WAS A MONDAY — OOPS! May 27, the first day of testimony, is TUESDAY. Our bad. That’s on us. We’re tired.The Ohio Senate Finance Committee will hold four straight days of budget hearings next week:Tuesday, May 27 at 9:00PMWednesday, May 28 at 9:00AMThursday, May 29 at 9:00AMFriday, May 30 at 1:30PMIf you’d like to testify in person, upload your testimony to the Ohio Senate Finance Committee website no later than THIS FRIDAY at 5pm.Next week's testimony upload processYou can testify on ANY piece of the budget bill you choose! And you can choose any of the four days to testify.All hearings will be held at the Ohio Statehouse in the Senate Finance Hearing Room.IF YOU’RE TESTIFYING IN-PERSON:* It doesn’t matter which day you plan to testify, ALL in-person testimony must be uploaded to the committee website by this Friday 5/23 at 5:00 pm.* (Click the date you plan to testify, and upload your testimony to that page)IF YOU’RE TESTIFYING WRITTEN-ONLY:* Testimony must be uploaded to the committee website at least 24 hours before whichever hearing you choose.* Example: If you’re submitting testimony for the 9:00 am hearing on Wednesday 5/28, your testimony must be uploaded by 9:00 am on Tuesday 5/27HOW TO UPLOAD SENATE TESTIMONY:* Go to the Senate Finance Committee website* Click the date of the hearing you’re submitting testimony for* Click ”upload testimony”* Respond to the witness questions when you upload your testimony (Completing these witness questions replaces the “witness slip” used by House committees)Check out this toolkit from “How Things Work at the Statehouse” for parking information and more: bit.ly/OhioSenateTestimonyRead through our bill tracker OhioBills.WTF for lots of budget items you could testify for or against.This is your opportunity to voice your concerns about our state budget.Need a refresher? We got you covered. Here’s our 20 minute budget breakdown that goes over the worst parts of Ohio’s budget. Check out the full video of our webinar discussing WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse.Keep up with action alerts and legislation by visiting OhioBills.WTFWe need your support to keep us going. Yes, really!Did you appreciate this episode? Do you rely on our bill tracker? Please consider supporting our work. We don’t have billionaire backers (but are in the market… George Soros our lines are open!) Instead, we rely on the support of everyday Ohioans like you, and we could do way more cool stuff with more $$. So if you like what you see, cough it up for the cause, y'all! Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

This episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism podcast is the recording of Monday’s briefing about what’s going on at the Ohio Statehouse, with a foreword from our executive director.Warning: this episode will not be uplifting. But this is crucial information for Ohioans that care about our state’s future, and we can’t let these bad bills become law without at least putting up a fight.After you listen, scroll down for some quick links to the action alerts mentioned in the presentation.Presenters:* Maria Bruno, Ohioans Against Extremism* Rachel Coyle, Ohioans Against Extremism* Mia Lewis, Common Cause Ohio* Danielle DeLeon Spires, Ohio Poverty Law CenterRECORDED MONDAY, MAY 12, 2025 AT 12 PM ESTA special thanks to Common Cause Ohio, Ohio Poverty Law Center, the ACLU of Ohio, COHHIO, Honesty for Ohio Education, and the rest of our allies and partners that give us crucial, reliable updates that allow us to explain what the heck is going on to everyone else. We couldn’t do this without you.Follow along with Statehouse action at OhioBills.WTFDid we miss a bill you care about? Email [email protected], subject line, “bill tracker”.We need your support to keep us going. Yes, really!Did you appreciate this episode? Do you rely on our bill tracker? Please consider supporting our work. We don’t have billionaire backers (but are in the market… George Soros our lines are open!) Instead, we rely on the support of everyday Ohioans like you, and we could do way more cool stuff with more $$. So if you like what you see, cough it up for the cause, y'all!TAKE ACTION: Pick the issue(s) that speaks to you most, and DO SOMETHING!You don’t have to fight every battle, but challenge yourself to pick one that you’re invested in. Follow the lead of the organization(s) leading the charge.* Stand up for voting rights with the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition & Ohioans Against Extremism!* Fight for diversity in Ohio schools with Honesty for Ohio Education* Support immigrant communities with Ohio Immigrant Alliance* Help keep marijuana legal (like the majority just voted for in 2023) with the ACLU of Ohio!* Demand fair school funding with All in for Ohio Kids!* Defend affordable housing with COHHIO!* Protect medicaid with Ohio Poverty Law Center!* Fight for higher education by supporting the SB 1 Referendum Effort!* Keep public records public with OFUPAC.* (For Columbus folks) Support the Columbus Safety Collective’s ballot campaign to get a non-police emergency response system in the city.Already overwhelmed? Just pick a thing, and go.When you care about everything, where do you even begin? It’s every passionate advocate’s dilemma.Here’s our very simple advice: Focus, then follow through. Focus on 1-2 topics that most motivate you to take action. Then, actually follow through by completing the action alert, getting on the email list of the organization leading the fight, and maybe even getting more involved with that organization or another one that speaks to your values. You don’t need any special training or education to get involved. You just have to give a s**t.Graphics from this presentation:Have we mentioned how much we LOVE our monthly donors? Even $5 a month helps sustain our work. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Can we do it? Can we discuss white dudes without pissing everyone off? Can we provide tangible ways to pull people back from the brink? Can we acknowledge other people’s perspectives while holding them accountable?Challenge accepted.We’ve been wanting to have this conversation for a long time, but weren’t quite sure how to have it. How do we help men avoid extremist rabbit holes? How do we help white people see their own blind spots? How can we find common ground when everything seems to be tearing us apart?We honestly weren’t sure how to go about it. These aren’t exactly easy questions. But late last year, Maria celebrated a specific white man that had made an impact on her own life: her Uncle Ted.It got us thinking. Maybe we need to have a conversation about how we can encourage men to live enriched lives like Uncle Ted did. We turned to someone that Maria considers an authority on this: Uncle Ted’s son, (AKA her cousin) Nick.Nick Chmura is a therapist serving predominantly men in the Cleveland area, born and raised in Northeast Ohio. He’s studied trauma and its impact on people’s mental health, and makes his living helping men live more fulfilling lives. Today Nick is talking to us about what he’s learned from his conversations and experiences, and how others might go about making positive changes in their own lives.So, can we do it? Can we discuss white dudes without pissing everyone off? You tell us. We love feedback, and we plan to have Nick back. Tell us what we should talk about.Have another challenging topic you want us to dive into? Let us know! Comment or email us at [email protected]: Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 11amGuest: Nick Chmura, Licensed professional clinical counselorHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerIf you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting our work. We don’t have any billionaire friends :(DonateWe can do more cool stuff with more money. Even $5 a month can make a big difference. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

You know us, we never sugarcoat it. Things are feeling pretty grim over at the Ohio Statehouse these days. We’re here to give you the highlights of the first three months of Ohio’s 136th General Assembly, so buckle up for (mostly) bad news. In this episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Maria and Ainslee quickly break down three months of busy legislative activity, explain OAE’s handy dandy bill tracker, and discuss why supporting OAE’s work helps us help you fight back against extremism on Capitol Square.We know it’s hard to keep being persistent when the deck is so stacked against us. It’s demoralizing to keep losing. But even when we lose, it’s important to lose loudly. We have to keep fighting, even when the odds are against us. Why? Because, well, what choice do we have but to give it all we’ve got? Stay strong. Stick together. Fight like hell.Recorded: Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 10amHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerResources From This Episode:* OhioBills.WTF - OAE’s Statehouse Bill Tracker * The Constitutional Corner - OAE’s New Series and Ainslee’s newest nerd baby* Ohio Budget Process Overview from the ACLU of Ohio* Ohio Budget Breakdown from Policy Matters OhioIf you appreciate our work, please consider supporting us. We can do more cool stuff with more money. Even $5 a month can make a big difference. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Yesterday, the House passed one of the fastest-moving bills in Ohio’s Statehouse, SB 1. SB1 becoming law would wreak havoc on Ohio’s public higher education. This bill has been covered pretty extensively, so we won’t rehash here. (Some reading here, here, here, here, here, and here. We also did a video a few weeks ago explaining the main reasons SB1 is bad.)But reading about it and seeing it are two different things. The Hearing Where They Went Full Mask-OffThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.As members of our team sat through the proponent hearing for SB 1 a few weeks ago, we were blown away by how mask-off the proponents of this bill have become. One colleague, who is very familiar with the Statehouse nonsense and has sat through dozens of hearings like this, noted that this one in particular made them feel “subhuman.” Cumulatively, the two-hour hearing was a perfect encapsulation of the astro-turf, fringe movement trying to remake our education system in Ohio and across the country. You can watch the full, unedited footage here.But if you want the montage version, we got you covered. Warning, though. You WILL find it infuriating.We regret to inform you that our LAST HOPE to save public higher education in Ohio is Governor Mike DeWine.Yesterday, students led a massive protest in response to this bill. But the fight isn’t over. The Senate will have to pass the bill again (it was amended in the House) but then it gets sent to the Governor. While we aren’t holding our breath, we have to at least TRY to make Governor DeWine see the economic destruction this bill would cause for our state. He has the power to veto the bill and stop this madness. The only question is whether he has the will. It’s never too early to reach out to his office.Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.If you enjoyed this special Episode, please consider supporting our work. Still no billionaire friends :( but your investment can help us produce more content like this! Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Essay by Maria Bruno, Executive Director of Ohioans Against ExtremismFeeling overwhelmed by political bullsh*t? Us too.That’s why we are selling Gold-Plated, limited edition, Tru– ok just kidding. We have no magic solutions or bibles or knives or limited-edition coins or rare earth metals to sell you.There isn’t a quick fix to this political chaos. We just have to start building the world we want.Let’s start a little smaller. Let’s put down the weight of the future of democracy for a moment and zoom in on our own day-to-day lives.Seriously, how are you planning to get through this? What will you do to make positive change, as everything feels like it’s going wrong?Preparing For What You Thought Was ComingThe metaphor I’ve settled on for this moment is “a holiday meal in a snowstorm”.Imagine, for the sake of this metaphor, that you’re a lousy cook, live in a single-family home, and that all of your friends and neighbors have generic 1-2 syllable first names. Stay with me, here.And imagine that Ohio has incredibly, notoriously, comically unpredictable winter weather – do what you can to suspend your disbelief.Now imagine it’s New Year’s Eve. A nice, neutral, nondenominational and widely-applicable winter holiday.It’s been a doozy of a year but tonight, you’ve got a nice meal with good company to look forward to. All your favorite people are gathering at Steve’s house tonight, like you do every year. It’s a whopping three miles away, so an easy, convenient drive. It’s supposed to snow a couple inches, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for Ohio in the winter.There’s going to be tons of tasty food and drinks. You cannot wait to have that mac and cheese that Jen makes every year, as well as the other delicious homemade entrees. For your part, you made the one (1) recipe you can successfully make (rice krispie treats) and are bringing the paper products. Ok so you’re not exactly carrying the team in terms of the food, but people need paper products and everyone loves rice krispie treats. That is a perfectly sufficient contribution to a big potluck meal.Making AdjustmentsBut alas, Mother Nature has other plans. Those two inches of predicted snow have turned into a disruptive two feet through the course of the day. In only a matter of hours.Now, people can’t get out of their driveways. Half of your street doesn’t even have power. Suddenly a three mile drive isn’t just inconvenient, it’s a deal-breaker. You’re snowed in for the night. You text Steve to let him know you’re snowed in.Your evening has been upended due to factors completely beyond your control. Your lovely New Years Eve dinner has suddenly become a lonely dinner of rice krispie treats and whatever scraps you might be able to find in the cabinet – which won’t be much. A significant downgrade.So you text your neighbor, Beth. You lament how you’ve only got rice krispie treats for dinner and your power is flickering on and off. She invites you over to eat. “Isn’t this crazy?” she texts, “Come over! I made lasagna. Some other neighbors are coming, too.”Your stomach grumbles. Lasagna sounds incredible. So you brave the two feet of snow to go next door. It’s a pain. You bring your rice krispie treats and paper products. Just in case.Contributing What You CanYou arrive at Beth’s and see that other neighbors have come over as well. Leslie brought a big casserole, Joe came in big with a shrimp cocktail, Barb brought her famous scalloped potatoes. Jimmy brought a half-baked turkey that’s now back roasting in the oven. It’s no “Jen’s Mac & Cheese” but this food will do just fine.Everyone —and I do mean everyone — helped put the meal together. Even your neighbor George, notoriously useless in a crisis, came through with bringing over an unreasonable amount of alcohol. He also brought paper plates, but yours are nicer. Take that, George.People that Beth trusted with sharp objects helped with the chopping and peeling. Others helped set the table and find chairs or things that could function temporarily as chairs. A couple of the teenagers kept an eye on the kids so their parents could help with other stuff. A few brave souls shoveled people’s driveways and sidewalks so everyone could actually walk home later.And it was, dare I say, a good time. The handful of neighbors that had manifested their midlife crises through niche kitchen tools showed off their favorite cooking gadgets, even coming up with some friendly, confusing games and competitions to entertain the crowd. A few neighbors dug through their freezers and pantries to offer ingredients they hadn’t originally intended to use that evening, particularly desserts, and now there was some sort of makeshift round of Chopped happening. People maybe even played charades at one point?Needless to say, the neighbors learned quite a bit about each other’s interests and skills that night.Resisting Social IsolationIn the midst of an unexpected snowstorm, everyone chose to work through some extra inconvenience, found something to offer that was useful, and figured out a way to enjoy themselves. Each contribution was unique and valuable. Each heartfelt exchange felt healing, considering the pain-in-the-ass afternoon everyone had just experienced. The choice to work together to make the most of a bad situation paid off. Everyone who chose to work together to create a fun night enjoyed the fruits of their labor: a fun night.Not a single person had the evening that they had hoped and planned for. But collectively, through creativity and teamwork, your neighbors came together to make a beautiful, semi-coherent meal. It wasn’t the meal that any of you had expected to eat tonight, but it was undoubtedly delicious – and a lot better than eating Rice Krispie treats alone on the couch, that’s for sure.Say it with me now: social isolation breeds fascism. Fascism thrives with the spread of selfishness and struggles with the spread of empathy. Fascism preys on social divisions and weakens in the face of solidarity and community.Communities only thrive when we are trying to solve problems and coexist, but it can’t survive if we only focus on creating divisions and conquering one another. If we want to beat fascism and salvage democracy, we have to engage with each other with the goal of a mutually beneficial solution, not unlike coming together for a good meal in an unexpected storm.Toxic individualism may be all the rage amongst podcasters and billionaires, but the rest of us simply cannot afford to retreat from our social contract with each other. The paradox of this moment in history is that we are more frustrated with each other than ever, and also need each other more than ever. We will not overcome a billionaire campaign against democracy unless we all team up. Seriously, people really do not understand how rich these guys are. We’re never going to outspend them, but we can absolutely out-organize them.Focus on Getting Through the Holiday MealThings that were once convenient may become inconvenient. Things we took for granted may disappear. It’s a mess, and being just one person existing within this mess is completely overwhelming, no matter who you are. It’s deeply depressing to feel like you can’t control your own destiny. And unlike the average partisan political back and forth during election season, this feels frustrating in a new way, a way that has little to do with political ideology. It can all leave you paralyzed and at a loss for where to go from here.Fellow Ohioans, I mean this sincerely when I say, you’re more prepared for this moment than you think. You know how to get through a surprise snowstorm. Pay attention to your immediate surroundings, work with your neighbors, and put your energy towards building community.Whether it’s shoveling driveways or chopping carrots, be a helper. Help your neighbors. Ask people what they need and then follow through with helping them find it. Offer an extra hand if you have one. Dig through your cabinets just to look for things that others might enjoy. Be generous. Stay connected. Just f*cking try to be helpful to the people around you.Keep Your Chin Up & Play to Your StrengthsFigure out where you’re most adding value to the situation. Don’t start signing up to do stuff you’re bad at, just to feel busy. No one needs the clumsy person carrying the cake into the dining room. But there’s something you’re good at that lines up with something your community needs. Find that thing, and GO.There will be plenty of opportunities to mess up, maybe even make things worse. Keep going, even and especially when you f*ck up. Don’t dwell on things that aren’t going your way. Burned the gravy? Oh well. We didn’t really need that to enjoy the potatoes, people can add cheese or sour cream. It’ll be fine. This too shall pass. Keep going.The spirit of weathering a holiday storm – of finding solutions in real time because the universe had other plans – is the spirit this moment requires. To truly get through these next few years, we are all going to contribute things that we didn’t plan to. We’ll have to quickly and ethically come up with make-shift solutions to novel, complex problems. We’ll have to make the best of some really sh*tty situations.And we’ll have to keep going, even when it’s really, really tempting to give up.No one can change the weather, but together, we can come up with creative ways to survive and thrive in the storm.If you liked this post, please consider supporting our work. We don’t have any billionaire friends :(Ohagainstextremism.org/donate Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Ohio was highlighted in USA Today earlier this week for being on the forefront of building a “New Blueprint to Fight Extremism that Hits Close to Home”. Our organization, Ohioans Against Extremism, is playing a critical role in designing that blueprint, alongside dozens of community organizations. Our secret sauce? No more of that weak, half-ass solidarity. United we stand, period.In this snippet of our most recent podcast episode, Maria and Ainslee discuss how Ohioans Against Extremism is leading the fight against extremism in Ohio this year by supporting communities on the ground. Thanks for reading Ohioans Against Extremism! This post is public so feel free to share it.We may only be six months old, but our track record already speaks for itself. Whether it’s standing up to Nazis showing up in our neighborhoods, sponsoring the LameDuck.WTF Ohio Statehouse bill tracker, speaking up in solidarity with immigrants in Ohio, or helping Ohioans push back against attacks to higher education, we’ve already illustrated our versatility and adaptability in responding to extremism in Ohio politics.We’ve produced podcasts, we’ve provided training, we’ve made resources, we’ve facilitated planning sessions, we’ve elevated marginalized voices. We’ve kept the pedal to the metal on the fight against extremism. And we’re just getting started.With thousands of Ohioans supporting us and zero billionaire friends, Ohioans Against Extremism is fighting the good fight on behalf of everyday Ohioans, every single day. Now, we need your help to keep going.We’re not in this for the money (LOL) and we’re certainly not in it for the “glory” of being told to f**k off by politicians every week. We’re in this fight because, really, what other choice do we have? We’re not going to just hand our state (and country) over to Nazis and extremists. We’re not going to abandon our communities. And we’re certainly not going to politely relinquish our freedom and autonomy. So instead of giving up, we’re going to keep finding new ways to get in the way, every single day. You know our motto this year: Stay strong. Stick together. Fight like hell.And if you’ve got the means, celebrate our (half) birthday by becoming a monthly donor. When you’re battling billionaires, you need all the $5/month donors you can get! Thanks for reading Ohioans Against Extremism! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Time to make some phone calls!At 2pm today, February 11, the Ohio Senate Higher Education Committee will consider SB1, a terrible bill that would destroy the independence of Ohio’s public universities. You can listen in at the Ohio Channel (Ohiochannel.org)SB 1 could pass the Senate as soon as TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12! We’ve got no time to waste. Start making some phone calls.Learn how to TAKE ACTION against SB1!Read/Listen to Ohioans Against Extremism’s opposition testimonyThis afternoon, we only get 3 minutes to go over our objections to this 75 page monstrosity of a bill. That’s not going to stop us from helping the public understand why this bill is so bad. Read or watch our FULL comments against Ohio SB1, then tune in to the hearing to listen to a lottttt more people share their reasons for being against SB1.OAE’s OPPONENT TESTIMONY on SB1:Chair Roegner, Ranking Member Ingram, and members of the Higher Education Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in opposition to Senate Bill 1. I’m Maria Bruno, the Executive Director of a new 501(c)4 organization, Ohioans Against Extremism.I’ve been in front of most of you before, but this is my first time testifying here in my new role, so I will say a few words about Ohioans Against Extremism. The short version is, a few Ohio organizers started our organization last year in response to the rise in extremism in our state, and the rise of legislation targeting already marginalized communities. After several hate group protests here in the state and the growing normalization of Nazi ideology, even in the Ohio Statehouse, we knew it was time for a more organized opposition to hate in Ohio.We work with a long list of community organizations from different parts of the state, each focused on their own unique issues and working with their own unique constituencies. We focus on finding common ground, and finding practical solutions to tough problems. Rather than tell people what to believe, we give people the information and tools to decide for themselves what they want Ohio’s future to look like.We also insist that policy “solutions” are grounded in reality and actually help Ohioans.And whether it’s trying to make planting a flag on a football field a felony, or legally prohibiting saying their ideas are bad in a college classroom, Ohio politicians have got to stop trying to pass a law every time someone hurts their feelings.SB 1, formerly SB83, is a bill we’ve been keeping tabs on since our launch. This bill is a perfect example of harmful legislation that would make our state worse off. It’s the exact kind of bait and switch that raises red flags.In preparation for this hearing, I rewatched the testimony and examined the rationales used to endorse this legislation. It didn’t take long, there weren’t that many proponents and most of them were from the same organization. Of the people that testified, every single one raised concerns about “DEI”, which is the abbreviation for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They raised concerns about the rise in “self censorship” “woke conformity” and advocated for “true diversity of thought”.Not a single anecdote highlighted as justification for this bill, however, included someone being formally reprimanded for sharing an opinion or giving a certain answer. Their anecdotes were filled with stories of typical discussions at universities in which they felt a classmate or peer was mean to them, or cited their own speculation that they would have had more professional success had they not shared their politics in class or in a publication.Proponents went on, insisting that universities must be bastions of “intellectual diversity”, and this legislature must protect the “marketplace of ideas”. They said DEI is nothing more than “The Red Scare”, “closeted quotas”, and a “shadow curriculum” that “seeks to subvert American markets, values, and existence.” They argued that DEI is a “tool of racial and political discrimination” that “indoctrinates” students into “believing everyone is entitled to equal results”.But nothing protects fragile egos at the expense of actual academic standards more than this bill, which mandates that professors take bad ideas seriously and treat them with weight not warranted based on merits. Proponents essentially argue that everyone is entitled to feel right, even if they aren’t.Proponents of SB 1 argued students should not have to worry about “the social implications of what they say.” They argued that students should feel “safe to reflect their views” and that universities could improve trust in higher education institutions if they just started fostering intellectual diversity.Every single proponent’s testimony’s primary focus was around amorphously defined “DEI program”, class curriculums, and diversity pledges. One proponent even argued that diversity efforts make universities less inclusive and equitable.They also say that diversity pledges are coercive. But they are thrilled that this bill includes a mandatory pledge to intellectual diversity. Irony continues to be dead.So what does SB1 do, to solve all the horrors they outlined?This 75 page bill, supposedly designed to solve the epidemic of bruised egos in class, covers a bunch of other stuff that has nothing to do with anything that any proponent talked about last week. That’s another big red flag.This bill does everything from shred worker’s rights to changing rules around university trustee terms to banning working with (specifically and solely) China to creating new rules around speakers’ fees, budgets, and other university processes.The bill mandates a new civics class, even specifying which specific texts must be included in that new class’s curriculum.And at any time, if the general assembly independently “determines” the institution has “failed to comply” with their vague rules around “discussing controversial topics,” then they can simply withhold or reduce the entire University’s funding.If state lawmakers want to dictate what specific books college students should read, then perhaps they should consider a career change. I’d warn, though, that the prerequisites for being a University Professor are much, much more difficult than those required to join the General Assembly.That higher threshold of qualification is just one reason why we shouldn’t let politicians put their sticky fingers on every course offered by a public university in Ohio, especially when their rationale appears to be nearly entirely to protect bubble-wrapped students from the consequences of their unpopular opinions.The bill prohibits statements of diversity, then mandates several different pledges to, in their own words, protect “diversity of thought”. One wonders what “diversity of thought” really means, when it is placed directly at odds with DEI, which by definition, prioritizes the recruitment of “diversity of perspectives”. That would be expressly prohibited.Diversity is bad, they say. Intellectual diversity is necessary, they say.One can only be left to surmise that the premise of “diversity of thought” really means shielding some individuals, already at the table, from facing any friction for expressing their ideas, no matter how unpopular.To ensure no “DEI” slips through the cracks, the bill prescribes a mandatory, onerous, unfunded bureaucratic process to ensure everyone with hurt feelings has the ability to retaliate against the professor that allowed it to happen under their watch. I fear the proponents of this bill will quickly find, forcing artificial neutrality in the classroom on all issues of importance will not help students with unpopular views get invited to parties.There are also extensive new disclosure requirements. What could go wrong, requiring every public university and community college professor’s class schedule and every curriculum they’ve ever created to be put on the internet with mandatory word search functions, with a special prohibition on asking for any identifiable information of the people accessing said information? Should we also hand deliver it to foreign adversaries that openly target thought leaders in areas including history, democracy, and core workforce skills?The attacks to workers’ rights and demonization of professors included in the bill make it nearly guaranteed that any academic considering coming to Ohio in the future would decline that opportunity. Any logical professor would instead pick going to a state where they could, you know, actually have rights in their workplace, talk candidly in class, and didn’t have to hand every internet troll in the country their personal class schedule – which yes, this bill really would do.Protecting the supposed “right” to anonymously stalk and troll professors will do nothing to better our state. It will, however, repel any talented academics from wanting to work in this state.SB1 is a gift to trolls, people with bad ideas, and individuals too sensitive and delicate to thrive in a rigorous academic environment.The cherry on top is that these vague and conflicting new rules come with quite the consequence for defying. This bill gives unprecedented power to the State legislature to micromanage our public universities, and dangle funding whenever they dislike what a university professor says.Because ultimately, that is what this bill is all about. Nothing else makes sense.It’s unclear how banning professors from striking preserves open discussion in class.I’m not seeing the causal connection between removing disability resources for students – provided through DEI programs – and enhancing student life on campus.I don’t see how it’s helpful to give the wildly underqualified General Assembly the right to veto anything in a college class that offends them.I’m sure it hurts the sponsor and supporters of this bill’s feelings that their favorite political theories are unpopular on college campuses and in classrooms that actually rely on academic principles. Unlike fringe internet forums and bot laden social media apps, which accept vibes as a citation.Perhaps instead of passing a law to make it illegal to hurt their feelings, they should consider getting better ideas, or getting better at defending their supposedly good ideas. If they’re losing classroom debates regularly, perhaps it isn’t a conspiracy against them but rather a skill issue.We ask this committee to vote NO on SB 1.Maria Bruno, Executive DirectorOhioans Against Extremism Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Woof. Rough few weeks, huh?In Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast’s first episode of the year, Ainslee and Maria discuss the dumpster fire that has been the first month of 2025. The discussion covers a lot of ground. From the new Ohio Statehouse Rules to a certain billionaire Nazi salute, to immigration laws, to bad State Senate bills we’re watching, to strategies for breaking out of our social media bubbles, to community organizing happening now… it’s a busy 45 minutes. The group-chat discussion goes wherever the spirit takes us.Ainslee and Maria also discuss why Ohioans need to stay in the game despite temptations to throw in the towel. Or, if you’re gonna go hide in your room for a while, you can still help by cutting us a check, because we’ve got plans and continue to lack billionaire friends.Recorded: Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2pmHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerThanks for reading Ohioans Against Extremism! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Other stuff we’ve got going on:Learn More* TONIGHT (2/10): Join us at 7pm to discuss WTF is going on at the Ohio Statehouse.* Check out our Tools for Ohioans Against Extremism for people facing threats related to extremism.Take Action* THIS WEEK: Help us fight SB 1.* Sign on: Ohioans Stand with Immigrants.* Sign on: Opposition to new Ohio House Rules.If you appreciate our work, please consider supporting us. We can do more cool stuff with more money. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Ohio politicians are scared of you. They can’t handle public pushback, so they try to avoid it.Last week, House Speaker Matt Huffman passed new rules to try and stop you from showing up to the Statehouse — the people's house. That means it's time to show up more often, call more often, and be even louder than before.We will be putting out calls to action here and on social media when Ohioans are needed at the Statehouse. We also urge you to follow some or all of the organizations on this list, who will alert you when action is needed around bills they are tracking.We’ll see you soon at the Ohio Statehouse.Thanks for reading Ohioans Against Extremism! This post is public so feel free to share it.If you appreciate our work, please consider supporting us. We don’t have any billionaire friends :( Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

In our end-of-year podcast episode, Ainslee, Rachel and Maria take a moment before the Ohioans Against Extremism holiday party to reflect on what happened in Ohio politics during the last two months of 2024, and offer a sampling of what’s to come for OAE in 2025. They discuss why Ohioans need to stay in the game despite temptations to throw in the towel. Oh, and why you should give us money!Recorded: Thursday, December 19, 5pmHosts: Maria Bruno, Rachel Coyle, Ainslee Johnson-BrownCheck out Ohioans Against Extremism’s Lame Duck Tracker: LameDuck.wtfRead more about HB 8, a terrible bill that passed (literally after midnight!) during the last session of the year.Your contributions keep us afloat. We don’t have any billionaire friends :( and are able to do this work thanks to generous community supporters like you. If you enjoyed listening, please consider making a donation to support our work. You can even get merch! Donate in honor of your most extreme relative… they’ll really hate it. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Demystifying our Government: The Statehouse and Election AdministrationFeaturing DJ Byrnes (aka The Rooster) and Kayla Griffin, State Director of All Voting is LocalIn the fourth episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Ainslee and Maria are first joined by Dj Byrnes, Creator of the infamous (mostly) statehouse blog, The Rooster, to discuss his... creative strategies for holding lawmakers accountable; and then by Kayla Griffin, Ohio State Director of All Voting is Local, to discuss the security of Ohio’s election administration and what voters should expect to know – or not know – on Election night. DJ and Kayla also share their own stories of going from concerned citizen to influential advocate. Recorded: Sunday, October 27, 11amHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownGuests: DJ Byrnes (he/him), creator of The Rooster; Kayla Griffin (she/her), Ohio State Director for All Voting is LocalFind our guests online: The Roosterhttps://x.com/rooster_ohiohttps://www.rooster.info/All Voting Is Localhttps://allvotingislocal.org/https://allvotingislocal.org/ohio/https://x.com/VotingIsLocal Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

In the third episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Ainslee and Maria are joined by Eileen Galvin with the Columbus College of Art & Design and Anne Anderson with Trans Allies of Ohio to discuss how extremist campaign rhetoric and legislation can put everyday Ohioans – our neighbors – in danger. Maria and Ainslee also provide some essential election reminders, including going through some of the most competitive races in the Ohio legislature this year.Recorded: Sunday, October 13, 10amHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownGuests: Eileen Galvin (she/her) Senior Director of Information Technology at the Columbus College of Art & Design; Anne Anderson (she/her) member of Trans Allies of OhioProduced, Edited, and Recorded by Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya Palmer Related Resources:Red Wine & Blue’s Anti-Extremism Voter GuideHonesty for Ohio Education’s Overview of SB 83 & SB 117Trans Allies of Ohio’s Anti-Trans Bill TrackerEquality Ohio’s Candidate ScorecardOhioans Against Extremism also just launched our new Election 2024 Research Cheat Sheet for Ohio Voters that consolidates a variety of voting resources and perspectives from trusted organizations. Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Episode 2: In the second episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Ainslee and Maria are joined by Jordyn Close, Deputy Director of the Ohio Women’s Alliance. Ainslee, Maria, and Jordyn break down what’s at stake in Ohio in the 2024 election, and offer some realism about why voting matters, even when it feels like all the options suck. They discuss why the fight for abortion access in Ohio is far from over, and why paying attention to races up and down the ballot – especially judges! – is so important to our day-to-day lives. And they’re not all holier-than-thou about it, we promise.Ohioans Against Extremism is a 501(c)4 nonprofit launched in August 2024, dedicated to confronting extremism in Ohio’s state and local politics and government. Each episode, the hosts discuss current events and hot legislative topics within the context of Ohio’s political and legal landscape. As native Ohioans and experienced policy wonks, the hosts share their first-hand knowledge and experience to give listeners an intimate look behind the curtain of the extremist playbook.Recorded: Sunday, September 29, 11amHosts: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownWith guest Jordyn Close Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks for reading /listening to Ohioans Against Extremism! This post is public so feel free to share it.In the premiere episode of the Ohioans Against Extremism Podcast, Ainslee, Maria, and Rachel introduce themselves and their new organization. They discuss why they launched this new venture, how it’s different from what’s already out there, and ways to support their work. This week’s discussion focuses on recent events in Springfield, Ohio, and the connection between those events and a larger extremist playbook. Recorded: Sunday, September 15th at 11am ETHosts: Maria Bruno, Rachel Coyle, Ainslee Johnson-Brown Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe