Archived Meeting Minutes
Special guests Kathleen Clyde and Collin Marozzi, experts on Ohio's redistricting process, joined for this meeting to update the Club about where the process is between the maps for the Ohio General Assembly and the US Congress. Kathleen Clyde is Chair of the Ohio Citizens Redistricting Commission, former Ohio State Representative, Portage County Commissioner, and Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State. Collin Marozzi is a Policy Strategist and redistricting & voting rights expert from the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.
11 total candidates for Lakewood Council at-Large, Lakewood Municipal Court Judge, and Lakewood Board of Education gave opening statements and were asked a series of questions about their questionnaires. The club's voting members voted (60% threshold required) to endorse Sarah Kepple for Council at-Large, Tess Neff for Municipal Court Judge, and Nora Katzenberger and Betsy Shaughnessy for Board of Education.
Judge Sherrie Miday (Cuyahoga Common Pleas Court) and Judge Gayle Williams-Byers (South Euclid Municipal Court) presented innovations in the judiciary that they have made at their respective courtrooms. Miday updated the Club about her High-Risk Domestic Violence court docket for offenders most at-risk of murdering their intimate partners and Williams-Byers informed us about her implementation of the only night court in a Cuyahoga County municipal court as well as her specialized mental health docket and livestreaming court proceedings.
Ellie Turan, Development Director and Trans Wellness Coordinator at the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland spoke about anti-transgender legislation and developments in the Ohio Statehouse. Pam Mascio, voting rights activist with the group Fair Districts, gave an update on the 2021 Ohio redistricting process.
Liz Walters, the new Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, visited the Lakewood Democrats and answered questions about how the Party can win back the state, redistricting, messaging, diversity, and more.
Cuyahoga County Director of Sustainability Mike Foley, County Councilperson Sunny Simon, Port of Cleveland Board Member Chris Ronayne, and Executive Director of Citizens Utility Board of Ohio/Councilperson at-Large Tom Bullock presented about climate change and sustainability, the county plastic bag ban, the Ice Breaker Wind Project on Lake Erie, and consumer clean energy choice in honor of Earth Day.
State Representative Monique Smith & Local Activists Susan Shaw, Misty Elek discussed their November win & how Democrats can continue to win in Ohio.
State Representatives Phil Robinson & Stephanie Howse discussed their experiences as black state legislators.
U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur shared her experience in the January insurrection, Dr. Pauline Terebuh from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health discussed the county's vaccine distribution plan, the new Lakewood Democratic Club Executive Board was inducted by State Senator Nickie J. Antonio.
Lakewood Democratic Club President Erik Meinhardt reported on Ohio's election results.
Ohio Supreme Court candidates Jennifer Brunner & John P. O'Donnell shared their campaign platform, Biden Campaign Ohio Senior Advisor Kathleen Clyde discussed Biden's plan to promote women's rights, Historian Mary Osburn offered a brief history of the women's suffrage movement.
Reggie Greer, the National LGBTQ+ Vote Director for the Biden Campaign, and Rick Neal, Ohio Deputy Coalitions Director for the Biden Campaign, discussed what Biden will do for the LGBTQ+ community.
August 27, 2020
State Representative Juanita Brent discussed her proposed amendment to HB665 which would have prohibited the sale of confederate memorabilia at county fairs. Lakewood resident Devon White shared his experience organizing the June 13 Black Lives Matter Unity rally at Lakewood Park. Councilperson Sarah Kepple promoted the work the City of Lakewood is doing to be more equitable and inclusive.
Political Activism Committee Chair Jay Ketchaver encouraged Lakewood Dems to get involved in "The Big Send," Vote Forward's effort to mail10 million letters to Democrat-leaning inconsistent voters. Environmental activists David Beach and Glenn Campbell discussed the Green New Deal proposal and the path to enactment.
Lakewood Dems President Erik Meinhardt recapped the Ohio Primary results. Senator Nickie Antonio, State Rep. Mike Skindell, Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Collaboration Michelle Pomerantz, County Councilman Dale Miller, Lakewood City Councilpersons John Litten and Dan O'Malley, and Lakewood Mayor Meghan George each gave an update on local government.
Local representatives from each presidential campaign spoke on behalf of their respective candidates. School Board members Betsy Shaughnessy, Ed Favre and Emma Petrie-Barcelona encouraged Lakewood Dems to support Issue 28. Local candidates/candidates' representatives were given the opportunity to speak. DNC member Lana Moresky gave an update on the Equal Rights Amendment. Elizabeth Warren won the Club's presidential straw poll.
Local candidates/candidates' representatives were given opportunity to speak. Sarah Kepple, Chair of Northeast Ohio Grassroots Coalition, and Jay Ketchaver, organizer for Indivisible CLE, gave a presentation on 2020 goals and pushed members to get involved in Take Action Tuesdays, deep canvassing with Mobilize the Vote.