Reps. John White, R-Kettering, and Clayton Luckie, D-Dayton, led the cheers last week as Gov. Ted Strickland signed legislation they jointly sponsored that will allow faith-based and community groups to provide re-entry services for prisoners leaving custody of the Rehabilitation and Correction and Youth Services departments.

"Ohio has an opportunity to better serve former inmates and keep them from returning to prison, but we need the help of faith-based and community organizations," Luckie said in a press release.

"When someone has served their debt to society, it is in everyone's best interest to do everything possible to ensure their future success," White said in the release.

Sierra Club launches $1 million campaign

The Ohio Sierra Club last week helped launch the club's $1 million Power2Change campaign. The campaign is being conducted in Ohio and eight other states.

The Ohio campaign, backed by the Ohio AFL-CIO and other unions, plans a five-week grassroots effort to gather 5,000 signatures on petitions that will be turned in to candidates up and down the ballot urging them to build a clean energy economy, Teresa McHugh, Sierra Club regional representative, said at a Statehouse news conference.

"The choices we make in 2008 will define our future in terms of energy and the economy," said McHugh.

With gasoline and fuel oil prices soaring and global warming a continuing threat, energy has emerged as a key campaign issue, she said.

A campaign report highlights efforts to promote clean energy, including Ohio's Dovetail Solar and Wind Company, which has completed more than 110 solar power system installations in the state.

Other states involved are: Colorado; Minnesota; New Hampshire; Nevada; New Mexico; Oregon; Virginia and Wisconsin.

Four unions form political alliance

Four unions, touting a combined membership of more than 2 million, have formed a political, electoral and legislative alliance to help elect candidates and advocate on public policy issues.

The Communication Workers of America, the United Auto Workers, the United Steelworkers and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said in a press release last week that the alliance is pledged to "renew core American values: dignity, decency and fair treatment in the workplace."

Top priorities for the alliance include winning passage of the Employee Free Choice Act, which would help with union organizing efforts, and universal health care and protecting U.S. jobs by promoting fair trade.

The press release said that three of the unions — the CWA, UAW and USW — in 2005 spearheaded formation of Mobilization at Delphi to help defend the interest of Delphi workers "against corporate executives who were determined to use the bankruptcy process to enrich themselves at the expense of workers and communities."