On Good Trouble Lives On Day, the Amos Project honored the legacy of John Lewis and everyone who has risked comfort for the sake of justice. Good trouble is what built the Civil Rights Movement, and it’s what wins voting rights, desegregates schools, and brings healthcare to our communities. On July 17, I joined organizations at the Montgomery County Courthouse to recommit to that legacy. Together, we took part in a nationwide day of action calling on Ohio to protect Medicaid, not gut it. The recently signed Big Brutal Bill slashes Medicaid and imposes cruel work requirements that will strip healthcare from thousands of Ohioans, especially those facing addiction, unstable housing, or inconsistent work. Denying healthcare is not moral. It doesn’t reflect the leadership our communities deserve. Red tape, paperwork, and extra hoops won’t help anyone heal. They keep people sick, stuck, and shut out, especially those with substance use disorders, who are already more likely to fall through the cracks. Getting into good trouble means standing up for life, for love, and for every neighbor who deserves to live with dignity and respect. We won’t stop until justice does.
- Michelle Hunter, Dayton
My fellow Ohioans, how many of us have seen mass shootings on TV? How many fear for our safety — at work, school, or home? Ohio needs common-sense gun laws, but HB 382, pushed by congressional Republicans, seeks to block our state from enforcing federal gun safety laws. Framed as a defense of the Second Amendment, this bill would increase gun violence and undermine the Constitution. HB 382 prohibits Ohio officers from enforcing federal laws that “infringe” on the right to bear arms. It defines “infringement” so broadly that it could include background checks, red flag laws, age limits, magazine restrictions, and even bans on dangerous weapons. It also requires Ohio courts to declare federal protections “invalid” despite the Supremacy Clause, which makes federal law binding over states. The bill also weakens Ohio’s laws by removing regulations on short-barreled rifles and silencers—items heavily regulated for public safety. After Missouri passed a similar law, gun deaths rose by nearly 28.7%. Similarly, states with loose carry laws have seen violent crime increase by 13–15%.The U.S. experiences around 600 mass shootings per year—far more than countries with stricter gun regulations, which contribute a fraction of the gun-related injuries and deaths. In comparison, despite representing only 36% of the combined population of 36 similar nations, the U.S. accounts for 76% of global gun-related incidents and 70% of fatal shootings. HB 382 isn’t about safety; it’s about chaos. Contact your representatives, and tell them to oppose this dangerous overreach.
- Alex Campbell, Kettering
I’m not a Cleveland Browns fan, and neither are most of my neighbors, but our state representative, Diane Mullins, decided we should give their billionaire owners $600 million of our unclaimed funds for their new stadium. Although Butler County’s median household income is just over $80,000, she also voted for a tax cut that mostly benefits those making more than $100,000, especially millionaires. She also chose to sign off on a budget that shortchanges the 1.6 million kids who attend Ohio public schools by $2.86 billion. Under the signed budget, 74% of Ohio’s school districts will receive less than what the Fair School Funding Plan says they need to meet the costs of an adequate education, including districts in Butler County. But that wasn’t enough. While voting to starve our schools of much-needed state funding, she voted for tricky new tax policies that undermine the will of the voters and handcuff school districts so they can’t fully plug the holes caused by the state. Governor DeWine vetoed these provisions because he understands that they especially harm small rural districts, like many in Butler County. But Speaker Huffman, who has been scheming to set public education up to fail since he came to power, called members back to overturn the vetoes. Representative Mullins stood with Speaker Huffman and his billionaire donors before. I want to know if Representative Mullins is going to stand up for our kids in public schools and not overturn the vetoes.
- Emily Greenberg, Oxford
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
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