On behalf of the Board of the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area,

Ohio public education is under threat. Public education is one of the hallmarks of democracy, and it ensures all citizens have the opportunity to learn and to build stable lives. Through many legislative maneuvers, our state legislators aim to move public education and our tax dollars into the hands of private and religious schools. This will especially affect children from hardworking rural communities and lower-income families. Here is a sampling of the legislative bills now being considered:

Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 12 strip the State Board of Education of its powers and transfer them to a new department controlled by the governor and the Senate.

Senate Bill 11 and House Bill 11 propose a universal voucher program that will take state funding from public schools and give the funding to non-chartered, non-public schools and home schools.  

House Bill 1 proposes a flat income tax and ends graduated taxes according to income and the rollback of local property taxes, making it more difficult for communities to fund public education, libraries, and local government.

The League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area, a nonpartisan organization that studies public issues, encourages you to contact your legislators and urge them to support public education and oppose these bills.