The Columbus Metropolitan Club hosted a forum on April 22 featuring Dr. Mysheika Roberts, Health Commissioner for Columbus Public Health and Stephanie Hightower, President & CEO of the Columbus Urban League, to discuss how the Coronavirus pandemic has not only exposed but exacerbated decades-old racial inequities and disparities in our communities. After a friendly reminder...
Author: Hope Lane-Gavin (Hope Lane-Gavin)
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Coronavirus and child welfare
In a previous piece, I highlighted the challenges of preparing for parenthood under the extenuating circumstances a pandemic provides, however, many alternative challenges endure for existing families who may be struggling to reunite or stay together. In light of the opioid use epidemic, every stage of the child welfare system in nearly every state has...
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How a pandemic affects vulnerable populations
Amid an outbreak of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), many communities around the world are taking measures to prevent further spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 by closing universities, canceling events and requiring extended quarantine of anyone who may have come in contact with someone with the disease. While these precautions aim to contain...
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How the criminalization of mental illness and substance use disorders impacts African-Americans in Ohio
It is well established that minorities, especially African-Americans, are overrepresented in the nation’s criminal justice system, and have been since the prison population began to skyrocket four decades ago, and Ohio’s penal system looks no different. Black people in Ohio are nearly three times more likely to be in jail compared to the state’s general...
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Ohio latest state to tackle economics of menstruation
In a previous piece, I briefly described how the passage of House Bill 19, which exempts all feminine hygiene products from sales and use taxes, would benefit both Ohio women who are incarcerated and local governments by allowing county sheriffs to purchase feminine hygiene products tax free. Feminine hygiene products are essential to the health...
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Ohio jails struggle with continuous, dependable feminine hygiene care
During my time in the Ohio Legislature, Representative Brigid Kelly and I worked tirelessly to make feminine hygiene products more accessible to women and girls in our state. This included reintroducing a bill to exempt the products from the state sales tax. For us, this was a part of a much larger effort to assure...
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How proposed USDA rule could affect SNAP eligibility in Ohio
In a move that will result in fewer Americans qualifying for benefits, on Tuesday the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, proposed new rules for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which would eliminate eligibility for households with savings and other assets. Currently, The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 allows for states to use “categorical...
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State budget adds Adult Protective Services increase
Given Ohio’s rapidly aging population and Governor Mike DeWine’s commitment to health and human services, The Center for Community Solutions is pleased by the General Assembly’s choice to increase the adult protective services (APS) line-item. The Center for Community Solutions is pleased by the General Assembly’s choice to increase the adult protective services line-item. The...