By: Loren Anthes, Chair of Health Planning Tara Britton, Director of Public Policy Hope A. Lane, Public Policy Associate Ensure that safety-net services are as responsive as possible to the needs of Ohio families – something that is essential in the midst of the current public health and economic crises. This would include supporting policies...
March 8, 2021
Ohio should plan to delay redistricting process to ensure the best result: fair districts based on accurate data
It was recently announced that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is suing the U.S. Census Bureau over the delay in delivering 2020 Census data, which will be used in the state’s redistricting process. While frustration over the delays is understandable, the state should consider pursing other avenues to ensure the data used in redistricting is...
March 8, 2021
The COVID recession: A tale of two recoveries
What do the letters W, U, V, Z and L have in common? They are all ways to describe the shape of an economic recovery based on trends of the gross domestic product (GDP). A recession is usually defined by two quarters in a row of negative GDP growth. A new letter has been introduced...
March 4, 2021
Webinar: SNAP College Student Eligibility
On Thursday, March 4 Community Solutions hosted a webinar about college students accessing food assistance benefits. Up until now, many college students have been barred from accessing SNAP (food assistance) benefits. However, due to the pandemic, the USDA is allowing new flexibilities so low-income “traditional” students can temporarily qualify for benefits. Check out the recording...
March 1, 2021
Webinar: Health and Human Services 101
March 1, 2021
Engaging in the state budget process in a virtual world
This last year is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. We have adapted our activities in so many ways, and how we now engage in legislative advocacy is no different. Thankfully, there are virtual tools and electronic communication that make this a smoother process. These are a few tips we’ve picked up along...
March 1, 2021
State budget committee process
There is often fanfare when the governor introduces the executive budget, but it is the legislative body that ultimately determines what policy becomes law. And while we’ve written about how Ohio’s biennial budget process works, a deeper dive into committees’ role may help advocates and analysts understand how that policy is deliberated and formed. By...
March 1, 2021
Effective and efficient testimony 101
Whether the biennial state budget is being heard in a finance committee or legislators are debating what Ohio’s state cookie should be, speaking at (or testifying) a public hearing is one of the most effective ways to engage with lawmakers who depend on constituent and advocate input for policy decision making. While the COVID-19 pandemic...
February 25, 2021
Federally Qualified Health Centers key to racial equity in COVID-19 vaccine access
By: Kate Warren, Loren Anthes More than 1.4 million Ohioans have now received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine distribution was sure to be challenging from the very beginning, with demand far exceeding supply, a history of underfunding in Ohio’s public health system and states being able to decide where and...
February 22, 2021
The devaluation of oneself: dealing with imposter syndrome in the Black community
During graduate school, I spent much of my time studying and working both on and off campus. I also participated in meetings hosted by student organizations as I studied public health. One of the meetings that struck me the most was about “imposter syndrome,” which was introduced by a Black-led student organization. That was the...