FreedomWorks and Ohio Activists Support Gov. Kasich and SB5

FreedomWorks joined over 40 Ohio activists at the statehouse in Columbus today for a press conference and rally in support of Ohio Governor John Kasich and SB 5, which restricts collective bargaining powers for state employees.

Representatives from 12 state-based groups from across Ohio came out for the event with many of their grassroots leaders speaking during the press conference including Dave Zupan, Jim Jones from Lorraine County Tea Party, Andrew Staroska from Miami County Liberty Group and Helen Heskett from Lancaster Tea Party.

For months, FreedomWorks has been engaged in a local grassroots campaign for SB 5, directing calls and sending letters to urge our target list of state Senators to support the measure. When the Ohio state Senate voted on March 1, one of our targets, Tim Schaffer, was the deciding YES necessary to pass the legislation by a razor-thin 17-16 vote margin. Now the bill moves to the state House of Representatives where FreedomWorks and local grassroots activists will continue petitioning members until this bill becomes law.

Governor Kasich tells state Reps. he is going to change Ohio and restore the entreprenurial climate to create jobs. He got a standing ovation from Republicans, while Democrats sat and booed.

“It’s going to go in the House; it’s going to pass there,” Gov. Kasich said of SB 5. After the press conference and rally, activists delivered over 1,000 letters of support from the citizens of Ohio to state Senators who supported SB 5 and met with their local state Representatives to urge their support for SB 5.

Gov. Kasich receives his award from FreedomWorks Campaigns staffer Amanda Shell

Gov. Kasich, the latest recipient of the FreedomWorks “Legislative Entrepreneur Award”, has been a vocal advocate for taxpayers as he works to rein in runaway spending and a bloated state budget. “We don’t have a choice but to lower our cost, become competitive,” said Gov. Kasich about the necessity of SB 5. “And be in a position where instead of people flying over Ohio, they stop and say, ‘I’d like to create a job there.'”