Ohio House to go digital with legislative documents, broadcast budget hearings

Congrats to the Ohio House of Representatives for their plan to increase transparency and allow greater public access to drafts of bills and other legislative documents. They also plan to broadcast budget hearings, both online and on television.

This will make it easier for citizens and watchdogs to know what is going on in Columbus - and respond accordingly before votes are cast.

Gongwer Ohio reports:

House Speaker Bill Batchelder on Monday said the House plans to broadcast online and on television hearings on the budget bill and make more legislative documents available on the Internet.

The move towards increased transparency was announced in the leader's speech during opening day ceremonies in the House. The chamber also elected its majority and minority leaders.

The speaker said the ability to make legislative information and hearings more accessible comes through rules approved by the chamber about eight years ago.

"We will be unveiling a system that will make legislative information significantly more accessible to our public and to our constituency," he told the chamber. "This new platform will revolutionize the legislative drafting process and will make documents like bill drafts and other legislative materials easily available to the public online."

The speaker said this should improve on the past process of laying out amendments on a table in his office - a process that drew little interest.

The House will also broadcast the hearings of the House Finance & Appropriations Committee over the Internet and on television throughout the budget process, "allowing people to delve into the budget process from their own homes or from their mobile device. This alone is an unprecedented step forward in terms of legislative transparency."

Some of the Finance subcommittees would likely also be broadcast during the budget cycle, he said. Other committee hearings could be broadcast depending on what legislation is being heard. He referenced the House Agriculture Committee's hearings on exotic animals last session that drew expansive public interest.

He said he plans to work with members of the Statehouse press corps to determine what its needs are.

"These initiatives are being implemented to collaborate with our partners in the Senate, in order to accomplish saving taxpayers significant amounts of money; we also, I think, will find that there are a great number of people who will be able to benefit from access to these processes of electronics," he said.

Election coverage and NO on all levies

I'll be participating in some upcoming election coverage and wanted to let you know, so you can - hopefully - tune in and join us.

First, today at 4 p.m. Eastern I'll join my friend and fellow blogger, Duane Lester (All American Blogger) for a discussion on Ohio on Liberty News Live.

Tomorrow, I'll be joining my friend and radio host Tony Katz for Citizen Watchdog live coverage of election day activities across the nation. But it isn't just a bunch of people talking at you:

Instead of being talked at, we invite you to join the conversation, along with thousands of citizens just like you. Your participation, tips, and insights will help with the analysis. You can tweet at us at @WatchdogWire, use the hash tag #ElectionWatch, send us an e-mail at CitizenWatchdog@franklincenterhq.org or participate in our live-chat function.

Our host, Tony Katz, will interview the following experts live:

• Michelle Malkin, Political commentator and author
• Dana Loesch, Talk radio host
• Jason Stverak, Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
• Dean Clancy, FreedomWorks
• Jennifer Stefano, AFP State Director and FOX News Commentator

So don’t feel stuck with MSM election coverage. Watch with your fellow citizens starting at 6 pm ET and get the latest breaking news from around the country in real time -- no delays, no filters!

Register here to participate: http://webinars.watchdogwire.com/

Lastly, in case you've not yet decided how you will vote on any of the levy issues, please read this and remember your friends and neighbors who are out of work, on food stamps, having trouble paying their mortgages or, heaven forbid, already in foreclosure.

The five county-wide and two City of Toledo levies will suck $54.6 million out of the wallets of residents - $45.3 million of it NEW taxation.

Will your parents or grandparents who are retired and on fixed incomes end up having to choose between paying these additional taxes or paying for their medicines? A $300 a year increase in taxation (for a $100,000 home) has to be taken from somewhere - what will they choose to give up so they don't lose their home?

Because these are property taxes, the inability to pay these new taxes will result in the loss of a home. Are any of these 'quality of life' levies really worth a family losing their home over?

And do any of them really deserve a 45%, 67% or even an 85% increase? Did YOU get that kind of increase this year?

Just say NO.

Citizen Watchdog Training - Cincinnati

I'm in Cincinnati today to participate in a Citizen Watchdog Training session. As of today, the Franklin Center has trained over 2,000 citizens across the country to help them hold their elected officials accountable.

We had great groups in Toledo and Cleveland for a mini-training session and it is so encouraging to see how enthusiastic people are for being more involved and making sure that elected officials are handling their duties, responsibilities and our tax dollars properly.

Citizen Watchdog - Ohio Training Tour

Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity offers a terrific Citizen Watchdog Training Program and they're again bringing it to Ohio with a Citizen Watchdog Training Tour!

It will be mini-trainings in the evenings in Toledo and Cleveland and a full day in Cincinnati. Here are the dates and links to register:

Wednesday, August 15- Toledo: http://citizenwatchdogtoledo.eventbrite.com/
Thursday, August 15- Cleveland: http://citizenwatchdogcleveland.eventbrite.com/
Saturday, August 18: Cincinnati: http://citizenwatchdogoh.eventbrite.com/

There has been some discussion about a session for Dayton, but that's not yet finalized.

The purpose of the training sessions is to give you the tools you need to hold your elected officials accountable. Topics will include Ohio Public Records Law (which I'll be doing), social media, investigative reporting and impacting governmental budget processes.

As Franklin Center explains:

An engaged, citizen-driven media was one of the driving forces behind the birth of American democracy. The preservation of our republic is incumbent upon the continued participation of our public in observing, reporting, and holding our government accountable at all levels.Today, we face an abundance of challenges and opportunities. Challenges because the decline of the establishment media has been occurring at an alarming rate, with tens of thousands of journalists losing their jobs over the last few years. Opportunities because the public now has access to more tools that allow them to actively participate in government, and to make their voice heard to the public at large, than at any time before in our history.

The greatest threats to our freedom and prosperity occur when citizens lack information and government officials escape without accountability. It’s at the school board and city council meetings where no reporters are present to cover their activities, and no members of the public present to observe their conduct.

Franklin Center is dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy through promoting citizen journalism and engaging the stakeholders of America’s future to serve as watchdogs at the local, state, and federal level.

There is a minimal $10 fee to cover the cost of the meeting room and the meal that is provided.

I hope you'll join us, not only for the training but also in the growing effort to be active watchdogs of our government!

Sure - go ahead and make my allergies a crime

My latest post on government regulation of my nose, allergies and treatments is up at Watchdog.org.

Government wants in my nose

Hope you'll read it - and all the other great Watchdog stories from around the nation.

And if you're interested in being a watchdog yourself, check this out.

Update on Citizen Watchdog Training this weekend

You don't want to miss the Citizen Watchdog training this weekend in Westerville, Ohio, and there's still time to register.

If you use the code TOPACTIVIST, they'll waive the $10 fee. You can register here. This is the updated agenda:

9:00 – 9:30am – Welcome and Introduction To Citizen Watchdog Program
Mary Ellen Beatty, Franklin Center
Katie Eagan, Americans for Prosperity-Ohio

9:30am – 10:45am – Investigative Reporting: Breaking Stories That Force Change
Todd Shepherd, Independence Institute

Learn to think like an investigative reporter, identify potential leads and expose backdoor deals at the municipal and state levels. In his six year reporting career between Oklahoma City and Denver, Todd has broken numerous stories, and is the winner of three regional Edward R. Murrow awards, one of those for investigative reporting.

10:45-11:15am – Follow Your Money: Local Government Spending in Ohio
Greg Lawson, Buckeye Institute

11:15-11:45am – An Overview of Ohio Public Records Law
Maggie Thurber, Former Lucas County Commissioner

11:45am – 1:00pm – James O’Keefe – Exposing the Establishment Media: Telling the Real Story
Lunch and Keynote Speaker

1:00pm-1:15pm – Break

1:15-1:45pm – How To Be a Video Activist
Jason Hart, MediaTrackers.org

1:45-2:45pm – Legal Tools to Protect Your Liberties and Empower Citizens
Chris Finney, Citizens Against Spending and Taxation (COAST)
Maurice Thompson- 1851 Center for Constitutional Law

2:45-3:00pm - Break

3:00-4:00 - Social Media 101: Using New Media to Create Public Pressure
Tabitha Hale, Franklin Center

4:00-5:00pm- PANEL: Holding Your School Districts Accountable: Exposing Waste and Abuse in Ohio Public Education
Moderator: Katie Eagan, Americans for Prosperity- Ohio
Matt Mayer, Provisum Strategies LLC
Marc Schare, Worthington School Board Member
Jason Warner, School Choice Ohio
Seth Morgan, AFP-OH Policy Director

Hope to see you there!

New website - Statehouse News Online

I wanted to let you know that Tom Blumer, BizzyBlog, and I have recently begun writing for Statehouse News Online. We'll both be doing regular posts, sharing information and perspective on items of interest within the state of Ohio.

Statehouse News is the brainchild of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, "a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting new media journalism." They are the sponsor of the Citizen Watchdog training I've been talking and writing about (here and here), though they are not responsible for anything that appears on the Statehouse News site.

StateHouseNewsOnline.com is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity. StatehouseNewsOnline.com is the national leading news website dedicated to providing news from the nation’s state capitols. The news website networks with dozens of state-based news organizations to provide in depth coverage of state legislation, government & special interests, state budgets and political/campaign news.

The site contains both straight news reporting and commentary, often covering stories traditional media miss - or don't have the time to fully investigate.

My first post, "Ohio: Good marks in economic ranking, but still room for improvement," takes at look at how Ohio ranked in the recent Rich States, Poor States annual report.

Tom's most recent "Ohio employment: A tale of three cities," analyzes President Barack Obama's claim that bailing out the auto industry is the reason for the decreased unemployment in the state.

Yesterday, I took a look at the questions that should have been asked at an anti-gun press conference where Columbus Democrats called on a Republican to cancel her 'Shoot for Liberty' fundraiser at a gun club.

I hope you'll make Statehouse News a regular stop - and if you have a news tips or story that isn't getting the attention it deserves, let me know!

Holding state and local governments accountable

Learn to expose waste, fraud, and abuse in Ohio state and local government.

Become a Citizen Watchdog.

The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity and the Ohio Chapter of Americans for Prosperity are presenting a day-long training session on Saturday, May 12th, to teach you the tools and skills you need to be a Citizen Watchdog and help hold your local and state government accountable to the people.

The session runs from 9 - 5 at the Westerville Conference Center just north of Columbus. Here is the draft agenda:

9:00 – 9:30am – Welcome and Introduction To Citizen Watchdog Program
Mary Ellen Beatty, Franklin Center
Katie Eagan, Americans for Prosperity

9:30am – 10:45am – Investigative Reporting: Breaking Stories That Force Change
Todd Shepherd, Independence Institute
Learn to think like an investigative reporter, identify potential leads and expose backdoor deals at the municipal and state levels. In his six year reporting career between Oklahoma City and Denver, Todd has broken numerous stories, and is the winner of three regional Edward R. Murrow awards, one of those for investigative reporting.

10:45-11:15am – Follow Your Money: Local Government Spending in Ohio
Greg Lawson, Buckeye Institute

11:15-11:45am – An Overview of Ohio Public Records Law
Maggie Thurber, Former Lucas County Commissioner

11:45am – 1:00pm – James O’Keefe – Exposing the Establishment Media: Telling the Real Story
Lunch and Keynote Speaker

1:00pm-1:15pm – Break

1:15-1:45pm – How To Be a Video Activist
Jason Hart, MediaTrackers.org

1:45-2:30pm – Social Media 101: Using New Media to Create Public Pressure
Tabitha Hale, Franklin Center

2:30-2:45pm - Break

2:45- 4:00pm PANEL: Holding Your School Districts Accountable: Exposing Waste and Abuse in Ohio Public Education
Moderator: Katie Eagan, State Director of Americans for Prosperity- Ohio
Matt Mayer, Provisum Strategies LLC
Seth Morgan, AFP-OH Policy Director
TBD

4:00- 5:00pm – Legal Tools to Protect Your Liberties
Chris Finney, Citizens Against Spending and Taxation (COAST)
Maurice Thompson- 1851 Center for Constitutional Law

The need for citizens to be involved is essential, as the Franklin Center web site explains:

An engaged, citizen-driven media was one of the driving forces behind the birth of American democracy. The preservation of our republic is incumbent upon the continued participation of our public in observing, reporting, and holding our government accountable at all levels.Today, we face an abundance of challenges and opportunities. Challenges because the decline of the establishment media has been occurring at an alarming rate, with tens of thousands of journalists losing their jobs over the last few years. Opportunities because the public now has access to more tools that allow them to actively participate in government, and to make their voice heard to the public at large, than at any time before in our history.

The greatest threats to our freedom and prosperity occur when citizens lack information and government officials escape without accountability. It’s at the school board and city council meetings where no reporters are present to cover their activities, and no members of the public present to observe their conduct.

Franklin Center is dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy through promoting citizen journalism and engaging the stakeholders of America’s future to serve as watchdogs at the local, state, and federal level.

There is a nominal $10 fee which covers the cost of lunch and materials. You can go to www.CitizenWatchdogWesterville.eventbrite.com to RSVP.

Hope to see you there!

BlogCon - Charlotte - 2012

I'm at BlogConCLT in Charlotte, NC, today for training and networking.  This is a great conference with something for everyone, no matter how long they've been blogging.

One of the things that surprised me today is the number of bloggers who have not been to a BlogCon before.  Last year in Denver was my first time and I learned a lot about being a better blogger.  I know this will be very worthwhile with new friends and new contacts, along with a host of new blogs to read as we endeavor to provide an alternative to the MSM.

I won't be blogging all the topics like I've done with other conferences, but will definitely cover Katie Pavlich, author of Fast and Furious: Barack Obama's Bloodiest Scandal and the Shameless Cover-Up, who is our lunch speaker today.  There will be a memorial to Andrew Breitbart this afternoon and then a FreedomWorks candidate reception this evening.  Josh Mandel, running for Senate here in Ohio, is one of their endorsed candidates, though I do not know if he is able to attend tonight's reception.

Tomorrow's agenda includes an update on health care, Deneer Borelli, Stephen Moore, and a session on the Constitution and today's issues.

BlogCon is presented by the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity. 

Benjamin Franklin, a printer by trade and publisher of one the United States’ most prominent early newspapers, once said, “a newspaper in every house… [is] the principal support of virtue, morality, and civil liberty.” Today, Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity carries on that legacy, animated by the belief that voters need real information to make informed decisions about their government – and that the American public simply does not have enough.

Franklin Center was established in 2009 to answer this need – and already provides 10 percent of all daily reporting from state capitals nationwide. We support an in-house team of state-based reporters and act as a capacity-building service provider for organizations that sponsor investigative journalism.

With transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility as our watchwords, Franklin Center identifies, trains, and supports journalists working to detect and expose corruption and incompetence in government at the state and local levels. Our competitive advantage lies in our ability to train reporters, to produce investigative news content, and to hold government officials accountable.

They will be offering a Citizen Watchdog Training in Westerville, OH, on May 12th. 

In 2012, we launched our information activist training program, Citizen Watchdog. Recognizing that many of the greatest threats to our freedom and prosperity occur at the local level, where there are often no reporters or citizen observers to hold elected officials accountable, we will raise an army of citizen journalists, trained and equipped to serve as watchdogs in their local communities.

I will be one of the speakers at this training and will be covering Ohio Public Records Law.  I hope you'll join us!

Citizen Watchdogs - coming soon to a town near you

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

This quote from Edmund Burke has always been one of my favorites because it clearly explains that it is the responsibility of each of us to do what we can to stop bad things from happening.  Whether it's being involved in a Block Watch program, helping to mentor youth or speaking out when something wrong is occurring, it is our actions and our willingness to do 'something' that will make a difference.

In today's world, that concept is even more important as one of the most critical aspects of our government check-and-balance system has abdicated its responsibility to watch our government officials.

For the most part, the main street media (often referred to as lame street media) no longer serves as the watchdog reporting objectively on the actions, decisions and spending of our various levels of government.  Too often, reporters and editors are promoting the agenda of a political party or political philosophy while claiming to be presenting only the facts.

There is certainly a place for opinions from our media, but only if they are properly identified as such.  Sadly, our own local paper has so many instances of bias that I resorted to just numbering my posts about it.  Whether it's in the adjectives they choose to identify groups and individuals, the way they cover a mayoral race, or the way they attempt to justify their blatant bias, the result is that they are no longer just reporting the news and both sides of the story.  They are actually pushing an agenda and manipulating public opinion.

I believe this is the reason newspaper subscriptions and readership around the nation are in decline and why network news channels don't have the ratings they desire.

But what is a person to do?  It's not like the average citizen can start up a newspaper and compete with someone who is already buying ink by the barrel.  The costs for air broadcast are prohibitive as well.  And even if you had the funds for something small, how would you go about it?

Fortunately, there's now a solution.

The Internet has opened a new world to people hungry for facts as well as alternative opinions to what seems to be a liberal echo chamber.  This blog is an example, but I'm just one person and I certainly cannot cover all the things going on in Toledo government, much less in the county and state.

Thankfully, the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity has recognized this need and is providing training and tools to create Citizen Watchdogs.  They are conducting day-long educational sessions across the country and they'd like you to join them Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Westerville Conference Center in Columbus to learn how you can get involved and hold our elected officials accountable.

As their Citizen Watchdog web page explains:

An engaged, citizen-driven media was one of the driving forces behind the birth of American democracy. The preservation of our republic is incumbent upon the continued participation of our public in observing, reporting, and holding our government accountable at all levels.Today, we face an abundance of challenges and opportunities. Challenges because the decline of the establishment media has been occurring at an alarming rate, with tens of thousands of journalists losing their jobs over the last few years. Opportunities because the public now has access to more tools that allow them to actively participate in government, and to make their voice heard to the public at large, than at any time before in our history.

The greatest threats to our freedom and prosperity occur when citizens lack information and government officials escape without accountability. It’s at the school board and city council meetings where no reporters are present to cover their activities, and no members of the public present to observe their conduct.

Franklin Center is dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy through promoting citizen journalism and engaging the stakeholders of America’s future to serve as watchdogs at the local, state, and federal level.

There is a $10 fee for the training session, but the information you'll receive is priceless - especially in terms of keeping our elected officials accountable to 'we the people.'

You can register here - and I hope to see you there.  Let's not sit idly by and 'do nothing.'

New resources in the defense of liberty

There are a lot of new initiatives being introduced, so I thought a post to tell you about them was in order.

Let's start with the Franklin Center's new Citizen Watchdog program to engage every day citizens in monitoring and reporting on their local governments. From their website:

An engaged, citizen-driven media was one of the driving forces behind the birth of American democracy. The preservation of our republic is incumbent upon the continued participation of our public in observing, reporting, and holding our government accountable at all levels.

Today, we face an abundance of challenges and opportunities. Challenges because the decline of the establishment media has been occurring at an alarming rate, with tens of thousands of journalists losing their jobs over the last few years. Opportunities because the public now has access to more tools that allow them to actively participate in government, and to make their voice heard to the public at large, than at any time before in our history.

The greatest threats to our freedom and prosperity occur when citizens lack information and government officials escape without accountability. It’s at the school board and city council meetings where no reporters are present to cover their activities, and no members of the public present to observe their conduct.

The Franklin Center is dedicated to preserving and strengthening democracy through promoting citizen journalism and engaging the stakeholders of America’s future to serve as watchdogs at the local, state, and federal level.

Our aim is to equip as many citizens as possible with the tools and skills to shine a light on government and ensure that the public is well informed about the decisions being made each day that directly impact their lives.

We have several local examples of people doing their part, including Sherry who attends Toledo City Council Meetings, takes notes and then shares them with us here on this blog.

It doesn't take much, since many are already attending meetings across the county - and anyone who share their meeting notes here is welcome to do so.

Protect Your Voice, also from the Franklin Center, is the second item, intended to help bloggers and citizen activists who report on government actions and officials.

As Franklin Center explains:

Cuts are happening in newsrooms across the country. According to the American Journalism Review’s 2009 analysis of statehouse reporters, there were 30 percent less reporters covering government than when last compared to 2003. While there hasn’t been a comparable report since to prove the continuing trend, any seasoned reporter can attest to the continued cuts by walking in a news room or a press conference.

This is a threat to democracy.

Fortunately, a new wave of energized reporters has been filling those vacancies out of passion- many unpaid. These bloggers are dedicated to informing their citizenry of its elected officials’ actions.

Because of this, we believe they deserve the same protections as reporters in the court room.

We’re not referring to careless, reckless bloggers writing about anything their heart desires. We aim to protect the bloggers that are reporting on acts of government as meticulously and honestly as the journalist sitting next to him or her at the press conference.

Times have changed and it’s time for the law to adjust. Sign the
petition now to show your support for Bloggers and Citizen Journalists who are looking out for your best interest.

For more on this, check out Franklin Center President Jason Stverak's latest column.

These two efforts are key in defending our freedom and our responsibility to ensure government works in a limited way on our behalf. But in order to defend freedom, you must understand freedom. We The People HQ will help you do just that.

"We the People is the citizen’s guide to understanding freedom. It is a project of the State Policy Network that aims to arm citizens with a deeper understanding of the roots of their liberty. We the People is series of educational stories about American founding principles, the Constitution, and economic freedom in the form of curriculum, videos, podcasts, and blog posts."

The Buckeye Institute and the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, two organizations frequently mentioned here, are Ohio members of SPN.

From We The People:

We stand at the beginning of a great awakening. More and more Americans are discovering what they don’t know about their own history and their nation’s founding principles. And they want to learn. We the People is a three-volume, twelve-part program that will provide what these citizens need: a framework for understanding where we came from and where we need to go. The objective is not simply reverence of America’s founding principles, but to bring those living principles to the center of American politics today.

Our first course, "Founding Principles of Freedom," begins by looking through the lens of the early patriots of Lexington and understanding why they fought. The articles delve into our founding documents and unwrap the essential components of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. However, there is more to the story. Episode 3 uncovers the attack on these principles for more than one hundred years.

There is a fourth episode, “To Conserve Liberty: The Movement to Restore American Principles."

I hope you'll check out these great new resources and join the effort to share information and educate your friends and neighbors on the critical issues of the day. Remember what Benjamin Franklin said - our Founders gave us a Republic and it's up to us to keep it.