By a single vote, the Republicans in the Ohio Senate approved a bill that will weaken the middle class, kill jobs and destroy communities.

Yesterday was a sad day for Ohio, but today the fight must continue.

In the past three weeks, thousands upon thousands of Ohio Citizens rallied at the Statehouse, wrote letters to the editor and made phone calls.

These efforts have been nothing short of remarkable, and we can’t let up.

Because of our Ohio Citizens hard work, six Republicans broke ranks and sided with all ten Democrats in voting against the bill. We came closer to defeating this bill than any of the pundits thought possible. And we sent a loud and clear message to the Republicans that the people of Ohio do not support their reckless agenda. While we fell one vote short of killing Senate Bill 5, the battle is far from over.

Should John Kasich sign this awful legislation it into law, the Ohio Democratic Party will work with our friends in labor to wage a referendum campaign. That effort will require the collection of more than 230,000 signatures and a major statewide campaign in which millions of dollars will be spent. And we will work to defeat all Republicans who turned their backs on Ohio’s police, firefighters, teachers and other public servants.

Stay tuned for more information as this saga continues to unfold.

Mike Gruhin

© 2011, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.

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