Subject: [big campaign] OH: Lawmaker, Citizens File Suit to Avoid Statehouse Lock Out
From: Aniello Alioto <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2011 16:44:08 -0500
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

FYI

  <http://progressohio.pnstate.org/site/R?i=iABK94kjDH_GS9uTJam2Gg..>

*Press Release*

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FEBRUARY 25, 2011
Contact: Brian Rothenberg (614) 207-3237

*Lawmaker, Citizens File Suit to Avoid Statehouse Lock Out*

*Interested Parties Meeting with the Attorney General on Monday *

COLUMBUS – State Rep. Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo), two Ohio citizens who were
not let in to the Ohio Statehouse earlier this week, and Brian Rothenberg
from ProgressOhio announced today that they are filing a suit to avoid being
shut out of the statehouse in the future. Teachers Hazel Hicks and Mark
Baumgartner joined Rep. Fedor and Brian Rothenberg in filing the suit, which
will allow for quicker legal action in the future if citizen-access to the
statehouse is denied again.

“In my 34 years of service to this state and country, I have never seen
citizens denied access to their government like I saw on Tuesday here at the
Ohio Statehouse,” said Rep. Fedor. “Hundreds of citizens – teachers,
firefighters and police officers – were denied the right enter the
statehouse and voice their concerns about a bill that would have far
reaching effects on their families and their communities. Today we stand
together to make sure this never happens again.”

Also on Friday, the Office of the Attorney General offered to meet with
Plaintiffs to review last week’s events and discuss the case moving forward.

Brian Rothenberg of ProgressOhio said, “Any agreement we reach by law or
negotiation must state that the doors of the Statehouse will never be locked
during business hours; all people must be treated equally; the same
standards must apply to every event; and excessive permit costs must not be
used as a way to disenfranchise citizens.”

On Tuesday, February 22, the Ohio Senate continued hearings on Senate Bill
5, the controversial anti-working family bill which has brought thousands of
people to the Statehouse in protest. Citizens rallied on the Statehouse lawn
and then proceeded to enter the building like they had done the prior week.
Upon arrival they found uniformed State Highway Patrol troopers stationed at
all entrances. They were advised only 700 individuals would be allowed to
enter the public building which according to the State Fire Marshal can hold
5,000.

“We are simply asking that the taxpaying citizens of Ohio have a right to
enter the building and participate in the democratic process,” said Rep.
Fedor. “I am greatly concerned that individuals in this government made
calculated decisions to limit speech, deny access and prevent individual
citizens who opposed Senate Bill 5 from voicing their concerns. These hard
working individuals were literally and figuratively left out in the cold on
Tuesday.”

The lawsuit will be filed in Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on
Monday. By doing so, it will allow quicker action to acquire a temporary
restraining order to keep the Statehouse open if access is denied during
future hearings. It will also provide an opportunity through the discovery
process to find out who made the decisions to limit public access to the
statehouse and the committee room.

Also participating in the press conference today were representatives of the
American Federation of Teachers and the Ohio Federation of Teachers.

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