Senate Bill 5 foes not sure how to use funds
By MARC KOVAC | R-C Capital Bureau
COLUMBUS -- The main opponent group against Senate Bill 5 is considering whether it will continue its efforts in the new year.
We Are Ohio has more than $700,000 left from contributions made to help defeat Issue 2. It could use those funds to campaign for or against other issues, including an effort by Tea Party and like-minded groups to amend the state constitution to bar mandatory membership or dues payments to labor unions.
"We're concerned about any efforts to undermine the working and middle class in Ohio, any effort at all," said Dennis Willard, We Are Ohio spokesman. "Obviously, right to work is an effort to hurt working people, and I believe that that's one reason why there are discussions going on right now (on the future of We Are Ohio)."
He added, "Senate Bill 5 was a tremendous threat to working families in the state. Right to work would be the same."
Willard made the comments following a press conference at the Statehouse Tuesday, where We Are Ohio donated $20,000 to charity -- $10,000 each to Toys for Tots and the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks.
The campaign group is urging its supporters to make comparable donations to the charities of their choice during the holidays.
Willard said individuals involved with We Are Ohio also are discussing what's next for the group, including whether they should get involved in a referendum to be decided by voters next November to stop a Republican-backed election reform package from taking effect.
"There are literally hundreds of thousands of people across this state who want to fight any effort to undermine working and middle class families," Willard said. "So I think that they're probably looking for some direction and help, and I think we have an obligation to do everything we can for them."
