DLC Names Redfern New Democrat of the Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) has named Ohio State Representative Chris Redfern the DLC New Democrat of the Week for the week of May 23, 2005. Redfern’s leadership in listening to and fighting for Ohio's families is recognized on the DLC's website.

Republicans have controlled the Ohio House of Representatives for over a decade, and today outnumber Democrats 60 to 39. As a result, Democrats have had limited success in promoting their own reform agenda. But with Ohio job growth ranking 49th in the nation, a chronic state budget crisis, and a Republican governor with the lowest approval rating in America, House Democrats are working to write a new economic story for Ohioans who go to work every day and play by the rules. Democrats have acknowledged their minority status, identified clear alternative policies, and embraced the mantle of reform.

Over the last two months, Democratic Minority Leader Chris Redfern has crisscrossed the state with more than 30 members of the House Democratic Caucus, in a tour dubbed "Fighting For Ohio's Families." The effort is a no-frills, hands-on opportunity for state legislators meet with Ohioans and discuss the issues that have the greatest impact on the state's parents and children.

The tour coincided with a debate over Republican Governor Bob Taft's budget proposal. The questions it raised provided a platform for exploring the core principles that public officials embrace through the policies they promote. "Do we want a budget that delivers tax cuts for the wealthy while we place an even greater burden on the middle class?" Redfern asked. "Is that standing up for Ohioans? Is that ensuring that government is in line with our values?"

Members have met with over 1,000 Ohioans and traveled more than 2,610 miles across the state. The tour visited with police, firefighters, and librarians in Cincinnati; veterans in Toledo; families in Marietta and Alliance; seniors in Bluffton and Canton; and college students in Mansfield and Dayton. Redfern and his colleagues toured a preschool in Seven Hills, spoke with high school students in Akron, and visited factories with labor leaders in Youngstown and Lorain.

"This tour will give us a chance to spend time in local communities, listening to the people most at risk in this budget," Redfern said at the launch.

The House caucus members -- and the tour -- will continue working in the spirit of reform toward substantive change presenting tangible solutions and getting the big things right. That begins by listening to concerns of everyday parents and children in Ohio. "This tour is a tremendous opportunity for us to share our vision and our priorities with Ohioans," Redfern said.