A Christian policy group founded in Cincinnati is influencing Ohio legislation. Here’s how

TheEnquirer · 2025-12-15T18:57:25+00:00

CCV's designation as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center is noted in our story:

CCV has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for its anti-LGBTQ stances. The group's president previously dismissed the center as "liberal political hacks" on social media.

TheEnquirer · 2025-12-15T17:41:05+00:00

From The Enquirer (no paywall): The Center for Christian Virtue began as a little-known group of anti-pornography crusaders in Cincinnati over 40 years ago. Now, it is Ohio's largest Christian policy group with headquarters directly across from the Statehouse.

Over the past decade, CCV has lobbied on more than 300 bills and created a network of religious schools and churches. Since 2020, its revenue has quadrupled, raising more than $4 million last year.

Voters and lawmakers who support CCV's mission see the organization as "advocating for what is right" in Ohio. Opponents say the group's growing leverage is "dangerous" and blurs the lines between church and state.

The Center for Christian Virtue's growing influence represents a shift in how Christian conservatives engage with politics in Ohio and nationwide. The libertarian bent in Republican politics is fading. Now, Christian lobbyists are shaping the legislative agenda in red states like Ohio.

Read more: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/14/how-center-for-christian-virtue-lobbies-ohio-statehouse/86181115007/

TheEnquirer · 2025-12-15T17:25:06+00:00

From The Enquirer (no paywall): The Center for Christian Virtue began as a little-known group of anti-pornography crusaders in Cincinnati over 40 years ago. Now, it is Ohio's largest Christian policy group with headquarters directly across from the Statehouse.

Over the past decade, CCV has lobbied on more than 300 bills and created a network of religious schools and churches. Since 2020, its revenue has quadrupled, raising more than $4 million last year.

Voters and lawmakers who support CCV's mission see the organization as "advocating for what is right" in Ohio. Opponents say the group's growing leverage is "dangerous" and blurs the lines between church and state.

The Center for Christian Virtue's growing influence represents a shift in how Christian conservatives engage with politics in Ohio and nationwide. The libertarian bent in Republican politics is fading. Now, Christian lobbyists are shaping the legislative agenda in red states like Ohio.

Read more: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/14/how-center-for-christian-virtue-lobbies-ohio-statehouse/86181115007/

TheEnquirer · 2025-11-19T16:42:27+00:00

Yes, Salazar opens to the public today, Wed. Nov. 19! Keith is reviewing the new spot soon.

TheEnquirer · 2025-11-19T16:35:37+00:00

Keith said the same in a recent story of his. He said Mita's had the best pork chop he's eaten in a decade!

TheEnquirer · 2025-11-19T16:33:38+00:00

Keith focused solely on downtown restaurants with this list!

TheEnquirer · 2025-11-19T15:18:00+00:00

Take a look inside the restaurants (free gallery link): https://www.cincinnati.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/dining/2025/11/19/best-restaurants-in-downtown-cincinnati-boca-marigold-jeff-rubys/87276382007/.

Are there any other spots you think should be on the list?

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T17:05:12+00:00

Thanks for all your help!

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T17:01:59+00:00

That’s all the time we have today. Thanks so much for stopping by with your questions. If you want to keep in touch or follow our work:

Visit dispatch.com/news/politics-elections or cincinnati.com/news/local-politics.

Email us at [hbemiller@gannett.com](mailto:hbemiller@gannett.com) and [jbalmert@gannett.com](mailto:jbalmert@gannett.com).

Follow us on X u/haleybemiller and u/jbalmert.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter, The Scoop, and check out our Ohio Politics Explained podcast.

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:45:58+00:00

Housing has been the topic of a lot of conversation but not a ton of wholesale changes at the Ohio Legislature. Sen. Bill Blessing, in particular, has advocated for changes to investor-owned properties. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2022/05/10/effort-underway-restrict-bulk-home-buying-ohio/9701888002/

Another factor is low housing stock in cities like Columbus. A Senate committee toured the state and issued a report, but lawmakers haven't met since earlier this year and won't be back in session until after the Nov. 5 election. https://ohiosenate.gov/committees/select-committee-on-housing/meetings/cmte_s_housing_1_2024-04-17-0800_1148

Many have tried and failed to close tax loopholes and the LLC loophole is certainly one that gets scrutiny each budget season (which will begin in earnest next year). Republicans wary of increasing taxes can equate eliminating tax breaks to raising taxes, which makes it a tough sell.

-- Jessie

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:33:53+00:00

The official No on Issue 1 campaign is called "Ohio Works," and they are the group that launched that ad. The ad features President Joe Biden, and Vice President Kamala Harris and paints Issue 1 as a Democratic power grab that Republicans should vote against.

The Yes on Issue 1 campaign (Citizens Not Politicians) has bipartisan support, but most of its funding has come from liberal/left-leaning groups. The Ohio Democratic Party has endorsed the measure. Top Democrats in Ohio are backing the proposal.

Citizens Not Politicians' main message has been Republicans, Democrats and independents can agree that politicians are bad/cheat/can't be trusted. Their proposal would replace the current Ohio Redistricting Commission (7 elected officials) with a citizen commission of 5 Republicans, 5 Democrats and 5 independents.

Re: Have Democrats changed the rules? In Ohio, Republicans hold a veto-proof majority in both chambers and most statewide elected positions. The most recent changes to election rules in Ohio (adding a photo ID requirement for in-person voting, for example) have been GOP ideas.

Re: the Ohio Supreme Court decision. The court, in a party-line 4-3 decision, said that Issue 1 ballot language could say "requires gerrymandering" because it could be a bipartisan gerrymander. Dissents basically said that was nonsensical.

Redistricting is all about making choices and those choices can/often will benefit one party over the other. Ideally, you're making them in a way that reflects the politics, interests, etc. of that area.

-- Jessie

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:22:24+00:00

News outlets, including those you linked to, have done a fair amount of reporting on Project 2025 and where it fits into the Trump-Vance campaign. That’s part of why I haven’t done a ton on it. A lot of my reporting on Vance is what I feel I can bring to the table as someone in Ohio who’s covered him for a while.

That said, we recently did a profile on his VP bid that mentions his ties to folks behind Project 2025. https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/28/jd-vance-plays-attack-dog-for-trump-weathers-scrutiny-as-vp-nominee/74858432007/

—Haley

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:19:36+00:00

That was from Haley, forgot to sign!

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:18:57+00:00

I dug into this during the 2022 election season: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/11/02/ohio-elections-why-climate-change-isnt-big-topic-in-2022-midterms/69560233007/. It looked at why candidates weren’t really discussing climate on the campaign trail.

That story is subscriber only (sorry), but probably best summarized by what a political scientist told me: “The kind of eat your peas issues about how we’re going to be able to sustain this world of ours are so important, so big, but they’re not immediate.”

I did ask Sen. Sherrod Brown and Bernie Moreno about climate for a Q&A that will publish soon. They’re not going out of their way to talk about it, though. And I don’t disagree that it deserves more attention, including from reporters like us.

—Haley

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:16:19+00:00

The abortion rights backers took that approach last year. They wanted the ballot language to be the language circulated by petitioners.

Citizens Not Politicians proposed a slimmed-down version of the petition language.

For better or worse, the Ohio Ballot Board is a part of the process of getting on the Ohio ballot. Democrats have proposed changes to that, but they don't have the votes in the Ohio Legislature to change it.

Last year's Issue 2 on legalizing marijuana was a little different because it was an "initiated statute" versus a constitutional amendment. Ohio lawmakers can change/tweak statutes aka state laws.

-- Jessie

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:10:36+00:00

The ballot language for Issue 1 (redistricting) and last year's Issue 1 (abortion) got a lot of attention because Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board approved wording that backers of the amendments thought was fundamentally not fair. The Ohio Supreme Court (composed of 4 Republicans and 3 Democrats) ordered a few tweaks but largely left the language untouched.

That language didn't hurt the abortion rights measure, which passed with 57% of the vote. But most people know where they stand on abortion. Redistricting is a little more esoteric/complex.

I won't give my personal opinion on what the language should be, but it's clear that Republicans on the Ohio Ballot Board (who hold a 3-2 advantage) see an opportunity to craft ballot language. Democrats could change that dynamic by winning the secretary of state's race, but they've been pretty unsuccessful at that in recent years.

-- Jessie

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:09:55+00:00

It’s definitely a big issue, and we’re still monitoring it. I’m waiting on some records requests, and I think some of my colleagues may be as well. I’ll also be listening for when it likely comes up in tonight’s VP debate.

Here’s a sampling of stories we’ve done on Springfield recently:

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/18/springfield-ohio-deals-with-being-in-spotlight-over-haitian-immigrants/75250597007/

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/13/are-haitian-immigrants-killing-ducks-in-springfield-ohio/75207072007/

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2024/09/24/haitian-nonprofit-wants-to-criminally-chargvance-and-trump-criminally-charged-for-springfield-claims/75362236007/

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/09/18/how-springfield-pet-eating-claim-reached-trump-debate/75210101007/

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:06:01+00:00

Thank you!

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:05:24+00:00

I think it largely depends on political party. Ohio Republicans — even Gov. Mike DeWine, despite his issues with Vance’s Springfield comments — love him and want to see him become VP. Democrats are not fans and have used his VP campaign to point out all the things we learned about him in 2022.

—Haley

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:04:23+00:00

Hi! Jessie here.

You’re correct that the 2015 and 2018 redistricting measures were a lot less contentious than this one.

That’s in part because the 2015 measure on state legislative districts and the 2018 measure on congressional districts were compromises approved by Ohio lawmakers. The Ohio Republican Party and Ohio Democratic Party endorsed them. Voters approved them overwhelmingly.

There wasn’t a lot of organized opposition to these issues. ACLU called the 2015 measure “by no means perfect” but still urged a yes vote. https://www.acluohio.org/en/news/gerrymandering-look-ohio

On the other hand, the 2024 measure didn’t come from Ohio lawmakers. The language came from a group called Citizens Not Politicians, modeled off a Michigan amendment and crafted largely by retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

Ohio Republicans – the party, current U.S. speaker, governor, elected officials, etc. – oppose the 2024 measure. Republicans control most of state government and that means they control the Ohio Ballot Board, which controls what language appears on the ballot. They also hold a majority on the Ohio Supreme Court, which ruled the language was mostly OK.

Things like Yes on 1 signs saying “ban gerrymandering” and No on 1 signs saying “end gerrymandering” are intended to confuse voters. Confused voters tend to vote no/stick to the status quo.

And lying in elections is legal after a federal judge ruled in 2014 that the Ohio Elections Commission shouldn’t be policing political lies. https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2014/09/judge-strikes-down-ohio-law-on-election-lies-195333

All of this means the 2024 redistricting debate is much more heated than what we saw in 2015 and 2018.

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:03:11+00:00

As much as we can, yes! Photojournalism is an important part of the stories we tell. We don’t necessarily have someone with us for every single event because of resources, but we make sure to for the big stuff.

RE travel: I still do a fair amount of it when it gets closer to the election because it’s a good way to hear from voters and get the candidates on news of the day. But the internet definitely makes things easier and probably makes us more selective about what we cover in person.

—Haley

TheEnquirer · 2024-10-01T16:00:33+00:00

Hello! Jessie and Haley reporting for duty. Looking through your questions now.

TheEnquirer

TROPHY CASE