COLUMBUS-While school choice and abstinence education are targeted by Ohio’s new Democrat Governor (and ordained Methodist minister and prison psychologist) for cuts and/or total elimination, it appears faith-based prison out reach programs are safe. So safe in fact, that State Representative John White (R-Kettering) and Clayton Luckie (D-Dayton) introduced legislation that would allow faith-based and other community organizations to provide re-entry service to persons in the custody of the depart of Rehabilitation and Correction or the Department of Youth Services. (House Bill 113)

   Rep. White told CCN-USA he is “pleasantly surprised at his (Strickland’s) understanding of the power of these organizations to love when the government can’t.” However, White did acknowledge that oversight of faith-based grants could be a challenge since Gov. Strickland is apparently bringing the administration of and funding for faith-based grants in-house. Strickland terminated a $2.1 million dollar contract with We Care America last month due to allegations of financial mismanagement. White said that the advisory board to the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will have to “be very engaged in monitoring” to see that the board does not “move to the left…and remain non-partisan.”

   It appears there is going to be even more burden placed on the watchmen to keep an eye on what our governor has planned for faith-based and community initiatives. The thin Republican majority is going to have to use what power and position they have remaining to keep the Statehouse from tumbling even further left. Let’s pray the legislative leadership can finally work for the good of the people, and forget their political climb to the top of the heap, at least until next election.