The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) of Ohio joins with numerous community leaders and organizations to demand the halt of the December 8, 2009 cancellation of 47,457 vehicle registrations by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).  This is the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s attempt to require vehicle owners to provide a social security number even though no actual law exists to back such a requisite. This act is merely a thinly veiled and inappropriate attempt to enforce federal immigration policy at the state level.

LULAC deems this act by Governor Ted Strickland's administration to be highly dangerous to the public safety and our state’s collective consciousness. Further, this act will devastate Ohio’s current and future economic development, even as we are locked in the midst of the worst economic crises since The Great Depression. LULAC finds this act to violate current Ohio laws in the following ways: 

1)       Ohio Revised Code § 4503.10 does not specify whether driver’s licenses or identification cards have to be from Ohio.  The Bureau of Motor Vehicles misquotes the Ohio Revised Code and imposes restrictions beyond the reach of the law.

2)       The enforcement of Immigration law is solely the duty and responsibility of the federal government.  In a misguided and ideological step to prevent the increase of immigration, Ohio is attempting to enforce immigration law without legal basis or authority. 

3)       By invalidating vehicle registrations prior to expiration dates, the state chooses to breach their contracts with the 47,457 affected vehicle owners. Contrariwise, each of the 47,457 affected individuals and businesses—directly and deliberately targeted by this policy—has paid consideration to the state and is therefore entitled to the full privileges of the contract with the state. 

The effect of this policy stretches far beyond the 47,457 targeted vehicle registrants. The negative effects of this policy will reach all of Ohio’s families, businesses and workers regardless of background. The only success of this policy will be to cost our state several Congressional seats due to negative population growth. Fewer seats translate to decreased funding for one of the most at need states in The Union. Additionally, our state will lose millions of dollars in income, sales and property tax revenues. Decreased taxes means less funding for much needed state projects. Furthermore, if there are fewer people to pay taxes to the state, then the state will be forced to raise taxes on the population that remains. In the end, our state stands the grave chance of losing nearly 50,000 productive, tax paying, working and business class residents. Such a result would be socially and economically catastrophic to generations of Ohioans to come. 

Up to this point, the subject of undocumented immigration in Ohio has been utilized as a sensational political wedge issue. To eliminate the vehicle registrations of nearly 50,000 Ohio residents is not the way forward. Such an act will destroy our state’s economic recovery and is not a serious answer to the question of undocumented immigration. All empirical research on the subject invalidates the claims of those who seek to capitalize on the topic for cynical political gain. By way of a productive and substantive conversation, LULAC believes Ohio can move past this spectacle in order to address the immigration debate head on.

For more info, please contact us here

The League of United Latin American Citizens advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, housing, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.

LULAC Cincinnati just published its first Newsletter:

To read it, click here

The monthly LULAC Membership Meeting takes place this Thursday, Oct. 29, at Su Casa Hispanic Center, located at 7036 Fairpark Ave in Cincinnati.

New website unveiled today will educate and mobilize community on healthcare reform.

Washington, DC – A coalition of national, state and local Hispanic leaders who are advocating in support of healthcare reform announced today the creation of Latinos United for Healthcare (LUH) and the launch of www.latinosunitedforhealthcare.org. Latinos United for Healthcare will serve as a platform for Latino leaders to engage in the healthcare reform debate and its website will be an organizing tool, providing relevant and up-to-date information about the current debate as well as ways to advocate for reform.

“We are asking all our LULAC members visit web site today and share their personal stories of struggle with us,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. “With one in three Latinos lacking health insurance it is important that we speak out for the passage of health care reform now.”

LUH will work directly with national Latino organizations, as well as with Hispanic state and local elected officials, health experts, medical professionals, and community advocates. The campaign will include educational briefings in target states, media outreach and grassroots lobbying.

“In the coming weeks, Congress will have no doubt where the Latino community stands, said Rosales.”

The guiding principles of the coalition are to: 1) Improve and make healthcare more affordable; 2) End healthcare disparities; and 3) Not permit discrimination in the care received by the individual or families.

In support of these principles, LULAC invites the Latinos to visit www.latinosunitedforhealthcare.org to learn more and sign the petition.

The first ever ""Political Candidates Night for Latino Community" that took place on Wed. Oct. 14 at Su Casa Hispanic Center, was a smashing success. Close to 100 members of the Latino Community showed up to learn about the candidates, their platform, and why the Latino voters should vote for them.

Each candidate was asked to present their platform, and then the audience had a chance to ask them direct questions.

The LULAC Cincinnati Council would like to thank all candidates who took the time from their very busy schedule to come and meet with the Latino Community. It was a chance to initiate a direct dialog, and we were very happy that almost all candidates took advantage of it.

All Candidates who showed up:

Mayor of Cincinnati:

Mark Mallory (D)	Brad Wenstrub (R)

Dear friend of LULAC Ohio,

Our National Communications Director – Lizette Jenness Olmos has been nominated as one of twelve leaders in the Prestigious  MillerCoors Lideres program. Lizette was nominated because of her outstanding efforts and achievements in articulating the organization’s mission and programs in the Hispanic community, her selfless service in advocating for the advancement of Hispanics, and her dedication to improving the lives of Latinos both within and independent of her capacity with LULAC.

Lizette’s nomination has also placed her as a candidate for a $25,000 grant which can be applied to a LULAC project of her choosing. Please support our efforts and great work by voting for her selection (click here) 

We can also help by forwarding on this press release (click here)

Join us for Cincinnati's first political candidates night dedicated to address issues important to the Latino community.  Througout the evening, candidates running for mayor, city council and school board positions will speak freely about their platforms and answer questions directly from our audience members.  

Wednesday, October 14th from 6:30pm-8:30pm

Su Casa Hispanic Center,
7036 Fairpark Ave.,
Cincinnati, OH 45216

It's FREE and open to the public

The following candidates have confirmed so far:

MAYOR

Mayor Mark Mallory (D)

Brad Wenstrub (R)

CITY COUNCIL

Jeff Berding (Independent)

Chris Bortz (Charter)
Anitra Brockman (Independent)
Laketa Cole (D)
Tony Fisher (D)
Kevin Flynn (Charter)
Leslie Ghiz (R)
Greg Harris (D)
Nicholas Hollan (D)

Chris Monzel (R)
Amy Y. Murray (R)
Roxanne Qualls (Charter)
Laure Quinlivan (D)
Cecil Thomas (D)
LaMarque Ward (D)
Bernadette Watson (D)
Charlie Winburn (R)
Wendell Young (D)
George Zamary (R)

SCHOOL BOARD

Ceair Baggett
Melanie Bates

Jason Haap

Eileen Cooper Reid
Lisa Schare
Mary Welsh Schlueter
Vanessa White

This event is co-sponsored by: League of Women Voters of Cincinnati; Cincinnati USA Hispanic Chamber; TSJ Media; Su Casa Hispanic Center, MidwestLatino.com

Candidates who would like to participate need to RSVP (click here) 

2009 LULAC Community Awards CELEBRATING THE POWER OF DIVERSITY ***All proceeds benefit LOCAL educational programs*** Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 6:00pm-9:00pm Student Union Hall Northern Kentucky University Hosted by: Wilka Toppins, Macy’s Inc Keynote Speaker: Sylvia Mendez, civil rights activist

MAKE HISTORY:   The LULAC Cincinnati Community Awards is an exciting, history making awards ceremony, celebrating the positive impact individuals can make to shape diversity and race relations in our community.  Attended by over 350+ top local leaders from government, business, and education, the Community Awards serves not only to showcase the various efforts of LULAC but of the numerous outstanding diversity initiatives in both individual and corporate realms.

2009 LULAC COMMUNITY AWARDS RECIPIENTS:

Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati     L’Oreal       Bank of Kentucky            Munoz Brandz         NKU Chase School of Law        NKU Latino Student Affairs    Cincinnati Reds                Sisters of Charity   Cincinnati Public Schools        TSJ Media   Deerfield Insurance Group        UFCW Local 75  Fine Arts Fund    Union Institute        La Voz    Cincinnati Public Schools        MidwestLatino.com

Concerned and Disappointed about Republican Opposition

Washington, DC – The League of United Latin American Citizens, the largest and oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country, applauds the Senate’s vote in favor of Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation making her the Court’s 111th justice, its first Hispanic justice, and its third female justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

“This is a historic and positive day for all Americans,” said LULAC National President Rosa Rosales. “Judge Sotomayor puts the law first and received the highest rating from the American Bar Association. However, the Hispanic community is disappointed in the lack of Republican support for this nominee. This vote matters and will have long term consequences at the ballot box. The Republican party opposition is disappointing and raises serious questions. We regret that the majority of Republican Senators cast a 'no' vote against this extremely qualified judge.”

LULAC thanks the nine Republican senators who supported her nomination: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Richard G. Lugar of Indiana, Mel Martinez of Florida, Susan Collins and Olympia J. Snowe, both of Maine, Christopher Bond from Missouri, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, and George Voinovich of Ohio.

On May 26, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

LULAC National President Rosales noted that many of those who voted against Judge Sotomayor's confirmation cited her personal success story and experience. She was born in the Bronx of Puerto Rican parents. Her father died when she was nine, and she was raised by her mother. Sotomayor graduated with an A.B., summa cum laude, from Princeton University in 1976 and received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the Yale Law Journal. She was an advocate for the hiring of Latino faculty at both schools. She worked as an assistant district attorney in New York for five years before entering private practice in 1984. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of New York Mortgage Agency, and the New York City Campaign Finance Board. Sotomayor was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by President George H. W. Bush in 1991, and her nomination wa s confirmed in 1992.

Sotomayor has ruled on several high-profile cases. In 1995, she issued a preliminary injunction against the Major League Baseball Commission which ended the 1994 baseball strike.

On the Second Circuit, Sotomayor heard appeals in more than 3,000 cases and has written approximately 380 opinions. She has experience as a federal prosecutor and has over 17 years on the bench. Sotomayor has taught at the New York University School of Law and Columbia Law School.

LULAC held watch parties in key states including Arizona, Texas, Florida and Ohio to express support of President Obama’s nomination of Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.

The League of United Latin American Citizens of Ohio organized a Vigil for Justice in Mount Vernon, Ohio on July 24th in the city’s Public Square to further expose case of Hate Crime agains Robert Cantu (read here). The event hosted hundreds of supporters from across the state and feature prominent community leaders and victims of hate crimes.

More pictures are in our Photo Gallery (click here)

Watch interview with Robert Cantu, and sign a petition to Department of Justice at VotoLatino (click here)