COLUMBUS, OH, July 19, 2021 – On July 13, “Conservatives” on the Ohio State Board of Education were afraid to fight. None would even motion to repeal the July 2020 Equity Resolution[1]. None would ask for emergency consideration of a resolution to restore 1st Amendment rights before the Board. On July 15, by contrast, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty was arrested at the US Capitol while fighting against election integrity measures such as voter ID. It is cowardice vs. courage.
Liberal Rep. Beatty was willing to be arrested for fighting for ideas she is passionate about, however misguided and un-principled. Conservative State Board of Education members (John Hagan, Kirsten Hill, Diana Fessler, Jenny Kilgore, and Brendan Shea), by contrast, showed no fight to force difficult votes, on-the-record, on principled items like freedom of speech and stopping the WOKE bigotry of the July 2020 Equity Resolution. When confronted by US Senate candidate Mark Pukita to back up their rhetoric with meaningful action and on-the-record votes, they sat on their hands.
It was a case study in cowardice vs. courage and an Ohio without a single conservative leader who truly FIGHTS.
On July 13, Pukita spoke before the Board on the need for a board member to make a motion for emergency consideration of a repeal of the July 2020 Equity Resolution and for emergency consideration of a resolution to restore 1st Amendment rights of citizens before the Board. The suspension of 1st Amendment rights is the subject of a current Federal Lawsuit[2].
Shea made a motion, which was ruled out of order, to consider a resolution, on an emergency basis, to restore 1st Amendment rights to citizens when presenting to the State Board of Education. From then on, the conservatives put up little fight and were consistently outmaneuvered. They didn’t ask resolution to repeal the July 2020 Equity Resolution, and they did not motion for emergency consideration of the resolution to restore 1st Amendment rights when it came before them later in the agenda. An already largely meaningless resolution, to ask Attorney General Dave Yost for his view on the Constitutionality of the Equity resolution, was further watered down.
“What a waste of time. Let’s say it mattered what Dave Yost thinks on the issue. Why didn’t any of these supposed conservatives just get a letter from Yost already and introduce it in the meeting? Simple. Because it is meaningless noise of the cowardly RINO type,” said Pukita.
Pukita made remarks and took questions before the Board (YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZgTk1lbzlr0) after having submitted 4 versions of his remarks before being given permission to even speak. He criticized the July 2020 Equity Resolution as racist and as denying positive Ohio history as a fighter for equality.
WATCH
He cited over 11,000 who died in the Civil War, the lead role Ohio took in the Underground Railroad, and the contributions of Ulysses S. Grant to living up to our founding principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all. Pukita faced criticism from the Board members, including John Hagan lecturing Pukita on tone.
“I think Hagan proved my point. Whether a coward or simply too long in Columbus, he is not a fighter. His resolution asking for input from Yost is a strategic blunder. Instead of addressing the truth I spoke, he chose to belittle me as needing to tone it down. Hagan is a part of the problem,” said Pukita.
Pukita also spoke at a press conference following the event[3]. There, Pukita pointed out that the Equity Resolution was written to pander to mobs in the street in the Summer of 2020. It was so rushed and poorly drafted that it failed to even mention Americans of Asian descent.
Pukita has made education a key part of his BIG-7 / DISRUPT Agenda[4]. He has also brought focus to the transformation of local school boards via an innovative “Contract” for board members and candidates[5].
FOOTNOTE LINKS:
[1] Equity Resolution - http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/State-Board/State-Board-Reports-and-Policies/Equity_Resolution.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US
[2] Cincinnati.com - https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2021/04/25/cincinnati-man-first-amendment-lawsuit-race-curriculum-ohio-education/7323621002/
[3] Columbus Dispatch - https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/07/14/ohio-anti-racism-resolution-boe-asks-legal-opinion/7940648002/
[4] BIG-7 \ DISRUPT Agenda - https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/20378882/Pukita%20Big-7%20DISRUPT%20Agenda.pdf
[5] Education Contract - https://f.hubspotusercontent30.net/hubfs/20378882/Local%20School%20Board%20Contract.pdf
