TOLEDO, Ohio —
Toledo City Councilmember Nick Komives and the Lucas County Young Democrats kicked off a monthly panel discussion called "What's the Issue?"
The opening topic was the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Komives spoke with four panelists in the Key Bank Discovery Theater at the Imagination Station on Tuesday to hear from elected officials at the local and state levels to learn more about an issue at hand.
"I'm hoping that people walk away from this experience understanding a little bit more about the nuance that is associated with this issue," Komives said, "and they learn some tools that they can take home and make change, if that's what they want."
The guest panelists for the evening were Toledo Public Schools Board Member Sheena Barnes, Ohio state Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo), Pro-Choice Ohio Jamie Miracle and Clinic Escort Coordinator Kristin Hady.
"The purpose of this event tonight is to make sure that we gather information, have the correct information and have a plan to make sure those in need of abortion rights and abortion care have access to that," Barnes said.
"I hope the outcome is that people walk away with information they didn't walk in the door with," Sobecki said. "Then they can understand how they can use their voice with the tools that they now have to be able to be heard."
The main outcome of the discussion is action and voting.
The panelists stressed calling local and state leaders, and candidates on the ballots for upcoming elections, and asking them what their positions are and how they have voted. The idea is to have people become more informed as a voter on where their representatives stand.
Sobecki said once you get an answer on where a representative stands, don't just take their word for it.
Go back and look at general assembly video house session opportunities and the times they have been in committee and see how the work is happening before making a decision at a ballot box.
"The fact that our leaders don't want to provide people the opportunity to make a decision that's best for their own body is pretty scary," Komives said.
"We are the power," Barnes said. "Our votes matter. Our voices matter, and this is another way we can definitely make sure that the leaders understand that they are not representing us when they overturned Roe v. Wade."
Future discussion panels will talk about other issues such as the environment, gun control, affordable housing, labor rights and more.
The next discussion will be about the environment on Aug. 9 at 6 p.m.
The location is to be determined and will be shared on the Lucas County Young Democrats Facebook Page closer to the event.