Follows ALL Christian principles
Re “Supreme Court rules in favor of Colo. web designer” July 1: I wonder if the smug, smiling Lorie Smith, who won her case with the archaic Supreme Court actually follows ALL Christian principles.
These people appear to be somewhat hypocritical as many have quite a track record of sinning, but only following the principles that they choose to follow.
Thomas W. Billing, Springfield
Be on the guard
On May 25, 2023, U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in Sackett vs. EPA.
The ruling significantly limited the EPA’s and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ jurisdiction over wetlands under the Clean Water Act. The court established new criteria for determining which wetlands are subject to Clean Water Act protections. Some states now need to develop their own laws to fill the gaps created by the recent opinion and to avoid uncertainty created by the continuous changes in the federal policies and laws.
In 2001, the Supreme Court ruled that isolated wetlands are not within the scope of federal protections and it was up to the states to protect them.
Ohio, which had already lost 90% of its wetlands, recognized that federal environmental laws and Supreme Court decisions are meant to be minimum standards and not always adequate to protect Ohio’s water resources. Shortly after, Ohio acted to fill the gap and enacted a law to protect Ohio’s isolated wetlands.
The people of Ohio need to be on their guard.
Special interest groups are expected to use the recent SCOTUS opinion to eliminate Ohio’s law protecting isolated wetlands.
Last year lobbyists and shortsighted politicians used all means to enact HB 175, eliminating ephemeral stream (streams that only flow in response to precipitation) protections. The people of Ohio should be ready to resist any similar harmful and misguided legislations.
George A. Elmaraghy, commissioner for the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission and member of the International Joint Commission Water Quality Board.
I’m struggling raising a flag…
God bless America.
Once again, another shooting registered hardly any news coverage today. The Baltimore shooting was not a part of today’s top news stories as opposed to how the story about the deep dive, not only was part of the top news feeds, but interrupted regular programming and made the cover of Time magazine.
More: ‘We will not stop until we find you’: Manhunt on in Baltimore mass shooting
After all, the shooting only killed two innocent people celebrating friendship and the Independence Day, while the dive took the lives of five people who were aware of the risks.
I’m struggling raising a flag…
Rebecca Hudson, Columbus
Thanks for the report
Thank you to County Auditor Stinziano for publishing the Annual Financial Report in the Dispatch. The Report is informative and reader-friendly, and the transparency about where our tax dollars are being spent is greatly appreciated.
Debbie Manofsky, Columbus
Remember Sherrod Brown in November
Polls have shown that most Americans support common sense gun regulation.
Yet, Republicans in the Senate tried to pass Senate Joint Resolution 20, a bill that would have made it easier for people to acquire the especially deadly assault weapons that have been used in recent mass shootings.
Fortunately, Ohio’s Sherrod Brown was one of the gun sense senators who opposed this effort to gut our gun laws.
Ohioans owe a debt of gratitude to Brown and the other senators who prioritized the safety of our families and communities over money and support from the NRA and the gun industry. I hope Ohioans will remember Brown’s courage in November of 2024. Re-electing him is vital to realizing our shared hope for a country free from gun violence.
Jennifer Logan, Brunswick