By Anna Huntsman/Broadcast version by Mary Kuhlman
Reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a “super” state holiday!

A bill in an Ohio Senate committee could designate June 12 as Superman Day in Ohio, likely beginning in 2019. The holiday would honor Superman’s creators, who developed the character while they attended Glenville High School in Cleveland in the 1930s.

“I got the idea once figuring out that the people who created Superman as a comic book were all from my neighborhood,” said Rep. Bill Patmon, D-Cleveland, who proposed the bill in the Ohio House last year. By neighborhood, he means Ohio’s 10th district, which includes Glenville, where Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster dreamed up the superhero, who first appeared in Action Comics in 1938. “These two young Jewish fellows ... believed in the ethic of truth, justice and the American way,” Patmon added, in reference to Superman’s iconic motto.

The official text proclaims “On this day, let it be known that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.” The Ohio House passed the legislation on April 11th by a vote of 86-4, and the bill is currently waiting for its first hearing in the Government Oversight and Reform Committee in the Senate.

“After a first hearing, it will still need to have a proponent and opponent hearing before it would be voted out of committee,” said Alex Strickmaker, legislative aide for Patmon, in a June 11 email. “June 12 will stay as the date that Superman Day will be celebrated if the bill does pass and become law in the future. This means that it will not be celebrated this year.”

Patmon sponsored additional Superman legislation in the past, such as funding the Superman Foundation through purchases of Ohio license plates that feature the Superman insignia. He said Superman means a great deal to all Ohioans.

“To us, it’s another feather in our cap - we’ve had creativity and entrepreneurship in this state for a very long time, and done some very unique things,” he said. “Superman is just one of them.”

Jerry Siegel, co-creator and author of the first Superman comics, was born in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood in 1914. According to the official fan site, Superman Super Site, Siegel met co-creator and illustrator Joe Shuster in 1930 while they were students at Glenville High School. They created Superman in 1932 while working together on the school’s newspaper.

“When he was first created … he was basically a ‘super man’ that wasn’t necessarily fighting for good,” said Neil Cole, creator and owner of the Superman Super Site.

Because of this, Siegel and Shuster were unable to sell Superman to comic book publishers until they re-developed the character to be more similar to the one famously known today. They eventually sold the character to Detective Comics (now known as DC Comics), where Superman first appeared on the cover of Action Comics No. 1 in June, 1938. A copy of that comic book sold for more than three million dollars on eBay in 2014.

Cole said while the character has changed in many ways in the 80 years since that first appearance, Superman’s core values have stayed the same. When the character first rose to popularity, the comics were based upon patriotism and supporting troops in World War II. Years later, when the character appeared in the TV series Smallville, the character tackled current issues, such as drug use.

“It’s like there’s a Superman for every generation,” Cole said. “There’s always changes that are made to the character based on what society and current events and everything are, but at the core, he always stands for … truth, justice and the American way.”

The Cleveland Public Library commemorated Superman’s Ohio roots in the past with its comic book and graphic novel gallery, research materials and a special exhibit in 2013 for the 75th anniversary of the comic’s publication. They recently featured a collection of Superman artifacts and memorabilia called “Superman: From Cleveland to Krypton.” The library also offers a book club program called ‘Get Graphic!”, where subjects like the Ohio impact of Superman books are discussed.

“Cleveland is the birthplace of a superhero,” said Valentino Zullo, leader of the Get Graphic! Program and former scholar-in-residence at the Cleveland Public Library. “Cleveland likes to really celebrate, especially those who are in the literary community,”

Zullo said his fascination with comic books began when he was younger and used visual elements to learn English, his second language. The child of two immigrants, he said he interprets Superman’s story as one similar to a refugee or immigrant.

“[Siegel and Shuster] create this character, this outsider, and he decides to come here and help, rather than just invade and take over,” he said.

Aside from recognizing the comic’s anniversary and its Ohio creators, Zullo suggested Superman Day could also honor Superman’s legacy as a humanitarian.

“I think it would be a really interesting thing to turn Superman Day into a giving day,” he said. “That is really what Superman did. He was invested in uplifting people. He was invested into making the world more just.”

Siegel and Shuster were inducted posthumously into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1992. Shuster died in 1992 and Siegel four years later.

Patmon encouraged Ohioans to celebrate Superman by buying a license plate, sticker or seeing a Superman movie. Siegel’s childhood home in Glenville, located at 10622 Kimberly Avenue, is open to visitors and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Patmon said Superman’s legacy is especially important for his Glenville constituents. “[Superman] has been a hallmark for that community and for its inventors for a very long time,” Patmon said. “It means a lot to us.”

This collaboration is funded in part by Media in the Public Interest and the George Gund Foundation.


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A new Virginia law protects residents from utility shutoffs in extreme weather.

The law prevents utility company shutoffs when temperatures are at or below 32 degrees and at or above 92 degrees. It also prevents shutoffs during states of emergency in response to public health emergencies. Virginia was one of 34 states with a shutoff moratorium during the pandemic.

Kajsa Foskey, economic justice outreach coordinator for the Virginia Poverty Law Center, said enacting this law cleared up some misconceptions.

"Most folks already thought that utilities couldn't shut them off on a day when it was too hot or too cold outside," she said. "So, what we've really done is just created some common-sense foundational protection so that all utility customers across the state know what their rights are."

Despite having some of these shutoff guidelines as unwritten rules, utility companies pushed back, saying it didn't allow them flexibility. Foskey said she thinks the state can build on this by including elements that didn't become law. This includes requiring data collection from utilities about who is being shut off, the frequency, reasons, and the amounts owed. She said this can help craft solutions for people facing shutoffs.

Rising utility prices concern advocates since this increases shutoffs. More than 750,000 Virginia families are energy cost-burdened, meaning they spend 6% of their income on utility bills.

Foskey said another removed part of the law would have reduced financial barriers to reconnection.

"When they try to get reconnected," she said, "not only do they have to pay that past-due amount that they couldn't afford to pay, they now also have to pay reconnection fees, late fees, security deposits, things that really just make the barrier to getting reconnected very high."

She added that this can prevent people from being able to afford everyday essentials such as food or rent. However, the new law has a provision for customers who received state energy assistance in the past year. They're eligible for having their deposit capped at 25% of what they previously owed to be reconnected, but this can only be used once every three years.

Minnesotans this month have a chance to share their thoughts on how the state should distribute home energy rebates. With federal incentives coming in, officials want to ensure equal access to new technologies.

Starting next Wednesday, the Commerce Department will host a series of public hearings on rebates funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. Mia Naseth-Phillips, the department's director of energy programs for inclusion and equity, said this aid can help eligible households get appliances and heating and cooling systems that reduce their energy burden. She said they especially want to reach people who otherwise couldn't afford emerging technologies that make a home's carbon footprint smaller.

"And that becomes a repeated theme," she said, "that, 'I'm having a hard time paying my bills. They're very high. How can I have something that is continually combating the high costs of energy use?'"

It isn't just affordability. Naseth-Phillips said messaging about home energy upgrades often doesn't reach underserved communities. The department hopes the meetings are informative as it gathers feedback on how the rebates should be carried out. Officials have said a challenge is creating a robust network of certified contractors trained for specific installations. A list of the hearing sites and times is on the Commerce Department website.

Eric Fowler, senior policy associate for buildings for the group Fresh Energy, said heat pumps are some of the more "glitzy" items getting attention these days. However, he cited other rebate opportunities that might not be as glamorous but still get the job done.

"These rebates can also help with insulation and air sealing," he said, "which are, depending on the state of your home, might be actually more important than a solar panel."

He said there will be chances to offset the cost of upgrading a home's electrical box, along with thicker wires, to accommodate increased use of clean energy sources.

The first hearing, next Wednesday, is in Minneapolis. Remaining events are spread out across the state, including St. Cloud, Bemidji, Fergus Falls and Duluth. A hearing in Mankato was scrapped and hasn't yet been rescheduled.

Fifth Third Bank just agreed to pay a $20 million fine to settle charges it forced car buyers to purchase unnecessary insurance and created fake accounts in customers' names.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the bank required customers with car loans to buy insurance, even if they already had coverage or got their own within 30 days.

Rosemary Shahan, president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, said some customers then could not afford the payments.

"There were about 1,000 consumers who had their cars repossessed," Shahan recounted. "Most people rely on their car to get to and from work, and get their kids to school, and get to medical appointments. So that is really devastating when they lose their car."

In a statement, Fifth Third Bank said it shut down the protection insurance program in 2019 and is taking action to set things right. The money from the fine will go to a fund to reimburse 35,000 customers who were harmed. The court order also bans the company from setting employee sales goals incentivizing fraudulently opening accounts.

Shahan pointed out car dealers sometimes make verbal promises differing from the written contract or fail to even print out the financing paperwork. She wants people to know they cannot be required to buy insurance if they already have coverage.

"The best way to avoid all these scams is join a credit union, get your own financing, and deal with a reputable bank," Shahan recommended. "Don't let the dealer get financing for you."

In 2015, Fifth Third Bank was ordered to pay more than $21 million in fines for discriminatory auto loan pricing and for illegal credit card practices.