2015 August

08.31.15

Ohio is a SLAPP Happy State

Kyra Schoonover

The First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to freedom of speech. Yet, ever since the U.S. Constitution was ratified 227 years ago, forces have been seeking to silence and control public discourse.

In recent years, wealthy individuals have undermined free speech by filing punitive lawsuits against their critics.

08.28.15

Gay Scout Leaders Mostly Welcome in BSA

Kaleb Carter

Brian Peffly

On July 27, a century-old organization made a momentous change in its membership—the Boy Scouts of America lifted the ban on gay adults as Scout leaders and employees. The decision means that more people will be able to remain true to who they are without fear of dismissal.

08.26.15

Improving Health Policies for Ohio’s Undocumented Immigrants

Michael Denis

It’s widely acknowledged that the state of Ohio does not prioritize undocumented immigrants in policy making as much as it could.

Ohio’s undocumented immigrant population is only 95,000, relatively small compared to the national total of 11 million. Yet, an April report from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research cited the state of Ohio as the worst state among the 50 and the District of Columbia for policies and laws that support the health and well-being of undocumented immigrants.

08.25.15

Rather than look to Tampa, Cleveland should throw away the repressive policing playbook for the RNC in 2016

Kris Hermes

Photograph courtesy of Lig Ynnek, Creative Commons

Earlier this month, a Cleveland.com article asked if Tampa’s approach to policing the RNC 2012 protests would “provide a blueprint for Cleveland as it prepares to host the next Republican National Convention a year from now?”

However, that may be the wrong question to ask.

08.19.15

Five Things You Need Know About Organizing Protest in Cleveland

Steve David

If the new protest ordinance passed by Cleveland City Council raised alarms for you, you’re not alone. Whenever government does things at the last minute with no opportunity for public comment, appropriate reactions are usually skepticism and frustration.

But considering the old ordinance was full of vague language that left the door open to abuses by the city and police, the new rules are a net benefit—despite the bad practice of their passage.

08.17.15

Judges Call on Courts to Stop Shackling Youth

Shakyra Diaz

Recently, the oldest judicial membership organization in the country joined other professional juvenile and social justice groups in calling for an end to the automatic shackling of youth in juvenile court.

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges recently affirmed what many advocates have been saying for years that the automatic use of restraints in juvenile court should stop.

08.14.15

Clash of Obergefell Opinions Offers Lessons for Ongoing LGBT Equality Battles

Susan J. Becker

In Obergefell v. Hodges, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that the constitution guarantees the rights and responsibility of marriage to same-sex couples.

Now that marriage equality is the law of the land, let’s take a look at what the clash of judicial opinions tells us of the justices’ perceptions of gay and lesbian couples, and their families, and what they could mean to equality going forward.

08.12.15

Karla M. Lortz: Advocating for Online Voter Registration in Ohio

Fred Ross

Karla M. Lortz has a voice so pleasant you’d swear you smell warm apple pies on her window sill as she speaks. However, that voice also belongs to a retired director of the Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities and a leading advocate behind legislation, including the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2002 Help America Vote Act.

08.11.15

Use of Force in Ohio’s Prisons

Michael Denis

When we think of the term “use of force,” we usually think of police officers applying force in cases of imminent danger posed to themselves or the public. Force also applies to the work of corrections officers and security staff when interacting in situations in which prisoners pose risks to others in the prison environment.

08.07.15

Fired for Being Pregnant

Jill Davis

It’s hard to believe that in this day and age women can be fired for becoming pregnant. A quick Google search for “pregnant and fired” brings up multiple headlines in the news documenting stories of women fired once their bosses learned of their pregnancy.

08.05.15

Making Government Work: 25 Years of the ADA

Steve David

With the presidential campaign already underway and the Buckeye State being a favorite stop for candidates, you can expect to hear a lot said about limiting government. At the ACLU, we get that. For more than 90 years we have been working to keep the government out of people’s speech, cell phones, and personal medical decisions.

08.03.15

Ohio’s Selling Another Prison to A For-Profit Company – And No One Noticed

Mike Brickner

In 2012, Ohio made history as the first state to ever sell a publicly owned prison to a for-profit company, and now it’s poised to do the same again. In a play of legislative sleight of hand, politicians amended the sale of the North Central Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio, into an unrelated bill just before summer recess and passed it without any chance for testimony, public discussion, or media coverage.