Commentary

  • 06.11.19

    Cleveland Councilman Wanting More Prayer at Meetings Must Support True, Not Token, Religious Diversity

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    The First Amendment guarantees all persons the right to practice their faith without government intrusion, including the right to abstain from religious belief or expression altogether. This goes to the heart of what it means to be American. The Constitution’s insistence on religious freedom makes our personal liberties genuine. This is why Ward 1 Cleveland… more »

  • 06.11.19

    Pregnancy Termination Saved My Life

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      All in one day, I found out both that I was pregnant and that I had cancer. In December 2018, I had a few very large and dark purple bruises on my legs that weren’t going away. Since my husband of 7 months and I were actively trying to conceive, I asked my doctor… more »

  • 06.04.19

    House Bill 90 – Opponent Testimony

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    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ opponent testimony on House Bill 90. This was delivered to the House Health Committee Committee on June 4, 2019. To Chairman Merrin, Vice Chair Manning, Ranking Member Boyd, and members of the House Health Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present opponent testimony on Amended Substitute House… more »

  • 05.30.19

    House Bill 1 – Proponent Testimony

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    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ proponent testimony on House Bill 1. This was delivered to the House Criminal Justice Committee on May 30, 2019. To Chairman Lang, Vice Chair Plummer, Ranking Member Leland, and members of the House Criminal Justice Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present proponent testimony on House Bill… more »

  • 04.04.19

    Do Gerrymandering Decisions Before SCOTUS Affect Ohio’s Case?

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    Last Tuesday, March 26, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on two partisan gerrymandering cases: one challenge to a Republican gerrymander in North Carolina, and one to a Democratic gerrymander in Maryland.  It’s not a stretch to say that the Court’s upcoming decisions could help put an end to a particular brand of partisan abuse… more »

  • 03.29.19

    On Police Violence, Our Legal System and Community Members Disagree

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    It was a Saturday in August 2017 when I drove across town to gather in Euclid with family and friends of Luke Stewart, a young father who was killed by Euclid Police after they found him sleeping in his parked car. It was sunny and humid, and people had brought bagels, donuts, coffee. We were… more »

  • 03.08.19

    ACLU of Ohio Urges Improvements to Cleveland Police’s Search and Seizure Policies

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    As part of its consent decree process, the Cleveland Division of Police is revising its search and seizure policies, which govern when and how officers can stop, arrest, and detain community members. Although its 2018 revised drafts represent an improvement, there are still changes that must be made for the policies to comply with basic… more »

  • 03.04.19

    Criminal Justice Reform Efforts

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      The ACLU of Ohio sent a letter to Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof, in response to his public solicitation for thoughts and ideas regarding sentencing and criminal justice reform in Ohio. “To the extent any of these plans, legislation, or additional input from other stakeholders improves Ohio’s criminal justice system the ACLU of Ohio… more »

  • 02.19.19

    “Why Are Our Prisons So Overcrowded?” Asks Lawmaker As He Votes For Sentence Enhancement Bill

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    I wish this was a satirical headline published by The Onion. But it’s something we actually see and hear in the halls of the Statehouse from the officials we Ohioans have elected to represent us. Because of policy decisions, our state’s incarceration rate has more than quadrupled since 1970. Like clockwork, at the beginning of… more »

  • 01.28.19

    Cuyahoga County Running an Inhumane Facility – It’s Not the First Time

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    Protest photo outside of Cuyahoga County Justice Center – Tuesday, January 8, 2019   You’ve likely seen the headlines: seven people died in the Cuyahoga County jail between June and October 2018, prompting a U.S. Marshals investigation and then, scathing report detailing the shocking conditions people are subjected to at the hands of the County.… more »