Commentary

  • 06.25.20

    The First Pride Was a Riot

    By

      The police murder of unarmed African American George Floyd at the hands of white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin ignited literal firestorms of protests, rallies, and marches demanding an immediate and abrupt course correction of how Black bodies are treated by far too many white folks in possession of badges, guns, and government… more »

  • 06.25.20

    Police Departments Aren’t the Only Criminal Legal Institution Stealing Black Lives

    By

    Around the world, people are taking to the streets to call out the state-sanctioned violence against people of color that has been normalized and protected in this country since its inception. While police continue to respond to protests against police violence with police violence, other parts of our criminal legal system continue to steal the… more »

  • 06.16.20

    My COVID-19 Experience on the Inside of Marion Correctional Institution

    By

      It was never a matter of if COVID-19 would infiltrate Marion Correctional Institute, but when. While the state and outside world braced itself for the coronavirus, this administration chose not to take the proper steps early on that would have ensured the safety of its prison population and staff. Governor DeWine enacted what he… more »

  • 06.10.20

    House Bill 381 – Opponent Testimony

    By

    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ opponent testimony on House Bill 381. This was delivered to the House Criminal Justice Committee on June 9, 2020. To Chairman Lang, Vice Chair Plummer, Ranking Member Leland, and members of the House Criminal Justice Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present opponent testimony on House Bill… more »

  • 06.09.20

    There’s No Time Like Pride Month for Ohio Legislators to Advance the Ohio Fairness Act

    By

        As we celebrate Pride month, we also must call attention to the fact that in most parts of Ohio, it’s still legal to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Ohio remains one of 29 states that leaves LGBTQ people out of laws that provide basic protections. That means that LGBTQ Ohioans can be fired… more »

  • 06.08.20

    House Bill 164 – Opponent Testimony

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    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ opponent testimony on House Bill 164. This was delivered to the Senate Education Committee on June 9, 2020. To Chairwoman Lehner, Vice Chair Brenner, Ranking Member Fedor, and members of the Senate Education Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present opponent testimony on House Bill 164. House… more »

  • 06.08.20

    Senate Concurrent Resolution 14 – Proponent Testimony

    By

    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ proponent testimony on Senate Concurrent Resolution 14. This was delivered to the Senate Health, Human Services, & Medicaid Committee on June 9, 2020. To Chairman Burke, Vice Chair Huffman, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Health, Human Services & Medicaid Committee, thank you for this opportunity… more »

  • 06.03.20

    House Bill 680 – Opponent Testimony

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    Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels’ opponent testimony on House Bill 680. This was delivered to the House State & Local Government Committee on June 3, 2020. To Chairman Wiggam, Vice Chair Stephens, Ranking Member Kelly, and members of the House State & Local Government Committee, thank you for this opportunity to present opponent… more »

  • 06.01.20

    There Are Good and Bad Ways to Decrease Jail Populations

    By

      Ohio has one of the largest combined jail and prison populations in the country. (Jail is where people are held pretrial or serve time for misdemeanors, while prisons are where people serve time for felonies.) Pre-pandemic, on any given day, over 70,000 individuals were held behind bars, with around 50,000 people in prison, and… more »

  • 06.01.20

    Parades May Be Canceled, but You Can’t Cancel Pride

    By

        Since mid-March, we’ve seen the world turned upside down due to the global pandemic. As quarantine and lockdowns rocked nations across the world, we saw many things being cancelled and postponed – from graduations to trips to weddings and other celebrations, it seems as if the list of cancellations is ever-growing, especially as… more »