News & Commentary

Below is our Chief Lobbyist Gary Daniels' opponent testimony on House Bill 3. This was delivered to the House Criminal Justice Committee on June 13, 2019.

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.

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.

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Once again, Sunshine Week has arrived. This is the week advocates, activists, academics, the news media, and others call attention to the importance of laws that keep government records and official meetings open to the public. You are forgiven if you were previously unaware of Sunshine Week. After all, you are probably distracted by constant attacks on reproductive rights. Or perplexed by Ohio's ever-growing mass incarceration numbers. Perhaps voting and elections issues have you worried. Maybe your issue is police misconduct. Or you are concerned with the actions of your city council, mayor, or county commissioners. What is important to understand is the role of public records and open meetings in these issues and all others.

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"The first messenger that gave notice of Lucullus' coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes that he had his head cut off for his pains; and no man dared to bring further information. Without any intelligence at all, Tigranes sat while war was already blazing around him, giving ear only to those who flattered him."
The Founders were eminently wise to enshrine a free press in the Constitution. For many, the 24 hour news cycle may be exhausting in its insatiability and in its love for scandal and in its relentless pursuit of ratings. At its core, however, the press performs an invaluable, irreplaceable public service. Thomas Jefferson spoke often about the importance of the press, but one quote particularly resonates:
"The only security of all is in a free press. The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to. It is necessary, to keep the waters pure."
The more information a government controls, the greater its capacity to mold public opinion against its own interests, and the greater its capacity to quell dissent. Reporters act as guardians of truth, rooting out corruption and incompetence. Regardless of the political leanings of individual journalists and news outlets, independent news media as a whole works without regard to partisan interests, and a robust press is the only source of unbiased information that can help ensure the public is informed about our government. If that government is permitted to operate in the shadows, then greed, nepotism, waste, cronyism, and oppression are inevitable.
While an independent news media is critical to American democracy, we must stay on our guard for hoaxes, lies, omissions, biases, and agendas. We the people must “watch the watchmen.”
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