News & Commentary

Several well-established nonprofit organizations in Michigan found their longstanding holiday fundraising drives put on ice this year by Bill Schuette, Michigan’s Attorney General. Media reports that several planned fundraisers—such as fire fighters’ “fill the boot” drive for Muscular Dystrophy Association or the Old Newsboys annual fundraiser—have already been shut down based on Schuette’s aggressive (and potentially unconstitutional) interpretation of a traffic law. Other organizations are worried about the potential consequences, while some cities in Ohio use the same approach to silence charitable speech in violation of the First Amendment. Michigan’s War Against Charitable Solicitation In a formal opinion, Schuette concluded that a state statute prohibiting the disruption of traffic prohibited solicitation of donations in or near roadways. In car-dependent Michigan, this could make it harder for many nonprofits to reach donors using decades-old methods.

It’s lame duck season in the state of Ohio and this year seems like the “super special” version. During the lame duck session, the legislature has just a few short weeks to pass laws before all bills have to start over from scratch in the new year.

On December 13, Governor John Kasich signed the 20-week abortion ban into law. SB127 is Ohio’s most recent attempt to close all clinics and make abortion care completely inaccessible for women who need it. This ban will impact women such as Sheva Guy, who, after receiving heartbreaking news about her pregnancy, was forced to travel 300 miles for the medical care she required. Sheva’s Story When Sheva was 22 weeks pregnant, her husband accompanied her to the doctor for a routine, second-trimester ultrasound, The happy couple was thrilled to learn they were having a girl. Their excitement turned to anxiety, though, when the technician struggled to get organ measurements. Unable to give the couple any answers, the doctor sent Sheva to a high-risk pregnancy specialist at a different hospital.