Our Voices Together – Pro-Democracy Action

Friends,

Right now, our right to free speech in Ohio is under attack with multiple bills at the Statehouse!

SB 33 that penalizes and criminalizes many forms of peaceful protest at oil and gas infrastructure sites was signed into law January 2021. this new law went into effect in April of this year.

Following the passage of SB 33,  more anti-protest, anti-democracy bills have been introduced into the Ohio Legislature and are under discussion.  These new bills (HB 22,  HB 109, SB 41 – note, SB 16 has been recently amended to remove protest language) are very broad in their definitions of prohibited action.  In addition, the language in the bills is so vague, confusing and complex that those of us who participate in ANY kind of peaceful public protest ANYWHERE  for ANY reason, risk being charged with felonies, incarcerated and liable to heavy fines for something as simple as blocking a street or throwing confetti or distracting a police officer.  One of these bills even threatens huge penalties for non-profits such as UUJO or your own congregation for advertising or organizing pubic protest. These penalties would bankrupt most non-profits.

House Bill 109  HB 109 would create higher fines and penalties for individuals involved in and organizations supporting a protest where roads or sidewalks are blocked or first responders are harassed, intimidated or injured or where action is deemed to be a “riot”.  Riots in Ohio are broadly defined as 5 or more people engaged in disruptive or misdemeanor actions or intimidating a public official into taking or refraining from taking an action.  Higher fines & charges for vandalism of government property or statutes.  Non-profits, churches or organizations who support or promote (very vague terms) the public protest could be charged with “corrupt activity” and heavily fined.

House Bill 22 (“Obstruction of Justice”) would increase penalties for merely distracting or “diverting the attention” of a law enforcement officer or throwing a substance of any kind, even a non-harmful substance such as confetti or glitter.

Senate Bill 41 (“Restitution”) would require participants in a protest pay financial reimbursement for the cost of policing an event if there is any violence or pay for any damage even if the participant did not cause the damage or engage in violence. It would also apply to non-profits or organizations who support or promote the event.

Individually, these bills are problematic.  Taken together, they are designed to impede and ‘chill’ all forms of public protest in Ohio. It’s time for us to come together in coalition and stop these dangerous bills from being enacted.  It’s time to contact our Ohio Senators and Representatives and the Committees in the House and Senate considering these bills.

Many of you have already signed on to be part of Our Voices Together work, organized by UU Justice Ohio, Buckeye Environmental Network, and Organize! Ohio.  But if you haven’t done that yet, we ask you to sign up for Sign up for Our Voices Together Ohio and receive Action Alerts about the Anti-Protest Actions at:  https://actionnetwork.org/forms/our-voices-together/  
And see below for a number of resources
And may we remember the words of Rep John Lewis:  “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.”

Rev. Joan Van Becelaere |  Executive Director
Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio

STATEHOUSE STOMP, SEPT. 22

Our Voices Together Statehouse Education Day and Rally
September 22nd 9am-4pm.  (Rally at 1 pm)

Whether we’re Black or white, Latino or Asian, Indigenous or newcomer, we want our families to be healthy and whole. But today, as Ohioans march together in anger and mourning over the brutal shootings of Black Americans by police, a handful of politicians are trying to turn us against one another. They hope that by spreading lies about our collective demands for justice and silencing us by criminalizing peaceful public witness, we will turn against these efforts to ensure a better future for us all. We reject their attempts to divide us, and we will raise our voices together for Andre Hill, George Floyd, and Casey Goodson Jr, until justice is truly for all.

Join us as we meet at the statehouse to stomp out anti-protest bills as we educate legislators on why these bills are bad for Ohioans. (HB 22, HB 109 & SB 41). We will rally from 1-2pm on the statehouse steps on September 22nd.

Legislator Visits will be 9am-4pm on September 22nd. Find out more and register now to be part of legislator visits at http://bit.ly/statehousestomp Connect with others who want to stop these bills, pack the schedules of Ohio legislators. For legislator visits, we’ll meet across the street from the statehouse at the Galbreath Pavilion in the Ohio Theatre (elevator accessible) at 9am. A light breakfast and boxed lunch will be provided.

Find out more and register now to be part of legislator visits at http://bit.ly/statehousestomp

Find about all future anti-protest bill actions and trainings by signing up for Action Alerts  at http://bit.ly/ourvoicestogetheralert

Next Action: Preparing for House Committee Testimony

Our next action will be coming up very soon. Now that the Ohio Legislature is back in session, we expect to be notified of hearings on these bills in the new few weeks. We will ask everyone to come and give opposition testimony concerning these bills. Please see our toolkit to review testimony writing guidelines. The toolkit is here —Write Your Testimony And we will announce when the hearings are scheduled.

Ohio Legislators’ Contact Information:

Talking Points:

SB 41:

• SB 41 charges protesters for the cost of property damage and the cost of the law enforcement to respond to a protest.  Non-profits and organizations can be charged, too.
• SB 41 allows law enforcement and other public agencies to seek reimbursement from a protester for all costs the agency incurred in responding to a “potential serious threat to public safety”.
• SB 41 creates a new felony offense for vandalism on government property.
• Under SB 41 a law enforcement agency could seek court-ordered reimbursement from any public witness convicted of committing any misdemeanor or felony offense.

HB 22:

• HB 22 creates a felony for merely distracting or diverting the attention of a police officer.
• HB 22 expands the offense of Obstructing Justice to add “failure to follow a lawful order from a law enforcement officer”. 
• HB 22 adds penalties for harmless and typical peaceful protest activities like throwing non-harmful substances like glitter or confetti at Pride parades.
• HB 22 specifically DOES NOT define “use of force”, which has been known to be an excuse for Police to harm or even kill people (especially minorities).

HB 109:

• HB 109 creates a 1st degree misdemeanor for interfering with or blocking traffic if it occurs during a protest that did not receive a permit, a protest for which the issued permit was exceeded, or a “riot.”
• HB 109 expands definitions of organizational / non-profit liability to include provision of resources or support for planning, preparing or aid in conduct of an event that causes loss to person or property of a police officer,  with the organization liable for treble damages. 
• HB 109 creates a new offense of “riot assault”, punishable by a fourth or third degree felony, that applies when, during a violation of Aggravated Riot or Riot, physical harm to another is recklessly caused. 
• HB 109 creates a felony charge of “corrupt activity” for organizations that support or aid protests if Ohio law deems it a “riot”.

Take Action:

Legislative Fact Sheets  –  SB 16,  HB 109,  HB 22,  HB 41	Organize For Action  –  Organizing for Events/Actions	Tell Your Experiences –  Share Your Story
Stay Informed –  Action Alert Sign-Up	Sharing is Caring  –  Share On Social Media	Contact Those Legislators  –  Find Your Legislators

Toolkits: