State Issue 1: Effort to enshrine cash bail into Ohio Constitution
ACLU of Ohio urges Ohioans to cast a “NO” vote on this proposed constitutional amendment that will appear on the statewide General Election ballot this November. This is a political stunt that has nothing to do with common-sense, substantive bail reform policies.
This misguided effort began in the Ohio Legislature with two identical joint resolutions – HJR 2 and SJR 5. The measures sought to reverse the Supreme Court of Ohio decision in DuBose v. McGuffey, issued in January 2022, which underscored the longstanding constitutional principle that bail is excessive when it exceeds the amount necessary to guarantee the appearance of the accused person. Issue 1 amends the Ohio Constitution to fix a nonexistent problem. This proposal was born out of divisive rhetoric to intentionally blur the lines between cash bail and public safety. We know that cash bail does not keep us safe, and this ballot measure only doubles down on the failed status quo, where wealthy individuals can purchase their freedom simply because they have the money to do so.
Read the No On Issue 1 Coalition Sign On Statement
Organizations Opposed to State Issue 1:
- The Bail Project (visit)
- Ohio Families Unite for Political Action and Change (OFUPAC) (visit)
- Policy Matters Ohio (visit)
- Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC) (visit)
- The Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC) (visit)
Related Commentary
- Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner criticizes State Issue 1 (via Cleveland.com)
- What to know about Ohio State Issue 1 on November ballot (via the Columbus Dispatch)
- ‘Liberty should not depend on a person’s wealth.’ Sham issue not about safety (Opinion) (via the Columbus Dispatch)
- Issue 1: Ohio voters to decide whether judges would be required to consider public safety when setting bail (via News 5 Cleveland)
- What is Issue 1? How this change to bail could work if passed on Election Day (via 19 News Cleveland)
- Issue 1: Voters to decide whether judges would be required to consider public safety in setting bail (via Ohio Capital Journal)
- Issue 1: Voters to decide if judges must consider public safety when setting cash bail in Ohio constitutional amendment (via Cleveland.com)
- No on State Issue 1, altering bail rules in Ohio: endorsement editorial (via Cleveland.com)
- Editorial: Ohio can reform cash bail while protecting public safety (via Cincinnati Enquirer)
- On Issue 1, don’t let politics cancel out important bail reforms: Jocelyn Rosnick (via Cleveland.com)
- ACLU counsel: In name of ‘fairness and dignity’ vote no on Issue 1, the bail ballot measure (via Columbus Dispatch)
To learn more about all our work, please visit the ACLU of Ohio’s homepage.