The Supreme Court of Ohio granted motions to dismiss two challenges to congressional maps on Thursday, upholding the use of maps that have previously been deemed unconstitutional. Both motions were filed on Tuesday by petitioners contending that the maps were drawn with unfair partisan bias. The court granted one dismissal in Neiman v. LaRose, and another [...]
Search Results for: Ohio
Ohio dispatch: voters reject proposed constitutional amendment limiting direct democracy
JP Leskovich went to high school in Ohio and returned to the state in the run-up to Tuesday’s vote. He is a 2L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and JURIST’s US Bureau Chief. Ohio voters on Tuesday strongly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have limited direct democracy in the [...]
Arizona abortion rights advocates propose amendment to state constitution
Abortion rights advocates in Arizona filed the initial paperwork on Tuesday to put a proposed amendment to the state constitution on the ballot in 2024 that would affirm the right to an abortion in Arizona. The group that filed the amendment, Arizona for Abortion Access, is supported by a coalition of groups, including Planned Parenthood [...]
US federal judge upholds Ohio school district's gender-inclusive bathroom policy
A US federal judge rejected a lawsuit on Monday brought by parents and students of an Ohio school district that challenged the school district’s bathroom policy. US District Judge Michael Newman found that the Bethel Local School District’s decision to establish a gender-inclusive bathroom policy did not violate the parents’ and students’ US Constitutional rights. [...]
Former Ohio Speaker of the House sentenced to 20 years in prison for racketeering and bribery
An Ohio federal court sentenced former Ohio Republican Speaker of the House Larry Householder on Thursday to 20 years in prison for leading a complex racketeering and bribery scheme. Householder allegedly accepted over $60 million in bribes through the scheme by working to pass a nuclear plant bailout. Matt Borges, former Ohio Republican Party Chair, [...]
Hearings conclude for Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, OH
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded two days of hearings Friday on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, OH in February. In an unusual move, the NTSB chose to hold the public hearings in East Palestine, rather than Washington DC. Day one focused on the agency response and intentional venting of [...]
Ohio Supreme Court orders change to proposed constitutional amendment language on ballot
The Ohio Supreme Court ordered the state’s ballot board on Monday to reword a proposed constitutional amendment set to appear on voters’ ballots this August. The ballot initiative would require amendments to Ohio’s Constitution to garner 60 percent of the votes during an election, increase the number of county electors needed to propose a constitutional [...]
A Century of Meyer v. Nebraska: The SCOTUS Case that Defined Personal Liberties
June 4 marks the centennial of Meyer v. Nebraska, in which the US Supreme Court commenced its modern role as the guardian of non-economic personal liberties by striking down laws in Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio that prohibited the teaching of German to elementary school children. Meyer itself remains a vital cornerstone for the protection of [...]
Ohio legislature advances joint resolution to raise threshold to enact a constitutional amendment
The Ohio General Assembly advanced Senate Joint Resolution 2 on Wednesday, which would raise the required threshold from 50 percent to 60 percent to enact a constitutional amendment. The senate concurred with the house’s amendments to the resolution. The resolution would require a vote of at least 60 percent of electors to approve any constitutional amendment [...]
DOJ files lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway for East Palestine train derailment
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Thursday filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway over the February 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The DOJ claims that Norfolk Southern released harmful pollutants into the area surrounding the derailment site, potentially exposing nearby residents to significant health issues. In the lawsuit, filed in federal court [...]