How ‘qualified immunity’ will appear on the Ohio ballot
Ohio - The Ohio Ballot Board made a decision that determines what you will see on the ballot. The decision is over a proposed amendment that would end Qualified Immunity.
The board decided the initiative to end qualified immunity only contained one proposed amendment, meaning organizers have the greenlight to gather signatures.
Qualified immunity shields public officials, such as police officers, from being personally liable in a lawsuit.
Supporters of an amendment to end qualified immunity celebrated the decision from the Ohio Ballot Board.
“I was just excited. I mean, I finally feel like we were validated, you know. Because all the time, Yost would deny the petition. We would correct it, right? He would come back with this is wrong or that's wrong,” said Cynthia Brown, committee chair and founder of the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity.
Supporters addressed the ballot board with their reasoning behind the measure. Jenny Rowe is a committee member for the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity. She said the issue is personal to her.
“I got involved with this mission in August of 2021 when my husband was brutally executed in our home,” said Rowe.
Brian Michael, representative for the Probate Crimes Coalition, was another person who shared his support for the initiative.
“I think we need to hold the public officials accountable when they color outside the lines of law. So, I’m for one ballot initiative,” said Michael.
This is not the first time the ballot board made a decision on this proposed amendment.
“Secretary Frank LaRose, you know, he was well aware of what happened in December. And they did approve it already that it was one single issue. So, it was like that same procedure today,” said Brown.
Prior to the meeting Tuesday, Attorney General Dave Yost, a vocal critic of the measure, rejected it's language repeatedly until a ruling last week by the U.S. Supreme Court found he was in violation of the organizers constitutional rights.
This decision by the board was one of the last hurdles to getting the matter before voters.
Organizers are now waiting for LaRose to certify the proposal. If the organizers get enough signatures, the proposed amendment will be on the ballot as early as 2026.
