On February 11, 2014, Washington state Governor Jay Inslee declared a moratorium on the death penalty, citing its unequal application as the reason. It’s an interesting position for him to take when there are only nine inmates on death row in Washington. In comparison, we have 138 inmates on death row in Ohio. While cost […]
Washington state places moratorium on death penalty Read Post »
Today’s Dispatch carried two articles dealing with kids. The first concerns a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the Ohio Department of Youth Services for punishing mentally handicapped juveniles by placing them in seclusion. One boy was allegedly locked up alone for 21 days straight. If you’re not shocked by those allegations,
When it comes to troubled kids, listen to the pros Read Post »
Some weeks back, the news carried reports about a newly discovered by-product of hydraulic fracturing—radioactive waste. While the oil and gas industry vigorously promote the safety of fracking, as it is commonly known, we need to be concerned about several things. First, the industry has done its best to downplay the dangers. When speaking before
Time for a tough talk on fracking’s inevitable danger Read Post »
For those of you who missed it, Victoria’s Secret and its affiliate, La Senza, have just engaged in combat with Maidenform—okay, they’re actually litigating, but their cause is awfully important—over who has the right to produce—yes, you guessed it—a bra. Not just any bra, mind you. We’re talking about the “Bombshell ® brassiere” and the
Is litigation over bras frivolous? No way! Read Post »
The Gideon case mandated that everyone is entitled to counsel when facing the possibility of incarceration. If you can’t afford counsel, the court will appoint an attorney for you, but should we be concerned about the indigent having to go it alone in “high-stakes” civil cases? Here’s my view, published in today’s Dispatch: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2014/02/19/no-one-should-go-to-court-without-counsel.html
Should Gideon extend to civil cases? Read Post »
A bill has been proposed that would give Ohio schools authority to expel, for up to 180 days, students who pose an “imminent and severe endangerment to the health and safety” of other students or employees. The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics thinks H.B. 334 is a bad idea because it’s reactive
Bill that proposes more student expulsion doesn’t solve the problem Read Post »
In a recent session of the Ohio House, Rep. Mike Curtin, D-Marble Cliff, explained why he opposes the Republican sponsored resolution “urging the IRS to not review tax-exempt applications based on an organization’s presumed political affiliation.” Here is an excerpt of what he said. I rise to oppose House Concurrent Resolution 27 because it fails
Mike Curtin speaks out against tax abuse Read Post »
The Ohio General Assembly is moving in the right direction with one bill that concerns kids and going the wrong direction with another. First, the bill that’s going in the right direction, SB 167, which proposes to end the “policy of zero tolerance for violent, disruptive, or inappropriate behavior.” Enacted in 1998, zero tolerance has
General Assembly gets it right but also gets it wrong Read Post »
Just a week ago, NBC News reported that a 12-year old walked into a New Mexico middle school gymnasium, armed with a sawed-off shotgun. He shot two students. Both sustained serious injuries. Yesterday, The Dispatch reported that a 4-year old boy in Detroit was fatally shot by his 4-year old cousin, a girl. According to
Kids shot accidentally because of easy access to guns Read Post »
Rep. Bill Patmon, D-Cleveland, is sponsoring H.B. 31 that, if passed, will require all firearms to be either safely secured or locked when they are kept in residences and there are minors about who can gain access to the firearms. Gun advocates view the bill as an infringement of their rights. I understand the concerns
Gun storage bill is about safety Read Post »
Secretary of State John Husted is advocating on-line voting. Regrettably, politics are in play whenever it comes to anything related to voting. Democrats want to improve access to the voting polls, while Republicans voice concern about the problems that come with greater access. Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, stated, “I’ve been told that there are folks
Voting is too important to be subject to political haggling Read Post »
On December 10, the Ohio Supreme Court will hear a case concerning short term, high interest loans known as payday loans. The focus of the case is the breadth of the Short-Term Loan Act, which limits how much lenders can charge. Payday loans are prevalent throughout the state. Some consider these loans to be usurious
Ohio Supreme Court to hear payday loan case Read Post »