David Leland
House leaders press pause on cash bail provisions
A proposal directing judges to consider public safety when setting cash bail is in limbo after House leaders backtracked on holding a floor vote. The provisions — one statutory and one meant for the ballot — faltered because some Republican members want to see a broader bail reform measure pass alongside them. “There was discussion […]
House committee approves ‘public safety’ measures that could expand cash bail in Ohio
The House criminal justice committee passed two measures Wednesday that could lead to a greater reliance on cash bail. Meanwhile, lawmakers amended a different bail reform measure to set explicit limits on the calculation of cash bail. Although the proposals appear to be at cross-purposes, advocates are hoping the two could work together. The proposals […]
There were many efforts to change Ohio election laws in 2020, but few succeeded
More Ohioans voted in the 2020 General Election than in any other election in state history. Elections officials, voter rights advocates and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are still looking into ways to improve voting access for the years to come. There were numerous legislative efforts to change Ohio’s elections system in big […]
Lawmakers seek Ohio moratorium on evictions, foreclosures
Ohioans struggling to pay their rents or mortgages may head into 2021 without the housing protections and public assistance that have carried them through much of the pandemic this year. A federal moratorium on evictions is about to expire. Two other relief programs helping unemployed Americans are set to run out. There are believed to […]
Dem bill would protect unemployment benefits for at-risk workers
Two Democratic lawmakers say Ohioans should not have to choose between their lives and their livelihoods. To that end, they have introduced a bill seeking to protect cautious workers from losing their unemployment benefits as more and more Ohio businesses begin to reopen. State Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, are the leading […]
Bills to prevent utility shutoffs, evictions and foreclosures introduced in Ohio House
Two separate bills have been introduced in the Ohio House to address economic hardships stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, including one to prevent evictions and foreclosures and the other to prevent utility shutoffs. On Sunday, state Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, introduced a bipartisan bill to put a stop to evictions and […]