COLUMBUS, Ohio – Several progressive advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging a new Ohio law that prohibits lawful permanent residents, visa-holders and others from contributing to statewide ballot issue campaigns.
The plaintiffs – the Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership, Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, and foreign nationals and lawful permanent residents living in the U.S. – say the new law infringes on their constitutional rights to free speech, association, and equal protection under the law. They’re asking U.S. District Judge Michael Watson to block enforcement of the law, which was passed by Republicans and signed by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine last month.
OPAWL says it faces crippling financial and criminal penalties under the bill for receiving contributions from its members – some of whom are lawful permanent residents of the U.S., sometimes referred to as “green card holders” – and would need to start gathering citizenship information from …