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Legislative
Black Caucus Introduces Bill to Remove Slavery from Ohio
Constitution
Special to The
Truth
Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC) President and State
Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) and members of the OLBC
last week introduced a resolution to remove slavery
references from the Ohio constitution, calling the
references archaic and offensive to all Ohioans, including
those whose ancestors were kidnapped and held captive as
slaves.
“No slavery, no exceptions,” said Reece. “Over 150 years
after our nation abolished slavery, there can be no
acceptable circumstance for slavery in our state, and our
constitution must reflect that. In 2016, this General
Assembly should give Ohioans the opportunity to take slavery
out of our state’s guiding document.”
Section six of the Ohio constitution’s Bill of Rights
says “there shall be no slavery in this State; nor
involuntary servitude, unless for the punishment of crime.”
“Any form of slavery, regardless of the circumstance, is
immoral and abhorrent and should not be condoned by the
state constitution,” said State Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron).
“The people of Ohio should have the chance to remove the
antiquated, offensive slavery reference from our state’s
founding document.”
Should the resolution receive approval from three-fifths of
both the House and Senate, a statewide proposal to remove
the slavery reference from the state constitution would be
put on the ballot this November.
“This issue is about more than language – it’s about our
values and what we stand for as a state,” said House
Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton). “A constitution
is not just an arrangement of governing laws, but a set of
fundamental principles that guides its people. Slavery has
no rightful place in our state’s founding document.”
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