The Cincinnati NAACP and many organizations adamantly oppose the advancement of House Bill-22 (Expansion of Obstruction of Justice) because it is an arbitrary law proposal that will give more power to law enforcement to selectively penalize citizens. This bill allows police to increase the penalty of Obstruction of Justice up to a Felony against citizens simply exercising their right to free speech. The expansion of Obstruction of Justice is not only unnecessary but counter-productive to ongoing efforts toward better police and community relations. The current law reads as follow: ORC. 2921.32 OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE states: “No person, without privilege to do so and with purpose to prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance by a public official of any authorized act within the public official’s official capacity, shall do any act that hampers or impede a public official in the performance of the public official’s lawful duties.” There is no evidence of an increase in citizens impeding and preventing officers from performing their official duties. The current law as it stands is sufficient and addresses all acts that prevent, obstruct, or delay the performance of a public official. Adding failure to follow a lawful order and diverting the attention of a law enforcement officer will only broaden the scope in which law enforcement can penalize Ohioans. It is also extremely punitive to charge concerned citizens with the same level offense the accused is being charged. This regressive measure will only create more low-level felons in an already exhausted correctional system. HB-22 will lend more opportunity for police abuse of power, leaving citizens vulnerable and their rights exploited. Legislators and law enforcement who believe in our free society should never support a bill like this that attempts to thwart and penalize law-abiding citizens who exercise their rights to observe and record interactions with police and the public. If citizens witness police misconduct and have reasonable objections, the answer is not to create laws to penalize those good Samaritans, the answer instead, should be, to seek laws that welcome accountability and discourage police misconduct. Similar to the concerned citizens who witness police misconduct that led to the murder of George Floyd, they were within their rights to record the incident as evidence. As taxpayers, it is our right to freely approve and disapprove of Police conduct. Our inherit freedoms should not be left to the mercy of an officer whose tolerance levels could be biased. If HB-22 is made into law, it would only lead to more abuse of power that is subjective and discriminatory. Law Enforcement Officers receive first class, taxpayer funded training that provides an abundance of skill sets on how to work under pressure. We should not have to lower the bar and include unnecessary measures to Obstruction of Justice for trained professionals. Lawmakers must stop using every opportunity to strip away the freedoms and rights of citizens just to further empower a government agency that already lacks meaningful measures of accountability. If HB-22 becomes law, it will have a negative impact on peaceable citizens that could potentially face severe criminal charges for exercising their basic rights provided and protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Again, we are asking you to join us in opposing this bill by signing this petition to show lawmakers that you do not support HB-22 and demand the members of the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee DO NOT ADVANCE THIS BILL out of their committee. Below are the hyper link email addresses to each member of the Ohio Statehouse Criminal Justice Committee. Please also send emails and feel free to use the points above for reason why the bill should not pass: EMAIL ADDRESSESS OF OHIO LEGISLATORS BELOW: CC: Jeff Lare District 77 R- email: Rep77@ohiohouse.gov DJ Swearingen District 89 R- email: Rep89@ohiohouse.gov Cindy Abrams District 29 R- email: Rep29@ohiohouse.gov David Leland District 22 D- email: Rep22@ohiohouse.gov Willis E Blackshear Jr District 39 D- email: Rep39@ohiohouse.gov Sedrick Denson District 33 D- email: Rep33@ohiohouse.gov Tania Galonksi District 35 D- email: Rep35@ohiohouse.gov Adam C Miller District 17 D- email: Rep17@ohiohouse.gov Phil Plummer District 40 R- email: Rep40@ohiohouse.gov Sharon A Ray District 69 R- email: Rep69@ohiohouse.gov Jean Schmidt District 65 R- email: Rep65@ohiohouse.gov Bill Seitz District 30 R- email: Rep30@ohiohouse.gov Andrea White District 41 R- email: Rep41@ohiohouse.gov

Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by police officers, while she was sleeping in her apartment. She was only 26. Today, none of the three officers who fired into her home have been charged in her death. Now, they are now seeking fame and profit over Breonna's name and memory. The book, which is titled “The Fight For Truth: The Inside Story Behind the Breonna Taylor Tragedy" is a brazen attempt to rehabilitate the image of Mattingly, who still has his job and has never served time. Breonna has already lost her life due to the actions of this officer. She will never be able to tell her story. Mattingly shouldn't either.

The time is now for our legislature to pass meaningful, common sense laws that will hold police accountable and make our families safer. The killings of George Floyd and Daunte Wright were not an anomaly. Police brutality is a real issue that disproportionately impacts Black, Indigenous, people of color and low income people in Minnesota and across our nation. In Minnesota alone, there have been over 400 deaths from police brutality since 2000. The torture and killing of George Floyd in eight minutes and 46 seconds is perhaps one of the worst police brutality cases in our nation's history. This happened here, in our state, in our community. And the recent killing of Daunte Wright on the night of April 11 was another example of grotesque, unaccountable police violence. Daunte was shot dead just minutes after being pulled over for allegedly hanging air fresheners in his rearview mirror. In this moment as the entire nation and world watches Minnesota, we have an opportunity to lead the nation by passing pragmatic laws to promote safety, justice, transparency and accountability. Courageous Minnesotans are currently standing up for justice for all and peaceful protestors are demanding accountability and common-sense laws. Today, we are asking Minnesotans to demand Justice for George Floyd and all Stolen Lives by passing the following bills during this year's state legislative session. The bills would : End the Statute of Limitations for Lawsuits for Wrongful Deaths Caused by Police (HF 717, SF 2021) Strengthen Civilian Oversight (HF 640) End Police-Only Responses to Mental Health Crisis Calls (HF 1686, SF 1924) End Qualified Immunity (HF 1104, SF 580) Independent Investigatory and Prosecutory Body for Police Critical Incidents End Prosecution for Reporting Police Misconduct (HF 2201) End No Knock Warrants (HF 1762, SF 2139) Require Police to Carry Professional Liability Insurance (HF 440, SF 815) Require Access to Body Worn Camera Footage in Police Critical Incidents within 48 Hours (HF 1103, SF 807) A growing coalition of community groups including Communities United Against Police Brutality, Minnesota Disability Justice Network, Minnesota Justice Coalition, Racial Justice Network, Twin Cities Coalition for Justice 4 Jamar, Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence and Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) Minnesota demands police accountability and an end to police violence.

There are a number of reasons why remote access to meetings should be preserved. First, it allows more people to attend meetings. This method has been necessary and is overdue - to remove it is discriminatory. There are those who cannot physically attend meetings for myriad reasons. Lack of transportation, caregiving, illness, age, etc. can all keep folks from in-person attendance. Second, following CDC guidelines in the meeting room means that attendance will be limited and, therefore, that fewer folks will be able to participate. To have meetings with only physical attendance and a limited number of attendees diminishes the public's ability to participate in decisions that involve them. Neptune had a hybrid meeting style in place. Third, NJ is still a highly at-risk state in terms of Covid infections. As of 9 April 20, cases were up 20% from a month ago. Monmouth County has the fourth-highest number of new cases. The Covid Tracker at the NY Times, updated on 10 April 21, states, "Monmouth County is at an extremely high risk of exposure to Covid-19." With these facts in mind, the reality is that there are those who will neither be able nor choose to participate because of health concerns. To deny the public remote access to meetings is exceedingly undemocratic and, at this time, medically unsafe.

We must all Stop Florida from becoming a citizen suppression state like what is happening in Georgia. Stand up for freedoms, stop voter suppression, and support citizen voices.

Gaetz has gone far to evade accountability for the things he’s done, so far that he sought a preemptive pardon for himself and other members of Congress for any crimes they committed, and though he didn’t get it, the investigation on him began under the Trump administration’s Department of Justice that was led by Bill Barr at the time, who abused his power by acting as Trump’s personal lawyer and covering up his many crimes. Gaetz’s predatory behavior is not new: While he was a member of the Florida House of Representatives, he showed other lawmakers nude photos of women that he claimed he slept with, he created a game to score “sexual conquests” that gave points for targets like interns, staffers, or other women colleagues, and he voted against a bill aimed at preventing people from sharing explicit photos of their ex-partners online. Gaetz, like his idol Trump, is a sexual predator. Not to mention that in 2020, Gaetz spewed baseless lies about the legitimacy of the election, which subsequently incited the storming of the Capitol by white supremacists, which he then called a false-flag operation by the left. Then, he and the GOP Treason Caucus refused to hold Trump accountable for obstruction of justice in the first impeachment trial, objected to certifying the 2020 election results, and even refused to hold Trump accountable for inciting a deadly insurrection in the second impeachment trial. Now, Rep. Gaetz is under federal investigation for sexual misconduct and sex trafficking a child. There is no room in Congress for a misogynistic sexual predator like him. That’s why we must take action to demand that Matt Gaetz resign from Congress, NOW!

After defending police officers who pepper-sprayed a 9-year-old girl, Rochester police union president Mike Mazzeo is now refusing to condemn officers who just attacked a mother and her toddler—including some of the same officers involved in pepper-spraying the 9-year-old. These are the latest incidents in a pattern of horrific police violence against Black people in Rochester, and Mazzeo has consistently worked to deflect accountability for police officers, excuse their conduct, and shift blame to city leaders. Mazzeo’s message to Rochester police officers is clear: use reckless violence against Rochester’s Black residents, and I will defend you, no matter the impact or consequences of your actions. In just a few months in Rochester, we can see how Mazzeo’s actions have excused police violence against Black people in the city: • In September, Mazzeo defended the officers who mocked, suffocated, and killed Daniel Prude, saying they did nothing wrong. • In January, Mazzeo defended the officers who abused and pepper sprayed a terrified, crying 9-year-old girl. • Just weeks later, Rochester officers viciously attack a mother and her girl after falsely accusing the mother of shoplifting—and Mazzeo has refused to condemn it, or push for any kind of accountability. If Mazzeo can excuse this kind of horrific police violence and remain the leader of the police union, it paves the way for Rochester police to continue committing acts of violence against Rochester residents, and makes achieving accountability for police and the enactment of necessary reforms nearly impossible. Mike Mazzeo has to go. Please join us in calling on Rochester’s Mayor, Chief of Police, City Council members, and Police Accountability Board to force Mazzeo’s departure, now.

Dr. Birx shared on CNN that in her estimation only 100,000 people should have died from this virus. If things had been mitigated properly 100s of thousands of lives could have been saved. The American People deserved to know the truth during the pandemic and STILL deserve to know the truth now. He caused unneeded hardship, emotional toll, debt and death to people unnecessarily.

Republicans think they can get away with taking the lazy option of choosing who votes instead of the courageous option of learning, and getting behind, what voters really want. This is partly because they have historically held the support of large corporations who benefit from their anti-labor stance of tax breaks, subsidies, and loopholes. But the support of business leaders helped Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., be recognized in his own state for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2006, pressure from business leaders helped incentivize the Republican-led Congress to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. Big business responded to the January 6 riot by pulling campaign contributions from members of Congress who voted to interfere with the electoral vote count. And current activism by voting-rights advocates in Georgia and elsewhere have spurred major US companies to come down on the side of democracy. Voters are consumers, and companies ultimately answer to us. Tell US companies to stand up and put their money and their clout where their mouth is. No more mealymouthed finger-shaking in the face of brazen attempts to resurrect Jim Crow: It's time to make the same decision they made after January 6. No more funding for the campaigns of any lawmaker, anywhere, who votes to enact policies that restrict voting rights in the name of the Big Lie. There was no fraud. There was no steal. What there SHOULD be is consequences for the liars and cheats who want to steal votes from Americans. Tell big business to make anti-democratic lawmakers get reelected on their own dime if this is how they're going to "serve" the people.

Individuals should have the right to make their own decisions regarding marijuana, and should not be imprisoned or punished for a nonviolent, victimless crime.

We have way too many people that have been given abusive sentences.

Body camera footage that is not classified as active or inactive criminal investigative data must be retained for at least 90 days according to Minnesota statutes. Unfortunately, the truth is that less than 0.1% of police body camera video files are ever reviewed. There is simply too much data for a human to automatically review. However, this data contains valuable insights that can be used to generate police performance metrics. The technology exists for these files to be scanned and analyzed to make reviews and reports an efficient and effective process. Wearing body cameras alone is not enough to instill trust in law enforcement transparency. The audio data needs to be analyzed through natural language processing that can identify the areas police departments need to improve to build community approval levels.