(6-19-25) The Darke County Republican Party today posted on social media concerns for a ‘qualified immunity’ ballot initiative.

An Ohio ballot initiative seeks to eliminate qualified immunity for police officers and other government employees, allowing individuals to sue for alleged constitutional rights violations. This initiative, if passed, would allow lawsuits against the state, its subdivisions, and public employees for alleged violations of Ohio’s constitution. The initiative would also prevent government actors from using immunities like qualified immunity as a defense.

A prepared advisory was distributed by the Ohio Republican Party.

On April 22, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s (R) request for a stay on a federal district court’s requiring him to advance the proposed citizen-initiated constitutional amendment.[11] Earlier, on March 14, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge James Graham ruled that O.R.C. § 3519.01(A) violated the First Amendment. The plaintiffs in the case were Cynthia Brown, Carlos Buford, and Jenny Sue Rowe—three sponsors of the proposed ballot initiative.

A push on ‘X’ is by the The Ohio Coalition To End Qualified Immunity to get the proposal on the ballot.