To the Editor:
Is the Ohio Legislature representative of Ohioans or ALEC? Today, the Ohio Senate will be taking opponent
testimony on a bill introduced that would make it a felony to protest what is termed, “critical
infrastructure.”
This is one of many similar bills being introduced into state legislatures throughout the U.S. as a
result of the Koch-brother sponsored American Legislative Exchange Council initiatives to protect fossil
fuel interests such as natural gas pipelines that are being opposed for many good reasons all across the
country.
Thanks to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Frank Hoagland (who could also profit personally as he has interest in
two Ohio security firms), ALEC and its benefactors in the legislature were able to get Senate Bill 33 to
committee, despite the fact that such an infringement on our right to free speech will be usurped by
corporations’ rights to make huge donations to politicians in the guise of their “free speech.”
What we are seeing now since Citizens United is that the U.S. is no longer of, by and for the people but
of, by and for corporations to increase their profits and use legislative fiat to squash opposition and
protest.
The bill is being heard in the Judiciary Committee. For some reason, proponent testimony allowed anyone
to personally testify for the bill; but for the opponent testimony, we are limited to only five people,
severely restricting our time to testify. This discourages an important opportunity to hear from Ohio
constituents in opposition to this assault on free speech.
More people need to know what is happening in our legislatures as corporations use money as speech to
write favorable laws for themselves even if in violation of our rights. There is already a lawsuit in
South Dakota because of the passage of such legislation. Our taxpayer dollars pay for the salaries of
legislators and the lawyers who defend bad decisions.
Call your senator and tell them to say no to SB33. Then watch the vote to make sure that those who vote
to make peaceful protest a felony get voted out at the next election. There are more bad bills like Ohio
House bill HB393 that would make it legal to spread toxic, radioactive oil and gas waste on our roads.

What does your representative care about? Your rights or wishes of corporate donors?
Leatra Harper
Bowling Green