HB1 bans all foreign nationals, including permanent U.S. resident “green card” holders, from making contributions or expenditures regarding ballot issues or candidates.
The Senate passed HB1 on May 31, 2024, by a vote of 24 to 7. We have assigned pluses to the yeas because U.S. citizens should determine U.S. elections—not foreign money or influence. The “right of Representation in the Legislature” belongs to the American people alone, who owe true faith and allegiance to the Constitution and are not subject to any foreign power. Lawmakers in Ohio should exercise their authority under Article I, Section 4, of the Constitution, as well as the 14th and 26th Amendments, to protect American elections from foreign interference and ensure equal protection of “the right of citizens of the United States to vote.”
