COLUMBUS — After momentum fizzled the first time around, state Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, re-introduced an Ohio bill meant to curtail frivolous lawsuits that target individuals for practicing protected speech.
Known as the Ohio Citizen Participation Act, the bill would create an expedited legal framework for courts to follow if a SLAPP, or strategic lawsuit against public participation, ends up in civil court.
Huffman, who re-introduced the bill during a Tuesday morning press conference, said the bill’s purpose is to encourage public discussion and discourage the use of lawsuits that effectively stymie conversation by saddling individuals with unfair court procedure. Similar bills have been adopted by 36 other states by both conservative and liberal legislatures.
Read more about the bill here:
https://www.limaohio.com/news/379821/huffman-introduces-anti-slapp-bill
And watch the press conference announcing the Ohio Citizen Participation Act here:
https://ohiochannel.org/video/press-conference-announcing-the-ohio-citizen-participation-act