Slavery as punishment for crimes is on the chopping block in Ohio

The Ohio Constitution currently allows slavery when it's used "for the punishment of crime," but that may not be the case for long, according to a CNN report.

Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, a Democrat, reportedly teamed up with Republican Rep. Phil Plummer to introduce an amendment to the state constitution that would remove slavery and involuntary servitude entirely from the document. The proposed change was referred to the Constitutional Resolutions Committee on Wednesday, according to CNN.

"Lawmakers are proposing the language to change to, 'There shall never be slavery in this state; nor involuntary servitude,'" according to the report.

It continues:

"Jarrells told CNN that he wants to change 'archaic and outdated language.' He added that many people he has spoken to about the bill are shocked because they don’t know such language exists in the state Constitution."

“I want my children, when they grow up, to live in a state where the vestiges of slavery no longer exist,” Jarrells said, according to the CNN piece.

According to Jarrells, the proposal must be passed by the House and the Senate before it would be put on the general election ballot. At that point, he told CNN, it would require a 50% majority vote plus one to pass.

"While other lawmakers have tried to amend this clause before, this is the first time a measure has bipartisan support," CNN reported. "In 2016, former Ohio State Rep. Alicia Reece introduced a bill to change the language and Rep. Cecil Thomas introduced another joint resolution in 2020 to remove the exception for slavery and involuntary servitude from the Constitution."