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Ohio proposal threatens conservative legal efforts
Trent England • Jul 09, 2026

Conservative lawsuits against groups like Planned Parenthood could be shut down by legislation in Ohio. That is the message of a new article by former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. He notes that the bill “risks disarming some of the very legal organizations that conservatives rely on to challenge institutions like Planned Parenthood, corporate DEI and ESG policies, and government overreach when those fights reach the courts.”

The issue is third-party financing of litigation, which conservatives appear to rely on much more than progressives. This is likely because most big law firms are controlled by the political left, either directly or through fear of harassment, boycotts, and other bullying tactics commonly used by progressives. In fact, Ohio’s HB 105 could make it easier for the left to harass conservative supporters.

Conservatives should not casually support rules that make it easier for opponents to identify and target those backing challenges to progressive orthodoxies. Gene Hamilton, former Deputy White House Counsel to President Trump, has likewise warned that this kind of legislation can end up bolstering the very corporations pushing progressive agendas by choking off the capital conservatives use to challenge them. Lawmakers, both in Washington and Ohio, should take that warning seriously.

Blackwell points out that third-party funding supports many legitimate—and important—legal actions. Anyone who is truly concerned about nuisance suits, lawfare, or excessive judgments will should seek policies that targeting those things. Tying up funding through regulation or doxxing is overbroad, unnecessary, and harmful to conservative cases.