Ohio has always been a place where people come to work hard, raise families, and build a stronger future. From immigrants shaping Cleveland’s steel industry to international students in research and health care, openness has always helped our state thrive.
Two bills now under consideration in the General Assembly — House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 — threaten to change that. Both would bar citizens, companies, and even lawful permanent residents from several countries labeled “foreign adversaries” from owning or purchasing property within 25 miles of military bases or “critical infrastructure.”
The list includes China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela. The language may sound like a national security measure, but it’s not. These bills go far beyond targeting foreign governments or hostile corporations. They would affect green-card holders — people who have lived here legally for years, work in our hospitals and universities, and send their kids to Ohio schools…