"COLUMBUS — The Ohio Senate and House have agreed on a new state budget that includes language to ban Rights of Nature enforcement. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the legislation into law on Thursday.
Rights of Nature is a new legal paradigm that is gaining momentum in Ohio, across the United States and around the world. More than 30 communities in the U.S. have adopted Rights of Nature laws, which recognize the rights of ecosystems to exist and flourish, protecting communities and nature from increasing environmental threats. Similar laws and court decisions are in place in New Zealand, Ecuador, Colombia, and other countries.
In February, Toledo residents overwhelmingly adopted the Lake Erie Bill of Rights — the first law in this country recognizing the rights of a distinct ecosystem."
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