A stark but unsurprising contrast in the philosophy of governance and civil rights enforcement is emerging between the proposals of Project 2025 and the grassroots efforts of the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity.

While Project 2025 seeks to curtail federal oversight and reshape the civil service, the Ohio initiative, much like the historic 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, aims to intensify and reinforce the accountability of government officials who’ve committed civil rights violations. The Protecting Ohioans’ Constitutional Rights citizen-led ballot amendment initiative was cleared for signature gathering earlier this year. The initiative seeks to restore a fundamental check on government power by allowing Ohioans to hold public officials and entities accountable in civil court.

​Project 2025, a comprehensive and deeply conservative plan to reform the federal government, proposes a significant rollback of the federal government’s role in enforcing civil rights. Central to its platform is the dismantling of what it terms “left-wing race and gender ideology” and a reining in of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) enforcement powers. The project advocates for the elimination of administrative tools such as consent decrees, that have been used to reform police departments and other government agencies accused of systemic misconduct. Instead, it favors a more limited approach to civil rights enforcement, confined to direct litigation. ​

This approach stands in direct opposition to the foundational principles of the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871. Enacted during the Reconstruction Era, this landmark legislation was a direct federal response to the failure of states to protect the constitutional rights of newly freed African Americans from the terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan. The Act, formally known as the Enforcement Act of 1871, empowers the federal government to intervene when states are unable or unwilling to uphold the 14th Amendment’s guarantees of equal protection. It also allows individuals to sue state and local officials for civil rights deprivations. A key tool for holding government actors accountable. ​

While Project 2025 does not explicitly call for the repeal of the 1871 Act, its proposals would fundamentally weaken the enforcement mechanisms that give the law its teeth. By advocating for a reduction in federal oversight and the politicization of the civil service through the proposed “Schedule F,”, Project 2025 aims to shift the balance of power away from federal enforcement of civil rights and towards greater state autonomy. A move critics argue could echo the pre-1871 era where federal intervention was limited. ​

On the other end of the spectrum lies the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity. This citizen-led initiative has worked for nearly a decade to place a constitutional amendment on the state ballot that would eliminate qualified immunity for all public employees in Ohio.

Qualified immunity is a legal doctrine that shields government officials from liability in civil lawsuits unless their conduct violates “clearly established” statutory or constitutional rights. ​The Ohio Coalition’s goal is to make it easier for individuals to seek redress in state court when they believe their constitutional rights have been violated by government officials. This mirrors the spirit of the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, which for the first time on a broad federal level, created a pathway for individuals to hold state officials accountable for constitutional violations. ​

The juxtaposition of these two movements highlights a fundamental debate about the role of government and the protection of individual liberties. Project 2025’s vision is one of a more limited federal government with increased executive power, where civil rights enforcement is narrowed. In contrast, the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity, much like the drafters of the 1871 Act, seeks to empower individuals to challenge the authority of the state and demand accountability from public servants.

The former prioritizes a reordering of governmental power, while the latter champions the ability of citizens to hold that power in check.

Initially aiming for the November 2025 ballot, the Ohio Coalition to End Qualified Immunity has indicated they are now targeting the 2026 election to ensure they have adequate time to gather the required number of valid signatures from across the state. After a lengthy legal battle with the Ohio Attorney General, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the initiative, and the Ohio Ballot Board approved it as a single-subject issue.