By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor
Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice.
– Nelson Mandela
The bi-partisan passage of Ohio House Bill 29, with its transformative amendments from Senate Bill 37, aligns more closely with ancient biblical principles than modern political trends.
Passed in the waning moments of the marathon lame-duck 2024 Ohio legislative session, the bill eliminates debt-related driver’s license suspensions.
While this effort appears like a dry policy change to some, the legislative accomplishment mirrors what biblical scholar Scot McKnight calls a “Jubilee vision – a radical economic reset rooted in liberation and justice.”
According to The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s research report, “Road to Nowhere: Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio,” a staggering one million Ohio drivers currently have suspended licenses. Approximately 60 percent of these suspensions are debt-related, specifically for owing unpaid fines and fees unrelated to dangerous driving offenses.
You already know! Not only do debt-related suspensions burden Ohio communities with an average annual outstanding total debt of over $920 million, but debt-related suspensions are disproportionately burdensome in Ohio’s most vulnerable communities, occurring at higher rates in urban areas, costing residents of Ohio’s highest poverty zip codes an average of $7.9 million each year and the residents with the highest percentages of people of color an average of $12 million yearly.
These suspensions trap people of color in cycles of poverty as seemingly minor traffic stops quickly spiral into thousands of dollars owed to the state. When individuals lose their ability to drive due to unpaid fines and fees, they also lose their ability to work, attend school and care for their families, let alone earn the money to pay down their debt, according to Road to Nowhere.
This oppressive system mirrors the economic bondage described in the biblical book of Leviticus, where Jubilee—a proclamation issued once every 50 years—reset economic imbalances by forgiving debts, freeing indentured servants and restoring land to families. It was not charity. It was structural change, a societal reset button designed to prevent generational poverty and systemic exploitation.
The Ohio Legislature’s effort to provide immediate relief to those unfairly burdened by a system that penalized poverty parallels the biblical Jubilee spirit. In his reflections on Jesus’ Jubilee vision, Scot McKnight highlights Luke 4:18-19 (my favorite passage), where Jesus declares his mission: “to proclaim good news to the poor…freedom for the prisoners…and to set the oppressed free.” McKnight adds that Jesus’ kingdom vision was not abstract spirituality but rather was deeply economic, social and transformative.
While policymakers may not have explicitly referenced Leviticus or Jesus’ mission statement, it is indeed “good news” for Ohio’s economy, our communities, and the millions unfairly trapped in cycles of debt.
Ohio’s License Reform legislation is also a reminder that bipartisan cooperation can lead to meaningful reforms that uplift individuals and strengthen society as a whole.
Senate Bill 37’s co-sponsors, Republican Senator Louis Blessing III and Democratic House Representative Catherine Ingram, along with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Nathan Manning, were instrumental in the bill’s passing and therefore merit special recognition.
Yet, a win for fairness, economic opportunity and social progress does not become a reality without broad support and the collaborative efforts of many others who deserve acclaim. These include the unparalleled work of Susan Jager, the Ohio Poverty Law Center and its many allies, and Rep. Josh Williams (R) District 44, who spoke on the House Floor in support of the measure, highlighting its practical importance: “The practice of suspending someone’s license impacted the ability to find and keep a job.”
Ohio is now back on the road – and moving in the right direction.
The passage of this transformational reform bill is a significant step toward an Ohio where justice isn’t measured by punitive fines but by opportunities for restoration and dignity.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD, at drdlperryman@enterofhopebaptist.org