Ohio lawmakers proposes flag-planting ban in state

An Ohio lawmaker recently proposed a new law that would ban flag planting in the state following the actions of the Michigan football team following its road win against Ohio State.

State Rep. Josh Williams is sponsoring House Bill 700, also known as the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act, and introduced the proposed legislation during a House session on Tuesday.

After the Wolverines’ 13-10 win against the Buckeyes on the road on November 30, several fights broke out between the two teams when Michigan players planted their school flag at the center of Ohio Stadium. Several law enforcement officers had to break up the scrums, deploying pepper spray in some situations.

A recent story from CBS News detailed the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act. Below is an excerpt from the CBS News story.

The bill reads, “No person shall plant a flagpole with a flag attached to it in the center of the football field at Ohio Stadium of the Ohio State University on the day of a college football competition, whether before, during, or after the competition.”

The Big Ten fined both universities $100,000 each for the brawl, saying the teams’ actions violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy.

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“Not only did the actions of both teams violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, [but] the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders,” the conference said in a statement.

To read the full story from CBS News about the proposed Ohio law, click here.