Live Free USA's Josh Riddick Urges Indiana Voters to Reject Public Question 1
In an October 23 op-ed published by The Indiana Citizen, Josh Riddick, Indiana State Organizing Manager for Live Free USA, urges voters to reject Public Question 1 which appears on the November 3 ballot. The piece explains that the proposed constitutional amendment would weaken Indiana’s 175-year-old right to bail by expanding judges’ authority to detain individuals awaiting trial, potentially even for misdemeanor offenses. Opponents argue that lawmakers should focus on fixing the state’s overcrowded jails, court backlogs and other criminal justice problems rather than diminishing longstanding constitutional protections.
The op-ed emphasizes that public safety and constitutional rights are not mutually exclusive. Judges already have tools such as electronic monitoring, supervision and other conditions of release to protect communities without denying defendants their right to bail. Pretrial detention can also have devastating consequences for individuals who have not been convicted of a crime, including job loss, financial hardship and disruption of family responsibilities. Rather than expanding government authority to incarcerate people before trial, Indiana lawmakers should pursue meaningful criminal justice reforms that protect both public safety and individual liberties.
Below is an excerpt from the op-ed as well as a link to the full opinion piece.
RIDDICK COMMENTARY: PUBLIC QUESTION 1 ON THE BALLOT BECAUSE LAWMAKERS FAILED TO FIX THE SYSTEM
By Josh Riddick
Live Free USA
October 23, 2026
On November 3, Indiana voters will decide whether to amend our state Constitution to give judges broader authority to jail people without bail while they await trial.
I’m voting NO on Public Question 1 — and here’s why.
For 175 years, Indiana’s Constitution has protected the right to bail, with limited exceptions for murder and treason when the proof is evident or the presumption strong. That language dates to 1851, a decade before Abraham Lincoln became president.
Think about that. Through the Civil War to the Civil Rights era, this constitutional protection has endured. Now we’re being told it needs to change?
