A Look at Ohio Issue #1

DISCLAIMER: There are many reliable reports out there that say Issue 1 is probably not going to make it onto the ballot thanks to an Ohio District Appellate Court confirming a decision by Secretary of State Ken Blackwell to reject due to a lack of signatures. Therefore, read up... but be aware that it might not be there on November 7.

ISSUE 1

Issue 1 will reform Ohio's Workers' Compensation Law. A few of the notables:

• Allows workers' compensation and benefits to be awarded to a victim of sexual assault at the workplace.
• Prohibits certain prisoners from receiving workers' compensation and benefits while confined to a county jail and designates the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Special Investigation Department a criminal justice agency.
• Exempts the addresses and phone numbers of workers receiving workers' compensation and benefits from Ohio's Public Records Law and from public access, except to journalists.

The complete official argument AGAINST Issue 1:

Senate Bill 7 is a devious attack on injured workers' benefits in just another effort to pay for “Coingate” and other bad investment “kick-back” schemes on the backs of injured workers. Don't let them get away with taking your family's benefits. Vote NO to reject Senate Bill 7.

In 1997, lawmakers tried to pass a similar bill to benefit greedy corporations saying it was necessary to save businesses $200 million per year. Less than 2 weeks after voters like yourself stood up and said NO to those take-aways, the truth was exposed when the BWC gave employers over $2 Billion of injured workers' monies. Since then, the BWC has given employers refunds or credits of over $12 BILLION of money earmarked for injured workers, their widows and orphans ! Big business and greedy corporations lied to us then, and they are trying to lie to us again now. We voted against their greed in 1997 – we need to do it again this November.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH !

Only the injured worker take-away provisions of this bill are being challenged. Be truthful with Ohio's families and tell them the benefits that Senate Bill 7 will eliminate:

• Cuts the time a claim remains open for the payment of compensation and medical benefits from 10 to 5 years.
• Reduces non-working wage loss compensation from 200 to 52 weeks.
• Reverses 5 separate Supreme Court Cases which ruled in favor of granting workers' rights and benefits.
• Discriminates against older workers or anyone who has had a previous injury by eliminating their ability to file a claim for a pre-existing condition unless the new injury substantially aggravates it.

Protect yourself. Protect your family.

Protect Ohio.

Vote NO on Issue 1

The complete official argument SUPPORTING Issue 1:

Voting “YES” preserves the rights of injured workers so they are compensated quickly and fairly and promotes common-sense cost-saving reforms for employers.

S.B. 7 was passed by a majority of Ohio's legislators who worked with employee rights advocates and Ohio's employers to ensure Ohio workers are protected if they are injured during work, while also preserving Ohio jobs with cost-saving changes for employers. Special interest groups who were unsuccessful in blocking the bill during the legislative process have led an effort to prevent enactment of this meaningful reform measure of the Workers' Compensation system. Your "YES” vote will ensure these needed reforms become law.

S.B. 7 increases protections against fraud in Ohio's Workers' Compensation system and does the following:

• Speeds up compensation for Ohio's injured workers
• Better protects women in the workplace
• Provides opportunities for job creation and job retention in Ohio

Voting “YES” will:

• Improve a system where injured workers receive needed care and return to work quickly;
• Fix current flaws in the system that result in costly waste, fraud and abuse;
• Stop those who prey on injured workers by protecting workers' privacy by removing their home addresses and telephone numbers from public record;
• For the first time, allow workers' compensation benefits if a woman is sexually assaulted while at work;
• Prohibit prisoners from continuing to collect Workers' Compensation benefits while in jail;
• Ensure more than $100 million in savings to the system that protects injured workers and helps employers reinvest in their businesses so they may preserve and create Ohio jobs.

Support injured workers. Preserve and Create jobs.

Vote "YES" on Issue 1.

What I think:

Frankly, I don't think much of this issue. As I've heard from very reliable sources that it won't be on the ballot, I've researched this one the least. On principle, I will be voting Yes as it appears to be the work of a special interest group to block legislation that has previously passed. It also protects personal information of those on worker's comp. Regular readers of this blog know that's something for which I am a strong advocate.