JULY 4, 2019

BWC budget bill goes overtime
The Ohio legislature sent the BWC budget bill to a conference committee after the Senate stripped all the amendments that the House had added to the bill.  Unable to meet the June 30 deadline to pass a BWC budget, the legislature passed a resolution authorizing the BWC to continue operations for 30 days while the House and Senate hammer out a deal.

OAJ supports the positive amendments that the House added and is urging the Senate to agree to those House amendments. 
Click here to link to HB 80 – BWC budget bill

State budget bill also misses deadline
The Ohio Senate and House were unable to agree on the state budget bill by June 30, which ends the state fiscal year.  The legislature passed a continuation budget resolution, which keeps state government operating and gives lawmakers seventeen days to find a middle ground on a host of issues.

Click here to link to HB 166

WC for first responders with PTSD
Police, firefighters and EMTs diagnosed with PTSD would qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, if recently introduced legislation is enacted.  OAJ has concerns because the bill offsets workers’ comp benefits against disability payments and limits medical treatment to one year.   The bill awaits referral to House committee.

Click here to link to HB 308

A new Quarterly is out!
The July Quarterly is now available to view online. Click here to read.

July 24th: A Nitty, Gritty, Down and Dirty Discussion of Depositions and Cross-Examination Webinar
This one-hour webinar is jam-packed with practical advice on taking detailed and thorough depositions. It will cover both discovery depositions and evidentiary depositions. It will also include a discussion of what it takes to effectively cross-examine adverse witnesses and expert witnesses. This webinar is $99 for OAJ members. Click here to register.