Law Journal
Joint Comments Filed with the PUCO by OPLC and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel
January 2016The Ohio Poverty Law Center and the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) filed joint comments with the PUCO urging the PUCO to assert jurisdiction over utility submetering companies and resellers and to protect Ohio utility consumers from abusive and unfair utility submetering and reselling practices. Document
Continue ReadingOPLC Senior Attorney Mike Smalz participates in Advocates for Ohio’s Future press conference on HB 394
January 2016Video and article from Channel 10, Columbus, Ohio is here
Continue ReadingWhat Will Happen to Ohio’s Safety Net Programs?
January 2015As we begin the new 2015-2016 legislative session, the Ohio House has new leadership, with a larger majority of Republicans, the Senate has the same leadership, and the voters endorsed the same Governor, not to mention the same roster of other elected state officials. As a poverty law practitioner and advocate for low income Ohioans, […]
Continue ReadingThe Future of Payday Lending in Ohio – Take 2
June 2014In a previous post, I suggested that the Ohio Supreme Court may or may not decide the future of payday lending in Ohio. On Thursday, June 12, the Court did issue a decision. Unfortunately for Ohio consumers and voters, the Court validated the current industry business model, deciding that these short term, small dollar predatory […]
Continue ReadingWe Thought We Had Resolved Electronic Access to Unemployment Compensation, But…
April 2014Last July we told you about House Bill 2 – the bill that as originally proposed would have required every unemployed Ohio worker seeking unemployment compensation benefits to electronically “register” (prepare and post a complete job resume) on the new OhioMeansJobs before he or she could receive any unemployment benefits. Check out our July 25, […]
Continue ReadingLoan Sharking and Payday Lending
March 2014In the struggle to regulate the short term, small dollar loan industry, one theory regularly pops up. This theory states that if such loans are capped and regulated, violent loan sharks will take the place of legitimate small loan businesses that would not be able to survive under such onerous regulation. The violent loan shark […]
Continue ReadingOhio Supreme Court Will Decide the Future of Payday Lending in Ohio – Or Not
December 2013On December 10, Ohio legal aid advocates, represented by Julie Robie from the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, participated in an oral argument before the Ohio Supreme Court in the case of Ohio Neighborhood Finance, dba Cashland v. Scott. What is notable about our participation is that legal aid did not represent any party involved […]
Continue ReadingConsumer Advocates Offer Recommendations to PUCO Rules
October 2013Recently, Ohio residential consumer advocates were invited by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO to file comments of on the rules governing the connection, disconnection and reconnection of gas and electric service and Ohio’s low income assistance program the Percentage of Income Payment program Plus (PIPP Plus) as part of the PUCO’s five-year review. […]
Continue ReadingMedicaid expansion is a win-win for Ohio
August 2013August 28, 2013: the Ohio Poverty Law Center releases fact sheets showing why Medicaid expansion is a win-win for Ohio For Immediate Release: August 28, 2013 Facts show that Medicaid expansion is a win-win for Ohio The Ohio Poverty Law Center released fact sheets on health care coverage and spending for each of Ohio’s 88 counties showing why expanding […]
Continue ReadingAdvocates Improve Unemployment Compensation Bill for Ohio Workers
July 2013The Ohio General Assembly has passed new unemployment compensation legislation, House Bill 2 (HB 2), and Governor Kasich signed HB 2 on July 11, 2013. It becomes law 90 days after the Governor’s signature, but certain requirements take effect at a later date. As a result of advocacy by Mike Smalz (Ohio Poverty Law center), Hannah Halbert (Policy Matters) and […]
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