Ohio Poverty Law Center

𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲! Join us on September 12 at Seventh Son Brewing for Justice On Tap, a celebration of OPLC's 15th anniversary! Ticket and raffle proceeds support OPLC's mission to advocate for Ohioans living, working, and raising their families in poverty. Find out more about Justice On Tap and get your tickets here: https://ow.ly/45Qs50SXWBI

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗽:
📅September 12 | 5-7 p.m.
🎟️Tickets are $15—Includes one drink ticket!
🍻Craft drinks and heavy appetizers
🍷Wine pull
🎫 50/50 raffle—Winner will split raffle sales with OPLC. 𝘈 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘖𝘗𝘓𝘊, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥!

Justice On Tap: Celebrating OPLC's 15th Anniversary Our celebration will take place on Thursday, September 12, 2024, from 5 pm to 7 pm at Seventh Son Brewing Company. This Columbus brewery specializes in ales and IPAs. In addition to your one free drink with a ticket, Seventh Son will donate $1 from every beer sold to our guests.

Great bi-partisan op-ed from the Dayton Daily News in support of Senate Bill 37! Life does not stop for Miami Valley residents if their driver's license is suspended. They still need to go to work, the grocery store, take their children to school. SB 37 limits the state’s ability to suspend driver’s licenses for non-driving offenses.

VOICES: SB 37 is good first step in ending Ohio license suspension cycle There are too many unlicensed drivers on our local roads right now – people who once had their driver’s license but lost it, and there are myriad reasons. Too often, once their license is suspended, it is never obtained again.

We're happy to report that a group of consumer advocates and utility regulators—including Ohio Consumer's Council, Pro Seniors, Inc., and OPLC—has reached a deal with AEP to increase the reliability of electric service.

Regulators reach agreement with AEP to try to decrease frequency, length of power outages The Public Utility Commission of Ohio approved new reliability standards for AEP Ohio. The standards will require the company to reduce power outages, instead of allowing them to increase as the company initially requested.

If half of Ohioans with a debt-related suspension stopped driving, the state’s labor force could lose more than 830,000 workers. would eliminate certain driver’s license suspensions and reduce fines for others. It's time to pass the bill.

Ohio bill would limit drivers license suspensions for non-driving offenses License suspensions as a form of punishment could become significantly less common in Ohio if a Senate-approved, bipartisan bill gets confirmed by the House before the end of the year.

Amy Riegel from Coalition On Homelessness and Housing in Ohio on the state's affordable housing crisis: “Wages for Ohio’s most common jobs have increased significantly since the pandemic. Employers are trying to keep pace with inflation, but the skyrocketing cost of rent has effectively erased these wage gains, pushing affordable homes out of reach for a large swath of Ohio’s workforce.”

Full-time workers need to make $20.81 an hour to afford two-bedroom apartment in Ohio • Ohio Capital Journal Ohioans need to be making at least $20.81 an hour working a full-time job to be able to afford a "modest" two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio.

📰The July edition of the OPLC Newsletter is out now!

OPLC Newsletter: Bipartisan Support for Record Sealing Opportunities Continues Ohio’s first criminal record sealing law was enacted in 1974 and was left nearly untouched for more than 40 years. In recent years, however, few substantive areas of the law have received more bipartisan support and changes than criminal record sealing and reentry. From 2018-2022 the legislature e...

Lawmakers should pass SB 37, so that Ohio citizens who struggle with court-related debt will be able to satisfy their financial obligations and contribute to their jobs, families, and communities, paving the way for a better and brighter future for all.

VOICES: To steer people toward success, reconsider license suspensions for non-dangerous driving offenses Joy Weber saw the police lights flashing in her rearview mirror and pulled over. Twenty years before, in Stark County, Ohio, she had served two years in prison for theft. Since then, she had turned her life around. Supporting her family with three jobs, Joy was proud of how far she had come. Now, he...

Check out Community Legal Aid Services' great explainer on why creating an expedited eviction process to address "squatting" is bad policy, unnecessary, and would harm lower-income Ohio tenants:

Ohio’s new “squatter” legislation threatens rightful tenants | Community Legal Aid by Andrew Neuhauser, CLA Managing AttorneyThe Ohio General Assembly is considering three bills - HB 478, HB 480, and SB 241 - that would create an expedited eviction process when a landlord believes residents are so-called squatters.

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio - LASCO Attorney Sierra Cooper on the need to expand criminal record sealing in Ohio: "I have seen first-hand how many of my clients are denied jobs and housing because of the volume of their criminal history, regardless of the types of offenses or how long ago they occurred."

Ohio bill would make it easier to seal non-violent criminal records, but advocates want it expanded • Ohio Capital Journal A pair of Ohio Republican lawmakers are trying to make it easier to get non-violent criminal records sealed to help formerly incarcerated Ohioans get hired, but advocates say that’s not enough.

Lower-income Ohioans can now get help to cover kids’ meals while school’s out for the summer. The new Summer EBT program offers one-time payments of $120 to lower-income families with children ages 6 to 18. Many eligible families will be enrolled automatically while some others will need to apply at https://sebt.ohio.gov. Check out the article for details! https://ow.ly/ux9G50SkNzb

A new federal program will give eligible students $120 to buy groceries this summer • Ohio Capital Journal Ohio is one of more than 30 states that has opted into SUN Bucks, a new federal program that will give families $120 per eligible student to buy groceries during the summer.

📰The June edition of the OPLC Newsletter is out now!

OPLC Newsletter: Driver's License Suspension Bill Unanimously Clears Senate After a year and a half of deliberation and compromise in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Bill 37 was unanimously voted out of Committee on May 22, 2024, and then unanimously voted out of the Senate later the same day. In its current form, SB 37 would: Eliminate the driver’s license suspens...

Missing child support payments is just one of several money-related issues that can bring on a driver's license suspension in Ohio. would bring some relief. The Senate unanimously passed the bill—on to the House!

CATCH 22: Driving dilemma for thousands of Ohio parents with child support debt For more than a year now, News 5 Investigators and the Marshall Project Cleveland have been telling you about the cycle of debt from license suspensions.

The Ohio House just approved the Strong Foundations Act. Thank you Reps. Andrea White and Latyna Humphrey for your work to help give kids "the best start in life"!

Last week, the OPLC board was at the Statehouse. Thank you Senator Michele Reynolds and Sen State Senator Hearcel F. Craig for spending time with us talking about evictions and housing challenges for low-income Ohioans. Together we can make a difference!

OPLC Senior Policy Advocate Tim Johnson testified today in support of House Bill 388, an important piece of legislation to ensure contractors know how to safely work on homes with potential lead hazards: "Ohio families deserve to know that their children will be safe from lead hazards when they hire someone to do work in their home. No parent wants to have their child lead poisoned, just as no contractor intends to cause harm. HB 388 will help to protect children and contractors alike while placing Ohio on a path towards primary prevention."

Thank you to sponsors Senator Louis W. Blessing III and Senator Catherine Ingram for your dedication to eliminating many debt-related driver’s license suspensions. Your leadership brought the bill over the finish line. Now on to Ohio House for consideration!

Thanks to all the legal aid and housing advocates who testified yesterday to the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Housing about Senate Bill 245, including Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio managing attorney Jyoshu Tsushima. Among other provisions, the bill would create a standard eviction record-sealing process, which could make it easier for many Ohioans to find safe, affordable housing.

Today, the Ohio Senate passed eliminating most debt-related driver's license suspensions. When a state’s policy is a barrier to reaching your full potential, the long-term consequences impact individuals, families, and their communities at large. It was time for a change!

🔗See our statement on the Senate's passage of SB 37: https://ow.ly/RllF50RRJl0

ACLUOhio, United Way of Greater Lorain County, Towards Employment, Ohio Justice & Policy Center, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Justice Action Network, Fines and Fees Justice Center, R Street Institute, Responsible Business Initiative for Justice

Thank you to sponsors Senator Louis W. Blessing III and Senator Catherine Ingram for your dedication to removing many of the financial barriers that lead to driver’s license suspensions. Ohio now joins more than 20 other states that have already moved away from debt-related penalties.

See OPLC’s statement on the Senate’s passage of SB 37: https://ow.ly/ZbXV50RRIlF

Now that the Judiciary Committee has recommended , it is time for the Ohio Senate to pass the bill and eliminate most debt-related driver's license suspensions. Suspensions should be limited to those convictions related to dangerous driving.

Thank you to the Senate Judiciary Committee & Chair State Senator Nathan Manning for moving and eliminating many debt-related driver’s license suspensions. Now let's pass the bill and put Ohioans back in the driver’s seat and on track to a more productive future.

Great opinion column by Katherine Barr Hollingsworth of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland: "This five-year anniversary of the Ohio Fairness in Lending Act is a moment for us to look forward – not backward – to continue to protect consumers from the ravages of incurable debt."

Ohio’s Fairness in Lending Act made a difference, but vigilance is needed: Katherine Barr Hollingsworth The Ohio Fairness in Lending Act marked its five-year anniversary in April. It's a moment to look forward to continue to protect consumers, writes Katherine Barr Hollingsworth of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

Yesterday, Reps. Andrea White and Rachel Baker gave sponsor testimony on House Bill 388, which would ensure that contractors working on old homes are taking the necessary precautions to keep kids safe from lead! Thanks to Reps. White and Baker for sponsoring this important bill. We look forward to working with you to ensure that all Ohio kids are free from childhood lead poisoning.

Lower-income Ohioans can now get help to cover kids’ meals while school’s out for the summer. The Summer EBT program, which is set to launch in Ohio and 35 other states this year, offers one-time payments of $120 to lower-income families with children ages 6 to 18. For more information or to apply, visit https://sebt.ohio.gov.

https://ow.ly/McHg50RHhfW

Lower-income Ohioans can now get $120 to cover kids’ meals while school’s out for the summer The new Summer EBT program helps families buy groceries in June, July and August, when free or reduced-price school meals aren't available.

📰The May edition of the OPLC Newsletter is out now!

OPLC Newsletter: Bills to Tackle Housing Crisis Introduced Following Select Committee Report On Wednesday, April 17, the Senate Select Committee released its recommendations to address Ohio’s housing crisis. Many of the issues that were raised by legal aid testimony at the regional hearings are included in the report. The lengthy report concludes with 32 recommendations including acknowle...

If half of Ohioans with a debt-related suspension stopped driving, the state’s labor force could lose more than 830,000 workers. would eliminate certain driver’s license suspensions and reduce fines for others. It's time to pass the bill as-is!
State Senator Nathan Manning Senator Louis W. Blessing III

For millions of Ohioans on the brink of poverty, an unexpected expense can be catastrophic One in four of Ohio’s households teeter on the edge of poverty. Any unexpected expense can lead to long-lasting devastation for the working poor.

In Ohio, the inability to pay a debt can lead to a driver's license suspension, causing people to lose their jobs. The CEO of Hot Chicken Takeover says Senate Bill 37 is a commonsense solution that would help hard-working Ohioans and employers.
State Senator Nathan Manning Senator Louis W. Blessing III

Business like mine face challenges finding workers. Debt shouldn't keep Ohioans from work. Hot Chicken Takeover owner: Ohio businesses face challenges recruiting, and retaining, top talent. Debt-related suspensions hindering workers.

Following the release of the Senate Select Committee on Housing's recommendations to tackle Ohio's housing crisis, lawmakers must keep up the momentum and enact solutions that ensure adequate and affordable housing for Ohioans. https://ow.ly/xGJb50RjWU0

Solving Ohio’s housing crisis must remain top priority Most Buckeye State residents have understood Ohio has had a big housing problem for years now. For those looking to purchase a house or rent an apartment, the crisis is unavoidable. But state lawmakers are just now getting around to developing a sense of urgency on the matter. The Ohio Senate Select...

Congratulations to the Village of Chauncey for enacting an important ordinance to protect tenants from eviction! https://ow.ly/U4xK50RjYtr

Chauncey passes ‘pay to stay’ tenant protections – Athens County Independent Also, council again debated protections for LGBTQ+ residents, as well as a resolution for a ceasefire in Palestine.

Thanks to Senator Michele Reynolds and State Senator Hearcel F. Craig for introducing Senate Bill 245, which would provide much-needed protections for renters in Ohio like establishing an Eviction Defense Fund, a nonbinding mediation process for tenants facing eviction, and a uniform eviction record sealing process.