Menu

OFBF was at the top of the list when Gov. Bob Taft thanked numerous organizations for their support of tort reform in Ohio.

The state’s largest farm group has been working nearly 10 years on trying to get Ohio’s legislature to pass a tort reform bill. On Jan. 6, Taft signed two bills into law: Senate Bill 80, a comprehensive lawsuit reform bill, and House Bill 498, a workers’ compensation intentional tort bill.

Tort reform has been one of OFBF’s No. 1 priorities for years, and Farm Bureau members have worked tirelessly on trying to get a tort reform law in the books. During OFBF’s annual convention in December, more than 80 Farm Bureau members visited the Ohio Statehouse to urge their lawmakers to pass the two bills.

The legislation was "truly necessary to set Ohio back on the path to economic competitiveness and viability," said Rocky Black, OFBF’s director of legislative affairs.

"After 10 long years, Ohioans have finally achieved lawsuit abuse reform. SB 80 will help create a more stable and appealing business environment in Ohio," he said. "From the family farm to retail stores and large manufacturers, employers will have more predictability and lower costs, and they will have protections against 'windfall' legal awards."

The new laws go into effect 90 days after Taft signed them. They will cap the amount of damages awarded by judges or juries, eliminate double recovery for the same workplace incident and establish more stringent standards regarding frivolous conduct. They include agriculture-specific immunities such as protection from lawsuits for u-pick operations, recreational trails and obesity claims.

Watching Taft sign the tort reform bills into law were OFBF leaders and Farm Bureau members representing the fruit, vegetable, livestock and grain industries.

"A big round of applause should go out to all of our members who worked to get this much needed piece of legislation passed," said Bob Peterson, OFBF president. "It took a long time to get to this point, but it was well worth it."

Caption: OFBF representatives gather around Gov. Bob Taft after he signed two tort reform bills into law. From left to right are Jack Fisher, OFBF executive vice president; Judy Roush, OFBF promotion and education specialist; Jim Mitchell, Union County Farm Bureau member and grain farmer; Brent Porteus, OFBF board member and livestock producer; Dwight Beougher, Franklin County Farm Bureau government affairs chairman; Dave Rule, OFBF director of technology and staff development; Rocky Black, OFBF director of legislative affairs; Jeff Zellers, OFBF board member and fruit and vegetable grower; Bob Peterson, OFBF president and grain and livestock producer; Larry Antosch, OFBF director of state environmental research; Phil Greenisen, Columbiana County Farm Bureau member; Lisa Schacht, Franklin County Farm Bureau member and fruit and vegetable grower; Constance Jackson, OFBF vice president of agricultural ecology; Chip Nelson, director of research and program development, and Keith Stimpert, vice president of government affairs.