Toledo voters passed the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in 2019, giving Toledoans the legal right to sue anyone accused of violating the lake’s right under LEBOR to “exist, flourish and naturally evolve.” The very next day, a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of LEBOR was filed by Wood County farmer Mark Drewes.
After the Lake Erie Bill of Rights was definitively ruled invalid, with the U.S. District Court Judge noting that the verdict was not a close call, many thought that this would be the last of LEBOR.
Instead, the city of Toledo pursued an appeal against Drewes, still arguing LEBOR should be valid. But in early May, the city of Toledo voluntarily dismissed its own appeal. This dismissal marked the end of the road for LEBOR, leaving in place Judge Zouhary’s opinion that it is invalid.
“We were certainly pleased with Judge Zouhary’s opinion, which stated what we knew all along: LEBOR was invalid and unworkable. Like LEBOR itself, further appeal would have only meant unnecessary litigation and legal fees,” said Leah Curtis, policy counsel for Ohio Farm Bureau. “Ohio farmers have plenty of challenges right now, and we are glad to say that LEBOR is no longer one of them.”
The Small-Scale Food Business Guide covers federal and state regulations for selling food products such as raw meat, dairy, eggs, baked goods, cottage foods, fruits and vegetables, honey and more.
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Agriculture for Good Government PAC has endorsed Justice Joseph Deters, Judge Dan Hawkins and Judge Megan Shanahan for election to the Ohio Supreme Court.
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The Ohio State University President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. visited Ohio Farm Bureau President Bill Patterson and his family at their farm, Patterson Fruit Farm, July 23, 2024, as part of Carter’s tour of Ohio agriculture.
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As Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel Leah Curtis notes in this Legal with Leah, these changes should result in significant tax savings for many Ohio woodland owners.
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Craig Pohlman of Venedocia was recently named to the seven-member Ohio Farm Bureau Health Benefits Plan Board of Trustees.
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CAUV 202 took a deeper dive into how tax bills are formulated and what exactly goes into the Current Agricultural Use Value numbers.
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After years of advocacy from Ohio Farm Bureau and its partners, the Ohio Department of Taxation announced today that it will address inaccurate woodland calculations in the Current Agricultural Use Value program.
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Marlene Eick of Wooster has been named senior director, leadership development for Ohio Farm Bureau.
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The 2024 Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation Golf Invitational raised over $110,000 for foundation scholarships, grants and programs that help enhance agricultural communities and support careers in agriculture.
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An unusually warm February and March has Ohio produce crops maturing ahead of schedule, which impacts u-pick operations.
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