It was about workers' compensation (a HOT topic here in Ohio).

What's the gist?

Workers shouldn't be compensated. Instead, all the money should go to Republicans and churches.

What's the gist?

It's a mixed bag--compensation computation, sexual assult, protecting private information of injured workers, allowing limited work in certain environments for injured workers with head injuries, self insurance rules and a small point--but BIG issue in Ohio, rules for setting investment management for the Bureau's money.

Here's a summary of all the issues.

Changes procedures for determining the amount of compensation that may be received for wage loss or permanent total disability. Allows workers' compensation and benefits to be awarded to a victim of sexual assault at the workplace. Prohibits certain prisoners from receiving workers' compensation and benefits while confined to a county jail and designates the Bureau of Workers' Compensation Special Investigation Department a criminal justice agency. Exempts the addresses and phone numbers of workers receiving workers' compensation and benefits from Ohio's Public Records Law and from public access, except to journalists. Allows employment in a sheltered workshop for injured workers with traumatic brain injuries even if a worker is receiving workers' compensation and benefits. Requires that workers demonstrate "substantial aggravation" of a pre-existing condition by certain objective criteria before workers' compensation and benefits may be awarded, specifies eligibility qualifications for permanent total disability compensation, and reduces the time frame for which claims may be brought. Improves the ability to settle workers' compensation claims under certain conditions, voids certain settlement agreements upon death, increases amounts available on specified attorneys' fees and changes rules of procedure related to certain appeals. Prevents the Workers' Compensation Oversight Commission from setting a different policy than requirements outlined in Ohio law regarding who may serve as investment managers. Allows self-insuring employers to pay compensation and benefits directly under certain conditions.

That's just because you're waiting for the day when you can release your own clone army onto an unsuspecting public.

Damn, how did you know?

a small point--but BIG issue in Ohio, rules for setting investment management for the Bureau's money.

What, they don't like investing in coin collections?

Thanks, Cash. That sounds like substantial reform. Interesting. (Obviously, I'm not a worker's compensation wonk, just trying to keep abreast for work reasons.)

We get to vote on this constitutional amendment:

The tradition of fishing and hunting and the taking of fish and wildlife shall be preserved for the people and shall be managed by law and regulation for the public good.

It's a bad idea, but it sounds so innocuous it will probably pass. It has the potential to, for example, prevent the city of Decatur from having laws against shooting at game animals downtown. "No, officer, I have this shotgun because I'm going dove hunting on the square."

The rest, except for an eminent domain amendment whose language is suspect to me, are all narrow special interest nonsense.

It's a mixed bag--compensation computation, sexual assult, protecting private information of injured workers, allowing limited work in certain environments for injured workers with head injuries, self insurance rules and a small point--but BIG issue in Ohio, rules for setting investment management for the Bureau's money.

You know, I've never lived in a referendum state, but I can't help but think that Joe Public is really not the person to be answering these questions.

What, they don't like investing in coin collections?

You haven't heard the story? Heh.

(Sorry, kinda' busy. Someone else'll have to explain.)

OK, people are being weird on the phone today. "I need help installing hte program, but I don't know the details of what's being going wrong. I'm not at the computer, and it kept doing stuff, and stuff kept coming up saying it was wrong. Can the person who's trying to install the program call back later?"

Also, "Your program isn't backwards compatible, right?" "No, it isn't, sorry." "Can I send a file from my current version to someone with an earlier version?" "Um, no, I'm sorry, the program isn't backwards compatible." "Oh."

Weirdos.

That sounds like substantial reform. Interesting. (Obviously, I'm not a worker's compensation wonk, just trying to keep abreast for work reasons.)

It's really sort of interesting. Besides the whole state-getting-taken-for-millions-from-a-Bush-pioneer issue, I used to work in the industry so I was interested in the scope of the ballot initiative.

You know, I've never lived in a referendum state, but I can't help but think that Joe Public is really not the person to be answering these questions.

Ohio is just one of five states that is state funded for workers' compensation. Employers pay workers' compensation insurance premiums to the state. I guess that gives voters a more vested interest in how the Bureau and the Industrial Oversight Commission operates in this state.