Effective November 6, 2009, the Industrial Commission consolidated the Hamilton and Cincinnati offices. As a result of the consolidation, the Industrial Commission closed the Hamilton office and hearings will be held in the Cincinnati office.

Effective August 21, 2009, the Industrial Commission consolidated the Bridgeport and Zanesville offices into a new office in Cambridge. Hearings for claims which had been held in Bridgeport or Zanesville will be held in the Commission office closest to the injured worker’s residence.

Effective June 26, 2009, the Industrial Commission closed the Canton office. The Canton office has been consolidated into the Akron office. This closing followed the March, 2009, closing of the Springfield office, which was consolidated into the Dayton office.

Effective March 27, 2009, both the BWC and Industrial Commission closed their offices in Springfield and consolidated that office into the Dayton Service Office. Injured workers and employers who used the Springfield Service Office will be advised to go to Dayton or Columbus.

With all of the above office closings, the BWC and IC will be down to 15 service offices throughout the state, an inconvenience to injured workers in the affected closing areas.

© 2010, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a Hispanic advocacy group filed suit yesterday to bar enforcement of a state plan to revoke registrations of vehicles whose owners cannot provide proof of legal residency by Dec. 8.  The League of United Latin American Citizens accused the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles of illegally intruding in immigration matters and asked the Franklin County Common Pleas Court for a temporary injunction.  Moving on a policy enacted Aug. 24, the BMV mailed nearly 50,000 letters in early October telling vehicle owners their registrations would be cancelled unless they offered proof of U.S. residency such as a driver’s license or proof of a Social Security number, although police were told not to issue tickets or make arrests until after Dec. 8.  Lawyers for the League argued that the authority to inquire into the immigration status of state residents is uniquely a federal responsibility, and that the BMV’s policy violates privacy and property rights by cancelling valid registrations.  A BMV spokeswoman said the policy wasn’t directed at immigrants but is an attempt to enforce state law, deter fraud and ensure that registrations are “secure and reliable.”  A hearing for the case has been set for next Tuesday.

For full story, see: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/11/25/copy/plates.ART_ART_11-25-09_A1_2GFQ01D.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Akron Beacon Journal: http://www.ohio.com/news/politics/state/72776002.html

Cleveland Plain Dealer: http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-80/1259086827208090.xml&storylist=cleveland

Dayton Daily News: http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/ohio-news/hispanic-group-sues-ohio-over-license-plate-policy-418693.html?showComments=true

USA Today: http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=cincinnati&sParam=32132297.story

© 2009, Gruhin & Gruhin Attorney's. All rights reserved.