Support OH HB 380: Promote Transparency in Ohio's Legal System

While maybe not sounding or seeming as important, pressing or appealing as some of the other bills in the Ohio legislature, you can be sure HB 380 is equally important as it is a much needed step in reforming some of the judicial process in our state.

HB 380 will, "enact sections 2307.951, 2307.952, 2307.953, and 2307.954 of the Revised Code to require claimants in asbestos tort actions to make certain disclosures pertaining to asbestos trust claims that have been submitted to asbestos trust entities for the purpose of compensating the claimant for asbestos exposure."  (HB 380).

In short, by enacting safeguard's against frivolous lawsuits, the unfair practice of double-dipping, inconsistent claims, incorrect and fraudulently obtained a award payments and unscrupulous attorney's, HB 380 will promote integrity, uniformity, fairness and transparency for asbestos related litigation in Ohio.

By enacting these safeguard's, HB 380 will also assure the funds from the asbestos trusts are serving the intended purpose of aiding and compensating individuals affected by legitimate work related asbestos illnesses.

Currently, Cuyahoga County is the only court jurisdiction that requires claimants to notify defendants of any other work related asbestos litigation.  HB 380 will require claimants to identify, "all existing asbestos trust claims made by or on behalf of the claimant and all trust claims material pertaining to each identified asbestos trust claim."

Testifying before the OH Senate, Mark Behrens, a partner in the Public Policy Group of Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P., in Washington, D.C., stated...

"Because the trusts operate opaquely and make little effort to compare their claims amongst each other or to claims made in the tort system, the trust system is fertile ground for inequity," he told the Senate committee.

"While involved in trust governance," he informed the committee, "plaintiffs' attorneys are also actively engaged in soliciting trusts claims through television and Internet advertising, filing trust claims, and receiving contingent fees from trusts' payments."

"Abuse of the trust process has the potential to impact both defendants and bankruptcy trusts, as starkly demonstrated in the Ohio case of Kananian v. Lorillard Tobacco Co.," Behrens told the senators.

"As I'm sure you're aware, in that case, Judge Harry Hanna barred a prominent California asbestos personal injury law firm from practicing before his court after he found that the firm and one of its partners failed to abide by the rules of the court proscribing dishonesty, fraud, deceit, and misrepresentation.

"Judge Hanna's ruling received national attention for exposing 'one of the darker corners of tort abuse' in asbestos litigation: inconsistencies between allegations made in open court and those submitted to trusts set up by bankrupt companies to pay asbestos-related claims."

Behrens also cited a report from a company where out of 255 randomly sampled claims against an asbestos trust, only 19 had disclosed their exposure to asbestos. And Behrens noted in another case, after continued foot dragging by a plaintiff's legal counsel to comply with numerous requests for discovery, of nine (9) other trust claims showing conflicting exposure periods and discrepancies in legal positions taken between the courts and the trusts.

 The funds in the asbestos trusts must be protected and used to compensate those who truly and unfortunately deserve them, not to pad the pockets of less than desirable ambulance chasing attorneys and individuals trying to game the system. It is only through the transparency enacted through HB 380 that you can help stop these abuses.

HB 380 has passed the Ohio House and currently sits in the OH Senate Judiciary Committee. Please contact the below listed State Senators and ask them to support HB 380....

State Senator Gayle Manning (District 13)
Phone: (614) 644-7613
Email: Click Here

State Senator John Eklund (District 18)
Phone: (614) 644-7718
Email: Click Here

State Senator Frank LaRose (District 27)
Phone: (614) 466-4823
Email: Click Here

State Senator Scott Oelslager (District 29)
Phone: (614) 466-0626
Email: Click Here

To keep track of the status and results of your calls, please click here to fill out the HB 380 Contact Form to record the response of your call(s) to the above State Senator's offices.

As Goes Wisconsin, So Goes America

Both Michelle Malkin and Sarah Palin have recently drawn attention to the upcoming recall primary (May 5) and election (June 5) in Wisconsin:

Now is the time for all good tea partiers to come to the aid of Wisconsin. . . .

New poll data released on Tuesday show two potential Democratic rivals neck and neck with Walker. Wisconsin politicos tell me his national name recognition has bolstered public awareness and fundraising efforts. He’s currently sitting on a $5 million war chest. Walker supporters believe the Big Labor-fueled fight will be dirty, but with vigilant backing, he’ll survive.

The outlook for the unhinged Left’s secondary targets, however, is not so bright. Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, a tea party candidate who is not part of the GOP establishment, is being treated as collateral damage by the party. Outside of Wisconsin, most conservative activists are not even aware that she may be booted from office for simply doing her job. Kleefisch told me that on a recent fundraising swing in D.C., national GOP leaders were shocked to learn of her plight.

. . .

From Sarah Palin, a rousing call to arms — As Goes Wisconsin, so Goes America; Support Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch:

Governor Walker has left the far Left unhinged, so he’s had to amass a war chest to fend off the lies and dirty dealings in the capitol; and, thankfully, it’s predicted he’ll survive his recall.

But the recall fight that is just as important is Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch’s. Please click this link to help her.

Malkin’s column reports on some of the smear tactics against the Lt. Gov., but you’ll need a strong stomach.

Support Lt. Governor Kleefisch!

UPDATE Apr-19-12: Tim Dake, leader of the Wisconsin Tea Party group Grandsons of Liberty, spoke the other day to Ned Ryun at American Spectator:

In response to the unions' and Democrats' efforts to derail the Walker agenda through the recalls, we created, in partnership with another Wisconsin group and a Texas group, the Verify the Recall online effort. This project was created to provide citizens a method of participating in the recall process and to ensure clean elections. …We no longer trust government agencies to carry out their tasks without bias.

…

Conservatives believe that protecting Walker translates into protecting the conservative agenda and movement. … Lose Walker and his momentum, and the unions and socialism reign supreme; protect Walker, and treat it as a public mandate to forge ahead.

Tim had more to say about the Tea Party movement in general, the GOP, and the 2012 elections:

Since the 2010 elections, two key developments have changed the relationship between the Tea Party and the GOP: attempts by local groups to 'take over' their county GOP chapters—either amicably or hostilely—and counter-attempts by the GOP to co-opt the local groups. A showdown is inevitable. . . .

The lack of an acceptable conservative presidential candidate appears to be, in the eyes of the media, a reflection on the strength of the Tea Party and is therefore a failure of the Tea Party and yet another harbinger of the movement's demise. In Wisconsin, several groups, ours included, have written off the presidential race to focus on the all-important open U.S. Senate seat and the ongoing recall efforts.

Some Ohio Tea Party Patriots may likewise be discouraged about the candidates running for President, but that doesn’t mean we’re not planning on major efforts to Get Out The Vote, for all races -- federal, state, and local. And a top priority for Cleveland Tea Party Patriots is to make sure that Sen. Sherrod Brown and Pres. Obama are held to account – based on their record in office.

Grassroots Rally Team of OH: Candle Light Vigil on Illegal Immigration

From The Grassroots Rally Team of Ohio --

Please Join Us For A Candle Light Vigil



Speaker Boehner & House Leadership



Unemployed Americans



“CAN YOU SEE US NOW?” 

When: Saturday April 21, 2012

Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm

Location: Speaker Boehner's West Chester OH Office

Address: 7969 Cincinnati - Dayton Rd. West Chester, OH

Dear Concerned Citizens,

Please join us on April 21, 2012 at the West Chester, Ohio office of Speaker of the House John Boehner for a candle light vigil to “shine a light” on America’s illegal immigration issues and concerns.

Speaker Boehner and U.S. House Leadership have been silent in addressing American’s concerns about illegal immigration, E-Verify and the resulting economic impact on citizens across the nation.  The current unemployment rate is 8.3% nationally and there are 8 million illegal workers employed in U.S.

Why are there illegal aliens with jobs that are sorely needed and deserved by U.S. citizens?  Why are illegal aliens receiving taxpayer supported benefits while unemployed citizens are struggling?  Why are big business and agricultural special interest groups afforded the opportunity to voice their wants to the Speaker while concerned citizens are still waiting to be heard?

This is our opportunity to be seen and heard.  Your presence and participation is needed to send a message of patriotism and solidarity.  Each candle that is lit that evening will represent you, your family and friends and millions of concerned citizens across the United States of America.  Please take the time to join us and bring someone with you!  This peaceful demonstration of unity and concern will not go unnoticed and your presence is vital!

 Visit the Grassroots Rally Team website for list of guest speakers and event updates:

 www.GrassrootsRallyTeam.org

Ken Blackwell calls Obamacare "A Clear & Present Danger"

After delivering the Invocation at the recent Tea Party Patriots "Road to Repeal Rally" in D.C., former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell delivers a rousing speech against Obamacare...

To see all the speakers and interviews at the Road to Repeal Rally click here.

Road To Repeal rally on C-Span

On Saturday, March 24, Tea Party Patriots gathered from across the country to rally on Saturday outside the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The "Road To Repeal" rally featured Herman Cain, Ken Cuccinelli (AG for Virginia), Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center, TPP Jennie Beth Martin, Rep. Louie Gohmert (TX), and Cleveland Tea Party Patriot Ralph King, among many others. Ohio patriots drove to DC or rode on the Cleveland Tea Party Patriots bus. If you missed the event, you can watch it here on C-Span. (To watch our own Ralph King, go to the 2:40 mark).

C-Span will also be broadcasting the [same day] audio of the arguments for and against the Constitutionality of Obamacare, starting Monday, March 26. More here.

Judicial Watch Exposes MORE White House Lies

Pretty sad that we went from a country of President George Washington - who could not tell a lie, to President Barack Obama who can ONLY tell a lie....

From Judicial Watch --

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents suggesting the Obama White House approved of the decision to fire U.S. Department of Agriculture employee Shirley Sherrod on July 19, 2010, based on what were thought to be racist statements made by Sherrod during a speech at a NAACP meeting on March 27, 2010. Despite the fact that former White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs claimed that the Obama White House played no role in the decision, the documents also indicate that White House officials helped craft and approved the language used by the Secretary of Agriculture in announcing the acceptance of Sherrod’s forced resignation.

The 282 pages recently obtained by Judicial Watch pursuant to an August 2, 2010, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request are in addition to the 900 documents previously disclosed in October 2010.  The new documents consist of internal emails between U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employees and White House staff members in devising a public response to a rapidly growing controversy over the firing of Sherrod, who served as the USDA’s Georgia State Director of Rural Development.  After the Sherrod dismissal backfired, former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs claimed “this was… a decision that was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” and denied that the Obama White House was involved in her being asked to resign.

However, the emails obtained by Judicial Watch reveal that the Obama administration had early knowledge and was involved in subsequent decisions. For example:

• When informed on July 19, 2010, about Sherrod’s statements at the NAACP meeting, then-White House spokesperson Reid Cherlin emailed then-USDA Director of Communications Chris Mather “[H]as she been fired?”

• In an effort to emphasize what Vilsack needed to say to the press former Special Assistant to the President and White House Cabinet Communications Director Tom Gavin emailed to Mather on July 19, 2010, “Just [t]o be clear, this is the Secretary’s quote, right?”  Mather responded, “I think it should be, don’t you,” to which Gavin replied, “absolutely.”

• As events unfolded on July 19, 2010, Mather emailed Gavin at the White House, “Did you connect with the NAACP?”  Gavin responded, “OPE [Office of Public Engagement] did. We’ll be fine.”

Within the documents released to Judicial Watch is an email chain indicating that Gavin oversaw the writing and obtained counsel approval of the announcement by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on July 19, 2010, in which Vilsack stated, “Today, I accepted Ms. Sherrod’s resignation.  There is zero tolerance for discrimination at USDA, and I strongly condemn any act of discrimination against any person.”  In approving the copy, Gavin indicated in a July 19, 2010, email “We are good with this version on this end.”

According to Shirley Sherrod, who is an African-American, the Obama administration forced her to resign from her job after an excerpt of a speech she gave at the NAACP meeting appeared in a video posted online.  In the controversial video, first disclosed by the late Andrew Breitbart, Sherrod described her reluctance to help a white farmer save his land.  Further into the talk, Sherrod described how she later went on to work with the farmer and his wife over a two-year period to help prevent foreclosure on his farm.

The White House and the USDA reacted immediately to the video to quell what they assumed would be a furor over Sherrod’s controversial remarks.  As reported by CNN, according to Sherrod, Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development for the USDA Cheryl Cook called her three times, stressing that the White House wanted her to resign.

However, Robert Gibbs issued a denial that the White House played a role in the decision.  According to Politico:

“This was, as you heard Secretary Vilsack say yesterday, a decision that was made by the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, who refused even to say which senior Obama aides have been involved in the process.

“The president was briefed yesterday and has been briefed, obviously, today as well,” added Gibbs, who said the White House was informed but not “consulted” about the firing.

“The Sherrod firing was clearly an embarrassment for the Obama administration, but that is no excuse for the Obama White House to cover up its role in the decision to fire Sherrod.  The Obama White House would rather we just accept their explanations, but facts can be pesky things.  The documents clearly show that White House officials played a key role in the decision to force Sherrod’s resignation and then misled the American people about that role,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Let's Continue the Fight - Join the Road to Repeal of Obamacare

It was not too long ago that the nation and Tea Party groups were outraged when Obamacare was forced down our throats. The country was besides itself that our elected officials would pass an over 2000 page bill that would enact many new taxes and regulatory agencies without even reading it. 

Everyone vowed to continue the fight... everyone was thrilled to death over the lawsuits being filed against Obamacare -- there is no way we would stand for this -- right?

Well, it appears the collective "we would not stand for this" that once overwhelmed our country about Obamacare has subsided to a reluctant resignation of acceptance. 

What happened? Have you given up?  Have you quit?

Are you going to let Obama and the left win?

As many are already aware, the main goal of Obamacare was never about healthcare and was always about control of "We the People."  The recent attacks on our Religious Freedom are being driven through provisions in Obamacare.  Make no mistake and do not allow others to hijack the argument -- this attack has nothing to do with birth control and everything to do with infringing and controlling your God-Given and Constitutionally protected right of religious freedom.

This attack on our religious freedom is only one example of how Obamacare will be used, twisted, contorted and morphed into anything and everything to control your life under the guise of healthcare. If you want to stop Obamacare and attacks on our Constitution we again need to take action as we did when it was being rammed through Congress.

If you remember, it was only through your voices, actions, townhall meetings and trips to D.C. that slowed the passage of Obamacare. We have worked too hard and have too much to lose to quit now! 

The Surpeme Court will hear arguments against Obamacare -- 

"We the People" must again rise up and meet this Unconstitutional monstrsity head on!

Join Tea Party groups from across America on Saturday March 24th for the Tea Party Patriots Road to Repeal in D.C. as the Supreme Court starts hearing the arguments against the Constitutionality of Obamacare.

To sign up for a bus leaving out of Cleveland click here. 

Let's Finish the Fight for our Freedom!