Chances are that as you traverse Ohio’s countryside you have seen signs for The Ohio Scenic Rivers Program. The state currently has 15 designated Wild, Scenic and Recreational rivers comprising 27 stream segments. More than 830 river miles are protected in the Ohio scenic river system, with some new designations being proposed. For this Legal with Leah, learn how the process works with Ohio Farm Bureau's policy counsel, Leah Curtis.

The passage of Ohio's SB 52 made some major changes to the process of developing wind and solar projects in Ohio. For the Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau's policy counsel, Leah Curtis, talks about the consequences of the legislation and what those currently in a lease or thinking about a lease need to know.

Proposed legislation in Congress would eliminate stepped-up basis and tax capital gains at death as ways to raise revenue for government spending. These changes would have a major impact on family farms throughout Ohio and across the country. For this Legal with Leah, Ty Higgins discussed the implications of these changes in the tax code with Ohio Farm Bureau’s policy counsel Leah Curtis and shares information about a Farm Bureau Action Alert for members to share how these changes would affect their livelihoods.

The term “stray voltage” has been used for over 50 years to describe the existence of voltage between two objects that should not, under normal circumstances, have any voltage difference between them. All stray voltage is unintentional and undesirable, yet it is not all that uncommon. In this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel Leah Curtis shares how an Ohio dairy farm, recently impacted by stray voltage, actually found themselves in court because of it.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says of the almost 1.5 million unemployment claims filed since May of 2020, half were flagged as fraudulent. Why is this happening and what do you do if you are a victim of unemployment fraud? Ohio Farm Bureau's Ty Higgins visits with OFBF's policy counsel Leah Curtis about the issue and how to protect yourself from unemployment fraud.

There are two words that give almost any farmer and landowner some angst - eminent domain. For this Legal with Leah, Ty Higgins visit with Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel Leah Curtis about the tradeoffs of eminent domain and what landowners need to know if they find themselves in a lawsuit because of it.

Vaccinations for COVID-19 have begun around the state and the country and every state has its own plan for which groups get the vaccine at what point. What does the rollout for Ohio look like, when will the farm and food sector have access to the vaccine and will there be workplace vaccine requirements? Ohio Farm Bureau Policy Counsel Leah Curtis answers these questions on the latest Legal with Leah.

Links referenced in the podcast:

EEOC Guidance - https://www.eeoc.gov/wysk/what-you-should-know-about-covid-19-and-ada-rehabilitation-act-and-other-eeo-laws

CDC Toolkit - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/toolkits/essential-workers.html

Dairy farmers in Ohio and across the country who sold milk to Dean Foods prior to the company’s bankruptcy are now being asked to help Dean Foods’ pay for their debt. Those farmers have received debt settlement letters demanding dairy farmers repay money they made for producing and shipping milk. What should you do if you recieve one of these letters. Ohio Farm Bureau's Policy Counsel Leah Curtis and Ty Higgins discuss the issue on this Legal with Leah.

For this Legal with Leah, Ohio Farm Bureau policy counsel, Leah Curtis, and Ty Higgins look at the instances where a landowner could be found liable for a trespassers injuries. Find out more about Intentional Conduct and Attractive Nuisance examples in Part 2 of the Landowner Liability series.

There are quite a few advantages of being a landowner, including tax deductions, returns on the investment, and potential borrowing power. But owning land also comes with some liability. For instance, what if someone gets hurt while trespassing on your property? That's the topic of this Legal with Leah as Ohio Farm Bureau's Ty Higgins visits with OFBF Policy Counsel Leah Curtis.