Small businesses make up a large pillar of our western Ohio economy. For that reason, I am always supportive of all proposed measures that will help our local small businesses to grow and prosper far into the future.

One of these most recent pieces of legislation was House Bill 387, which doubles the monetary jurisdiction of a small claims court from $3,000 to $6,000. Although this may not seem to be an issue the directly correlates to the success of our small businesses, it significantly reduces the cost of doing business in Ohio. That is always a win for our companies.

For family owned and operated businesses and other companies throughout our region, increasing the limit on the small claims court can give owners the opportunity to recover debts without being forced to take their claim to a higher, more expensive court.

The $3,000 small claims cap did not suffice for those Ohio businesses that needed to recoup a larger amount than the limit, but not enough to justify an attorney to file an action in a municipal court. By increasing access to the small claims process, businesses can now save time and money, benefiting from a quicker court proceeding and less expensive alternative to settling a dispute.

Small businesses are the backbone of our community and our economy in western Ohio, and it is imperative we give them every opportunity to thrive. By increasing the small claims court limit, we are lowering business’ operating costs, leaving them with more capital to reinvest in their workforce. There is no doubt that when our local businesses succeed, our entire community succeeds.