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"Hope for Sarah"

Life seemed full of possibilities for Sarah Scantlin of Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1984: she was an 18-year-old college freshman and drill team member. Then, one September night, a drunk driver crushed her dreams as she walked to her car.
The injury caused extensive brain damage. At first, in rehabilitation, the only thing she could do was move her right foot, and later, not much else. For the next twenty years, while at Golden Plains Health Care Center, a nursing home, Sarah wasn't able to speak a word to anyone. Her face remained expressionless.
"But Sarah wasn't in a persistent vegetative state," said her mother, Betsy, in a telephone interview. "You could say, 'There is a guy coming down the street,' and she could look out and watch the guy coming down the street. She was aware of her surroundings." Sarah blinked answers to asked questions.
Then on February 4, 2005, impromptu, she suddenly started talking. And talking and talking.
Said Betsy, "She's very vocal now. She says, 'I want out of my room,' very loud and clear. She likes to be with people, always has. She likes being outside and in the main hallway (at the nursing home) where everyone comes by and talks to her."
Doctors can only speculate why she began talking after twenty silent years.
"Now, every day she makes a little more progress, but it's not anything spectacular like when she started talking, not by a long shot," said Betsy. "Her short-term memory is still lacking. Her long-term memory of things happening before she was hurt is excellent. If she knew about it (in 1984), she knows about it now."
To this day, Sarah's legs constantly spasm. Her right foot is twisted. Yet she is alive, and alert, and talkative. Her mother said two things happened three years ago: Not only did Sarah begin to talk; she also began eating food by mouth for the first time in twenty years.
Now in therapy, she is learning to feed herself, and stand and sit up with assistance, with the goal of being able to manipulate an electric wheelchair to move around. Progress has been slow, and painful, but it is progress. Betsy attributed Sarah's newfound talking abilities in part to nursing home personnel that treated her daughter as a person rather than a thing.
Her life seems full of possibilities, again.

What laws govern elections?

Q.:  What laws should I know about if I become involved in a political campaign? A.: You should know that the right to free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution generally protects "political speech" by candidates and others so they can speak openly about issues.  However, over the years, state and federal governments have regulated political speech to ensure fair elections and prevent corruption.  Ohio's election laws vary according to:  1) whether the public is voting for a candidate or an issue; 2) the level of office (federal, state, or local); and 3) whether the political speaker is a candidate, a political action committee, a political party, or another type of entity.  Ohio's laws attempt to ensure fair political debate, placing limits only on statements made when the speaker knows they are false or when the speaker acts "with reckless disregard of whether the statements are false."  You also should know about campaign finance laws. Over the years, federal and state campaign finance laws have become increasingly complex.  Before entering the political arena, familiarize yourself with federal, state and local campaign laws and provisions that apply to candidates, treasurers, and others involved in politics. 
Q.:  What should I know if I'm working to elect a local candidate? A.: First, there may be laws concerning your candidate's qualifications for office.  For example, a person who runs for county sheriff must meet certain minimum requirements in the area of law enforcement.  Similarly, a candidate for city law director/solicitor must be admitted to the practice of law in Ohio. Also, there are residency requirements for most offices in the state; generally, a candidate must live where he or she seeks office. Finally, candidates must fulfill certain requirements regarding nominating petitions and declarations of candidacy before running for election. Additionally, there are restrictions on who may circulate petitions for a candidate. Also affecting campaigns are laws that: 1) require the campaign to report contributions received and expenditures made; 2) govern who may contribute to the candidate's campaign; 3) require that the source of any political communications (brochures, ads, articles, etc.) be identified; and 4) govern fair campaign practices.
Q.: What else should I know if my candidate is running for a state-level office such as auditor, or for a position in the general assembly? A.: Candidates for state office and certain political parties and political action committees also must comply with state-mandated contribution limits. To ensure strict compliance with the complex, current campaign finance laws and filing requirements, your candidate probably will need an automated system to track contributions and expenditures. Also, state law requires any candidate running in a multi-county district to file all petitions, campaign finance reports, etc., with the board of elections office of the county with the largest population share in the district.
Q.: What if my candidate is running for a federal office such as a seat in Congress? A.: In this case, federal law governs your candidate's campaign. State law also may affect the campaign, but if and when there is a conflict between state and federal law, federal law will prevail. For instance, since federal contribution limits differ from state contribution limits, the federal limits must be followed. However, Ohio's law prohibiting false statements in campaigns does apply to federal candidates.
Q.: What if my candidate is running for judge? A.: A judicial candidate must be an attorney, admitted to the practice of law in Ohio for at least six years. The Supreme Court of Ohio has adopted campaign rules that apply to any judicial candidate, whether the candidate is running for municipal court or the Supreme Court of Ohio. These rules supplement Ohio campaign law and include separate contribution and expenditure limits, as well as separate regulations on false or misleading campaign statements.
Q.: Are my campaign contributions tax-deductible? A.: Your campaign contributions cannot be deducted from your federal income tax. However, you can deduct up to $50 from your Ohio tax return (or $100 for a married couple filing jointly) if you contribute to someone running for any state-level office (e.g., governor or auditor), or state legislative office.
Law You Can Use is a weekly consumer legal information column provided by the Ohio State Bar Association. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner prepared this article. Articles appearing in this column are intended to provide broad, general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific legal problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.

The husband and wife stood in the driveway next to their minivan, contemplating the flat tire. The wife was a know-it-all harridan. The husband was a patient, tolerant man and he was not quite as simple-minded as his wife thought.
They tolerated each other for the most part, but only because the husband was willing to give his wife time to come to the same conclusions he already had. Because of the wife's superior attitude, however, there were many conversations like this one:
"There's a flat in the tire, dear wife."
"Well, then you should fix it, dear husband."
"With what shall I fix it, dear wife?"
"Use the air pump, dear husband. (Duh!)"
"The hose isn't connected, dear wife."
"Well, let me think…What if you connected it, dear husband?"
"With what shall I connect it, dear wife?"
"With a flippin' wrench, dear husband."
"Where shall I get a wrench dear wife?"
"In that disaster you call a toolbox, dear husband."
"The toolbox is locked, dear wife."
"Well then…gosh, what to do? …oh, I don't know.. UNLOCK IT, dear husband."
"The kids dropped the key into a sewer drain, dear wife."
"Then use a screwdriver, dear husband."
"The screwdriver is in the toolbox, dear wife."
"Well, then, it only makes sense to buy a new screwdriver, doesn't it, dear husband."
"Where shall I buy one, dear wife?"
"At the hardware store; where else, dear husband?"
"How shall I get there, dear wife?"
"Have you ever heard of a car, dear husband?"
There's a flat in the tire…Got any other bright ideas…dear wife?" (Any similarity this column may have to the song "There's A Hole In My Bucket" is purely coincidental.)
My husband is much like this patient, tolerant man. He'd wait until I had exhausted all of my bluster, and then, wham! He'd prove his undeniable intelligence with a scathing comment that would peel the hide off a more sensitive person. Then the lights would come on in an "Oooohhhhh!" moment and I would be just a tiny bit ashamed of my attitude.
In the 27 years of our marriage, however, I have learned to be less critical in my conversations with him and I give him the benefit of the doubt more often. There is no place for sarcasm in a marriage.
It's very embarrassing to think that you are queen of all you survey and then suddenly find out that you are simply human after all. Apparently, I need my husband to remind me of this now and then.
…I just hate it when he's right, though.
You can reach Laura at lsnyder@lauraonlife.com Or visit her website www.lauraonlife.com for more columns and info about her books.