Artillery

Ohio's Bureau of Motor Vehicles misinterpreted a 2019 law entitling qualifying disabled veterans to free specialty license plates, then spent years and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars fighting a lawsuit over the error rather than promptly correcting it. Army veteran Jack Kacin sued in 2023 after the BMV charged him for plates and failed to refund him despite years of attempts. The agency acknowledged the overcharges but still contested Kacin's bid for class-action status before losing on appeal.

A settlement approved by Judge Lisa Sadler, which could become final by mid-2027, requires the BMV to pay $365,000 in legal fees plus $10,000 to Kacin and to notify veterans who may be owed refunds. The BMV previously refunded about $535,885 to 3,600 veterans, but Kacin's attorney says roughly 23,000 more may still be eligible. Officials cited a "duty to defend" state actions even when disagreeing with them, while critics questioned the cost of contesting a claim the state admitted was valid.