I have written several sad articles about efforts by politicians and bureaucrats to restrict access to birth, marriage, and death records. One state seems to have a more progressive approach. A new searchable database of Ohio birth and death records will be available to the public in county offices by the end of the year, making it easier for genealogists and others to do research.
The state twice raised fees for birth and death certificates in recent years to pay for the $13.9 million database. It is already being used at the state level and people can order birth and death certificates from the state registrar.
There is no plan to make this database available to the public. It will only be available at state offices and at county offices. Searching the index will be free, but people will continue to be charged for a certified copy of a birth or death record.
You can read more in an article by By Lynn Hulsey in the Dayton Daily News at http://tinyurl.com/ydqw6z7
