Saga of late license fees in Ohio continues

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland weighed in last week on the ongoing brouhaha over those new late fees being levied against anyone more than seven days late in renewing driver’s licenses or vehicle plates.

His response was similar to his commentary on other Statehouse issues: It’s Republicans’ fault.

“I would encourage you to go back and look at the history of this issue,” he said. “As I recall it, we initially asked for a broader-based, lower fee increase that would have prevented this kind of action from happening. I believe it was some of my friends on the other side of the aisle in the Legislature that objected to that approach. So we took the approach that we now have.”

Flashback to about year ago, to the transportation budget proposed by Strickland. He outlined a number of increased fees to fund the State Highway Safety Fund (i.e. patrol), including a new $10 late fee for licenses and vehicle registrations.

Senate Republicans stripped all of those fee increases out of their version of the transportation budget.

But compromised versions were OKed as part of the conference committee process, which determined the final version of the bill. It’s there that the late fee increased to $20, but with a seven-day grace period.

Press release

In mid-September, the Department of Public Safety issued notice, in the form of a press release, of the new fee. It’s evident now that most people paid little heed to the warning, judging from the public outcry from those who have had to pay an extra 20 or 40 or 60 bucks or more. That’s a tough pill for some to swallow, given the continuing economic doldrums.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have vowed to fix the situation. Rep. Ron Amstutz, a Republican from Wooster, has already introduced legislation to eliminate the new late fee, though he is still studying how that move would impact the State Highway Patrol’s budget and determining how to fill the resulting hole.

Nearly 40 lawmakers have signed on as co-sponsors of Amstutz’s bill, though all but one are Republicans. House Democrats are considering their own version of the legislation.

So far, lawmakers haven’t provided a plan to generate the millions of dollars that will not be collected if the fee is eliminated. Strickland has made it clear that he’s not going to support changes that don’t make up the difference.

“The fact is that we must have resources to support the highway patrol and public safety efforts,” he said. “And if my friends in the Legislature want to bring me a plan that they think is a better solution that they will be willing to support that will continue to bring in the necessary revenue, I would obviously look at that.”

He added, “But at this point, I haven’t seen a plan that would meet that criteria ... If we’re going to provide public services, there has to be revenue to support those services.”

X Marc Kovac is The vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at Ohio Capital Blog.