Ohio House OKs fines for unplowed handicap parking spots

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Ohio House has approved fines of up to $500 if lots plow other parking spaces in winter but leave handicapped spots buried in snow and ice.

Rep. Lorraine Fende, a Democrat from Willowick in northeast Ohio, says a snow-covered parking space for the disabled defeats the purpose. A bill she sponsored passed the Ohio House this week with bipartisan support.

It calls for fines of $250-$500 for property owners who fail to remove snow and ice from spaces set aside for the handicapped but do clear other parking places in the same facility.

One critic, Republican Rep. David Daniels of Greenfield, says the measure could saddle businesses and local government with additional snow-clearing costs.

The legislation now goes to the state Senate.