Late fees get GOP attention

COLUMBUS

It’s been about a year since the public outcry over late fees on driver’s licenses and plates, and people are still mad and still calling lawmakers asking when they’re going to do something about it.

At least a few Republicans in the Ohio House are working on new legislation on the issue, with hopes of acting in coming months.

“We’re still looking at shutting it down,” said Rep. Ron Amstutz, a Republican from Wooster and chairman of the House’s finance committee. He added later, “There’s people who are asking about the status of legislation. ... Ultimately, I’m anticipating it getting some action in the transportation budget.”

Two years ago, lawmakers signed off on a number of motor vehicle-related changes, upping the cost of vision screenings, temporary license plates, personalized plates and commercial plates.

They also created a new $20 fee for Ohioans who are more than seven days late in registering their vehicles or renewing their driver’s licenses.

Lawmakers OK’d the fee increases to help balance the budgets for the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Highway Patrol and related agencies. Of the total, $19.50 goes to the highway patrol, while 50 cents goes to the deputy registrar, according to Lindsey Bohrer, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

One million-plus

From October 2009 through November 2010, nearly 2.3 million driver’s licenses were processed, and 11 million-plus vehicle registrations were renewed. The state collected more than 1 million late fees during that timeframe, totaling more than $26 million, according to statistics compiled by DPS. The total highway safety fund is more than $261 million.

But many residents were unaware of the late fee and were under the false impression that they could submit registrations anytime during their birth month and not necessarily by their birthday.

The fees also effects residents who live in other states part of the year and do not receive their renewal notices until after the due dates.

Amstutz introduced legislation last session to eliminate the late fees, and he said he is working on another version of the bill this session.

Collective Bargaining

Union representatives have set the bar pretty high, in terms of citizen involvement in legislative deliberations on a bill that would eliminate collective bargaining by state employees.

Hundreds packed a Senate hearing room, hallways and the Statehouse Atrium last week to hear Sen. Shannon Jones offer sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 5.

Among other provisions, the legislation would require increased disclosure of compensation outlined in collective bargaining agreements and labor negotiations. Public employers would be allowed to hire permanent replacement workers during a strike, and layoffs would be based on factors other than employees’ length of service.

Union officials are fighting the bill, and workers will have to continue to pack the Statehouse as the legislation moves through the committee process to show just how angry they are about the proposed changes.

But there aren’t too many bills that draw those kinds of crowds on a regular basis.

Postscript

Could Republican lawmakers be setting the stage for President Barack Obama’s re-election next year?

Chew on this scenario:

Lawmakers pass and Gov. John Kasich signs the collective bargaining bill.

Union opponents force a referendum on the law changes, pushing the issue onto the November 2012 ballot.

Thus giving organized labor, which shied away from polling places last year, a reason to vote.

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