New law allows for purchase of rare coins without paying sales tax

July 2, 2016 at 12:06a.m.

Part 3 of a 6-part series

COLUMBUS

You better pull off the side of the road when an ambulance with sirens blaring and lights flashing approaches or you might end up getting a ticket later, even if there are no officers in the vicinity at the time.

You also soon will be able to buy rare coins and gold bullion as part of your investment portfolio without paying sales taxes on the purchases.

Those were among the law changes finalized in recent weeks.

Here are 10 more of 60 law changes OK’d before lawmakers left Columbus for their summer recess, with most set to take effect in August or September:

1Lead in Water: In terms of speed, HB 512 worked its way through the Legislature faster than water through copper pipe.

The legislation institutes new time lines for public notice when dangerous lead levels are identified in public drinking water. It was offered after such issues came to light in the village of Sebring, and the governor signed the legislation in person in nearby Columbiana County.

Under the law changes, residents and other users would have to be informed within two days if lead and copper levels topped allowed thresholds. A larger, more in-depth public education program would have to be launched within 30 days.

Under current law, notice has to be made within 30 days, with a public education campaign within 60 days.

Absent local action within the new time lines, the state would step in and provide notice, with potential administrative penalties for the noncompliant systems.

2 Cleanup: Lawmakers often pass legislation packed with different law changes related to a specific area. HB 166 was one of those, instituting reforms and changes to sections of revised code dealing with county auditors.

Among the more than a dozen provisions included is language extending the deadline for filing for homestead property tax exemptions to the end of the calendar year instead of the first Monday in June.

3Pull Over: Ever see those drivers who refuse to pull off the road when ambulances, firetrucks or police officers with sirens blaring are attempting to respond to emergencies?

SB 123 will address them, allowing emergency responders limited authority to report traffic violations for those who fail to yield the right of way.

Emergency responders in ambulances and fire trucks will be able to report the license plate number and a general description of the vehicle involved. Officers will investigate any resulting reports and issue citations where justified.

4License Plates: Do you like those specialty license plates drivers purchase for their vehicles? There will be a few more to choose from, thanks to SB 159, which included the creation of a handful of new plates.

The list includes a Distinguished Flying Cross plate (for those who have received that distinction), the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness plate, the Ohio Association of Child Caring Agencies plate, the Ohio Nurses Association plate, the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal plate, the National Aviation Hall of Fame plate, the Fallen Linemen plate and the Ohio Battleflag plate, among others.

In most cases, a portion of the proceeds will go to the organization spotlighted.

5And Gov. Celeste: Another section of that same bill will name state Route 2 in Cuyahoga County, beginning at Lake Avenue and extending to the point it crosses the Cuyahoga River, as the Gov. Richard F. Celeste Shoreway, honoring the former Democratic governor.

6And John Glenn: HB 159 also renames the main capital city airport as the John Glenn Columbus International Airport, in honor of the former U.S. senator and astronaut and the first American to orbit the planet.

7Speaking of Glenn: Glenn’s wife, Annie, snagged some kudos of her own before lawmakers left town.

HB 431 designated Feb. 17 as Annie Glenn Communications Disorders Awareness Day.

Annie Glenn battled a severe stuttering problem before completing and intensive college program and “now speaks freely and gives speeches at public events,” according to the Legislative Service Commission.

She serves on the National Deafness and Other Communication Disorders Advisory Council of the National Institutes of Health and is a member of the Central Ohio Speech and Hearing Association’s advisory panel.

8Legalese: Into every legislative session, a little legal terminology, difficult for average residents to grasp, must fall. So it was with SB 171, legislation that enacts the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act.

Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, said the bill was brought forward by an attorneys group to update a section of state law that has been largely unchanged for more than a half-century.

9Coin Collecting: SB 172 will eliminate sales taxes on metal bullion – “gold, silver, platinum or palladium” bars and investment coins, but not gold watches, jewelry and other items.

About 30 other states already exempt such purchases from sales tax. Backers say collectors and investors were going to neighboring states to make purchases. With the law changes, they hope Ohio will play host to more coin shows and sales.

10Franchisees and Franchisors: SB 242 includes a number of law changes governing the interaction and activities of motor-vehicle franchisees and franchisors.

It includes requirements for compensation sought by franchisees completing recall and warranty-related repairs, the process of terminating a franchise agreement, and changes to franchisees’ vehicle allotment, sales expectancies and sales penetration, among other provisions.