The goes to the floor of the Ohio House today, after it was overwhelmingly approved by a House committee Wednesday.
Just under a month after its introduction, House Finance Committee chair state Rep. Scott Oelslager (R-North Canton) reported the vote count on the two-year transportation budget was 29-4.
Committee members took out Gov. Mike DeWine鈥檚 $10 increase in vehicle fees, which would have raised $127 million for the state Highway Patrol. But they boosted funding for the patrol by $50 million a year.
The Finance committee removed a provision hiking fines for distracted driving, reduced fees on alternative fuel vehicles, and put back . Half of the committee鈥檚 eight Democrats voted against the bill.
Under current law, police need another reason to pull drivers over, such as speeding, before they can issue a distracted driving ticket. DeWine wanted the action made a primary driving offense, but Oeslanger said lawmakers didn't want to deal with a criminal law issue in the budget.
The transportation budget must be in place by March 31, although it was when it passed in 2019.
