House OKs budget with fee increase

The Ohio House approved a two-year, $7.8 billion transportation budget Wednesday that includes a proposed variable speed limit on Interstate 670 and new fees for drivers.

The transportation budget, which now goes to the Senate, would increase the deputy registrar fee from $3.50 to $5.25 and allow county commissioners to levy a $5 vehicle-license fee to generate infrastructure revenue. The registrar fee has not increased since 2004.

Rep. Alicia Reece, D-Cincinnati, argued that a $5 fee increase should be implemented only by a countywide vote, not by county commissioners approving it.

Her proposal was defeated after Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, argued that the fee increase must have two public hearings and public notice and is subject to a referendum. Commissioners also have the option of putting the increase on the ballot, he said.

He also decided to sing the Subway $5 foot-long jingle.

“You want us to have a $5 vote on a sub sandwich?” Seitz asked. “I can’t imagine anything more preposterous than that.”

The bill also includes a Kasich administration proposal to use I-670 to test a variable speed-limit system designed to reduce speeds, sometimes by the hour, during times of the heaviest congestion as a way to reduce the braking and jockeying that slows traffic.

The proposal also would open the shoulder lane of I-670 during certain times to further alleviate traffic. Currently, only COTA buses are permitted to use the freeway’s left shoulder between Downtown and I-270 during heavy traffic.

The Columbus Regional Airport Authority has expressed support for the proposal.

The House passed the bill 83-13.

Before Wednesday’s final vote, House Republicans eliminated some of Gov. John Kasich’s tax proposals, such as extending the 28-centsper-gallon fuel tax to compressed natural gas.

A pair of Columbus Democrats, Reps. Kristin Boggs and David Leland, voted against the budget bill. House Democrats argued unsuccessfully for increased funding for public transit systems.