Filed
5:35 p.m. EST
12.19.2024
A Marshall Project and News 5 investigation inspired a bipartisan bill to address the license suspension crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of Ohioans.
Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans could soon be back on the road after lawmakers this week passed sweeping reforms addressing the state’s driver’s license suspension crisis.
The legislation follows a Marshall Project – Cleveland and WEWS News 5 investigation that found the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued nearly 200,000 new license suspensions in 2022 for debt-related reasons such as failing to pay court fines or missing child support payments.
Amid a flurry of legislative activity this week in Columbus, House Bill 29 was passed late Wednesday. The bill now goes to Gov. Mike DeWine, who is expected to sign the measure and make it state law.
Julian Khan, who owes thousands in fees and fines after his license was suspended twice for driving without insurance, praised the organizations that championed the bill on behalf of many Ohioans.
“This is a real victory for all the people with lived experience,” Khan said. “It’s long overdue. This is a big development. This is a huge win.”
Once the legislation becomes law, Ohio will join neighboring states that have eliminated debt-based suspensions in recent years, according to the advocacy group Fines and Fees Justice Center.
Ohio is currently one of more than 20 states that suspend licenses for failure to pay civil or criminal fees and fines.
The Justice Action Network, a national bipartisan organization dedicated to improving the criminal justice system, worked with numerous partners in Ohio to push for changes to state law.
“House Bill 29 is a monumental bill that will benefit Ohio workers, employers and communities,” Executive Director Lauren Krisai said Thursday. “It will change hundreds of thousands of lives.”
After The Marshall Project – Cleveland and WEWS News 5 published its investigation last year, lawmakers spent months reworking a proposed law to incorporate parts of the news outlets’ findings.
State Sens. Louis Blessing, a Republican from Colerain Township, and Catherine Ingram, a Democrat from Cincinnati, introduced Senate Bill 37 late last year. The revamped proposal would help hundreds of thousands of people to restore their driving privileges. The Ohio Senate passed the bill in 2024.
A second measure, House Bill 29, was passed by the Ohio House, and through negotiations, incorporated many components of the Senate bill to create the final piece of legislation that was passed this week.
Blessing said he expects DeWine will sign the bill into law. The senator called the measure a “huge victory” for a diverse coalition of advocates who pushed for change. A spokesman for DeWine did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
“It will be extremely beneficial to low- and middle-income Ohioans, helping them avoid debt traps and loss of ability to provide for their families,” Blessing said in a statement Thursday.
“It’s also a win for employers who previously lost valuable employees when they lost the ability to drive.”
Ohio had more than 3 million active license suspensions as of September 2022, the news organizations’ analysis found.
While some proponents of the bill hailed its passage, others say more work needs to be done to fully address the crisis.
“It’s not the perfect bill, but it’s a start,” said the House bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Darnell Brewer, a Democrat from Cleveland. “There’s more work to be done and more work will be done.”
The approved bill will eliminate license suspensions for failure to pay a court fine or fee. It also eliminates school truancy as a reason for license denial or suspension.
Proponents say the bill:
- Removes license suspensions for failing to pay a court fine or fee without imposing reinstatement fees.
- Removes the possible license suspension penalty in most minor cases for a drug abuse offense.
- Reduces the lookback period for driving without insurance offenses to be considered repeat offenses from five years to one year.
- Allows a person whose driver’s license is suspended for failure to pay child support to file a motion with a court for driving privileges.
The Ohio Poverty Law Center, which lobbied for the bill, said the measure could retroactively impact hundreds of thousands of drivers, a majority of whom lost driving privileges simply because they lacked the money to pay the associated debt.
“A valid driver’s license is essential to participating in Ohio’s economy and earning the money necessary to resolve existing debt,” the group said in a statement.
Yet, the legislation will not help people like Theresa Smith.
Her license was suspended after a friend borrowed her car without permission and crashed it, making her financially responsible under state law. The incident triggered two license suspensions, and a state mandate required Smith to purchase high-risk insurance that cost her $3,300 a year. The fees forced her into bankruptcy, she said.
Still, the retiree joyfully screamed on the phone when The Marshall Project – Cleveland told her that lawmakers passed the legislation. The new law, she said, could help her husband, who owes hundreds of dollars in unpaid court fines and fees and is slated to appear in court in January.
“I am so happy,” Smith said. “That’s what I am happy about. This means so much to us. It’s a start in the right direction. Hallelujah!”
