(Columbus, OH) Ohio lawmakers want to reduce the number of drivers license suspensions and fines.
The General Assembly is considering a number of bills that could reinstate limited driving privileges for those with suspended licenses and help people avoid steep reinstatement fees.
That's because many lawmakers believe state administrators are using driver's license suspensions as an arbitrary punishment for offenses unrelated to driving. Lawmakers also think Ohioans are being buried under a pile of fees and fines for everything from skipping a court date, failing to pay child support, and dropping out of high school.
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles says 1.1 million people got licenses suspensions last year-- nearly 12 percent of the state's driving-age population.