March 25, 2026 · Transportation Committee · 7,013 words · 10 speakers · 116 segments
I call this committee to order. I'd ask members and folks in the audience, please rise as we do the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Will the clerk please call the roll?
Chairman Patton.
Here. Vice Chair Schaefer. Here.
Ranking Member Antonio.
Here.
Senator Chavez.
Here. Senator Reinecke. Here.
Senator Smith.
Here.
Senator Timken.
Here. Thank you. Operate as a full committee. I'd ask the members to please review the previous minutes, the review minutes of our previous meeting on March 4, 2026. Have you reviewed, if you review these and if there's no objections, hearing none, these minutes will be approved. The first order of business is Senate Bill 365. After its first hearing, we call upon Senator Al-Katrona. Good morning, Senator Katrona. Good morning, Chairman. Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, I want to thank you for allowing me to provide testimony today on Senate Bill 365. 365 designates a portion of Route 11 in Mahoning County as the Trooper Nicholas P. Caton Memorial Highway. On October 16, 2025, Trooper Caton of the Ohio State Highway Patrol tragically lost his life in the line of duty. Trooper Caton served on the patrol since 2012. The event sent shockwaves across the entire district and, frankly, the entire state. Trooper Catons attended Carrollton High School, which is the furthest part of my district, but then went to YSU and lived in Mahoney County, so it really impacted the entire Senate district. And when I say the state, it also impacted not only him and his family, but also other troopers across the state in which he worked with. and the governor had lowered the flag at half-mast to recognize him. In 2007, he decided to serve his country and enlisted as an Ohio Army National Guard. He did two deployments, one in Iraq, one in Afghanistan, and he finished his time in service as a staff sergeant. While as a trooper, he had two awards and designations, nations, one as Trooper of the Year and the other as Master Trooper. With all his accolades, the most important thing and the most important joy to his life is his family, his wife, somebody who is his high school sweetheart, Lindsay, and his two children, his son Turner and his daughter Romy. Trooper Caton will be remembered for his steadfast commitment for the greater good and for the life in which he lived. And I ask for your kind consideration and open myself up to any questions to this legislation. Thank you for your testimony. Not a question, but just a thank you for bringing this bill forward. I hope it gives the family a bit of comfort going forward. Are there questions of the witness? Seeing none, thank you, Senator Katrona. Thank you, Senator. We now call up Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Swindell from the Highway State Patrol. Good morning, sir.
Good morning, Senator.
When I hear that and we talk about the date a little bit, it just impacts, and we have several of our troopers behind me. But we'll get through this testimony here.
Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, ranking member in tone, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, I'm Lieutenant Colonel Josh Swindell, Assistant Superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It is an honor to testify in support of this memorial dedication for Trooper Caton. I'm going to go off script for a second. just personally, I had an opportunity to work with Nick and be his captain, his district commander when he was at Canfield. And behind me, we have our district staff, several of our members from our patrol post here today. We just had a hero run that we have our cadets do. And we want them to understand how important and how dangerous the job is and how serious to take it and the training. they just sponsored Nick and we had Lindsey and we also had his mom down Cindy to be there with us and we appreciated them coming for the hero run and we acknowledged Nick during that time we're just trying to one thing Colonel Jones did was one of our core values he added family and the reason he did family is to let everybody know that we'll take care of each other like we're together in this We've had unfortunate circumstances, many things through my career, but I know, as Colonel Joan knows, this is our most difficult thing that we deal with. And the district, the family, general headquarters, they've just wrapped the family in our arms in trying to support them through this very difficult time. And I just appreciate you guys taking the time to listen to us and giving us a few minutes. I know your time is very important. but really, I really miss Nick. I'd like to thank Senator Catrona for sponsoring this legislation. When he heard of Nick's passing, he asked what he could do. I want to thank the members of this committee and all members of the Ohio Senate for honoring Nick with a moment of silence after his death. That display of respect and collective remembrance did not go unnoticed. It was comforting to know others share in our grief. And finally, I want to thank all of you for your continued support of the men and women of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, thank you again for today's opportunity to testify on behalf of the Ohio State Highway Patrol in memory of Nick Caton. I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.
Lieutenant Colonel, I want to point out, I don't think the time that it spends, I think I speak for the committee when we say this is time well spent. And we do appreciate your testimony. Other questions?
Senator Antonio. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming and testifying. Thanks to all of you for being here today, especially family members and certainly the other troopers. As legislators, I shared the chair's remarks. We can't think of anything more important than dealing with these kinds of issues. This is an important part of our work, sadly, when we have to memorialize someone who's gone way too soon. But I also want to say as a legislator, we have a special relationship with the Highway Patrol. not only do you keep us safe here in this building on the roads, as well as the members of the state of Ohio, and we are very appreciative of that bubble of safety that you provide for all of us. So I share my condolences on behalf of all of us as well, and thank you so much for all the work that you do every day to keep Ohioans safe. Thank you.
Thank you, Senator.
Senator Timken.
Thank you, Chairman. I just want to express my condolences to the family and to the State Trooper family. I know when you lose one of your members, it's a great loss to the entire community, and I echo Senator Antonio's kind words that you protect us every single day, and we are all grateful. So thank you very much.
Thank you.
Any further questions? Seeing none, Lieutenant Colonel, thank you very much for your testimony.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Our next witness is Lindsay Clayton.
Thank you, Senator.
Welcome to the committee.
Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, I am Lindsay Caton. Naming a portion of State Route 11 in honor of my husband is both deeply emotional and incredibly meaningful for our family. The place where his life was taken while serving and protecting others will always hold a painful significance for us, but knowing that it may also stand as a lasting tribute to his service brings a sense of comfort. Nick chose to become a state trooper because he believed in helping people, standing up for what was right and keeping his community safe. That sense of duty guided him every day as he put on his uniform. While we lost him far too soon, his commitment to others and the sacrifice he made will never be forgotten. For our family and friends, seeing his name along that roadway would serve as a reminder, not only for the tragedy that we endured, but the life he lived and the purpose he served. It would also stand as a symbol to everyone who travels that road that a man once gave his life there in service to others. On behalf of our family, I want to express our sincere gratitude to the committee for considering this honor. It means more than words can fully express to know that his service and sacrifice continue to be remembered. Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, Thank you for today's opportunity to testify in support of the Trooper Nicholas P. Caton Memorial Highway. I'm happy to answer any questions.
Thank you for your courageous testimony. We had a situation a few months back where we named a portion of the Shoreway in Cleveland after a firefighter who died on the scene, and that spot is where we erected his road naming. He had three daughters. He had 350 best friends in the fire department, if you were to believe all the firemen that were at the governor's bill signing. You know, but the Irish have an expression that you die twice. You die when you die, and you die when someone mentions your name for the last time. And with that memorial sign being up there, that name will be mentioned with kids asking their mom, who was this gentleman, who was this man, how did he die, and why did he die? And so his name will then live on forever. And so we're glad that Senator Cotron has brought this action forward. So I'd ask the community if there's any questions. Senator Schaefer, please. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank you so much for your testimony coming forward. Yes, as the Chairman said, very courageous, very brave of you. Please accept our love and our condolences for the great loss you suffered as well as the Highway Patrol the entire institution and the community Words certainly can do it justice but we try our best to be there with you and thank God we have great leaders like Senator Contrana to bring this bill forward. And yeah, everybody that travels that roadway will see his name forever, and he will not be forgotten. and he will be memorialized, and everybody that passes by those signs will whisper a thank you for heroes like him that he serves in the Highway Patrol. Thank you. Question, Senator Antonia.
I want to add my voice to thanking you for coming today. this can't be easy, but also to offer my condolence and also appreciation, because I think part of what that sign also does, in addition to everything that folks have said, is it's also a reminder of what risks not only law enforcement, but their entire family dedicates their service to, in service to the people of the state of Ohio. And so thank you for the sacrifice and also for coming here today and sharing a little bit with us. As you go and we will see that sign, and hopefully I think there's going to be a lot of prayers of appreciation as we see it as well. So thank you for being here today.
Thank you.
Any further questions? Thank you again for your testimony. All right. Thank you, Senators. This will conclude the first hearing on Senate Bill 365. Our next order of business, we're going to move a little bit out of order because we have members that have to get to other committees. So we're going to call up Senate Bill 334 for its second hearing. Proponent testimony from Don Durbin. Good morning, ma'am. Thank you for coming.
Thank you. Chair Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide proponent testimony on Senate Bill 334. My name is Dawn Durbin. I am the mother of Officer Jacob Durbin. Jacob was only 23 years old I never imagined I'd be standing up here in front of you having to speak of my son like this instead of watching him live the life that he was just beginning he had his whole life ahead of him he had dreams, he had plans and a future that included being 11 weeks shy of his wedding he was taken far too soon Yet in those 23 years, he gave more and achieved more than most can do in a lifetime. He had a life of purpose, courage, and selflessness. He had a heart for people. He wanted to help. He wanted to protect. He didn't just wear a badge. He lived it. Jacob served his country in the Army National Guard, and he served the city of Euclid as a police officer. a community he didn't even live in, but chose to protect. On May 11, 2024, my son did exactly what he was called to do. He showed up. He answered a call for help, and he put others before himself. And he never came home. As a mother, there are no words to describe that kind of loss. There's no preparing for it. There's no fixing it. and a piece of me went with him that night and never came back. But what I can do and what I must do is make sure Jacob is never forgotten. Naming this portion of Interstate 480 in his honor is more than a sign. It's a lasting reminder of a life that was lived with purpose. It tells his story. It honors his sacrifice and it keeps his legacy alive. Every person who drives that stretch of highway will see his name. Some will wonder who he was, and some will take a moment to reflect. And in that moment, Jacob's story continues. Because behind that name is not just an officer. To me, he was my son, my baby. To his brothers, he was their hero. And to the community and his country, he was a protector. He was loved beyond words. He is missed every single day, and Jacob's life mattered, and it still matters. I'm asking you from a mother's heart, please help make sure that his name lives on. I respectfully urge you to support Senate Bill 334. Thank you for your time, and I'd be happy to answer questions.
Well, thank you, Mrs. Durbin. That was lovely testimony and difficult testimony. I would know that for a fact. I think Senator Smith had a question or comment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, Mrs. Durbin. So, yeah, I'm the senator who represents the city of Euclid, and I had the unfortunate honor of leading the moment of silence on the Senate floor in response to Jacob's untimely and tragic death. And I will speak to it again on the Senate floor this afternoon. And yeah, I'm just, and continue to be personally, you know, I mean, this tragedy touched the city of Euclid deeply. I know you and I have spoken. And so I hope that this will help you continue to heal. His loss was a profound loss to the community and obviously to your family. So thank you for being here. And thank you, Mr. Chairman, for advancing this legislation.
Senator Schaefer. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I, too, would like to express our love and condolences to you and your family and the whole community. This loss, I can't imagine how tough it is, how devastating it is to deal with it. But I guess if there's any solace in this that you know better than anybody what a contribution he made to peace and to our communities, particularly Euclid. and making sure that people could live their lives in peace and freedom. But this is an ultimate sacrifice that is a terrible sacrifice. It happens. And when it does happen, we need to wrap our arms around you and your family and the whole community in love and respect. And so please accept our condolences and look forward to voting this bill out. Thank you. Mrs. German, as I mentioned on a previous bill to the wife of Trooper Clayton, I know personally my son had Mayfield Road in Cleveland named after him, and it's been 16 years. And yet, monthly, somebody will stop and take a picture of the sign as if I hadn't seen it. We actually have a replica in the office. But as I said, it's important because people will always stop and they'll say, Mom, Dad, who is Jacob Durbin? What did he do and how did he die? And as has been mentioned, this is a very dangerous, dangerous occupation that all the men and women in our law enforcement community face. And we all dread the phone call. I call it the phone call. My mother had to dread it with my father. It never happened. my older brother, my nephews, it never did, but I know what it's like to get the call. Tommy's mother is already gone, but I can imagine had she been alive, it would have destroyed her. So I, again, can only imagine the pain you feel every morning when you get up and you face it. It's not a dream, it's a reality. But again, your testimony was courageous, and I'm very, very impressed by you, and it's going to be a delight to be able to vote this bill out of committee today and this afternoon. we're going to make it a law. So thank you very much for your time. I'm going to call on Vice Chairman Schaefer for a motion. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully and proudly move to report Senate Bill 334 to the Committee on Rules of Reference and recommend its passage. Clerk will call the roll.
Chair Patton.
Yes.
Vice Chair Schaefer.
Yes.
Ranking Member Antonio.
Yes.
Senator Chavez.
Yes.
Senator Reinecke.
Yes.
Senator Smith.
Yes.
Senator Timken.
Yes.
Having received the sufficient number of votes, Senate Bill 334,
as you refer to the Committee on Rules and Reference. Now I'm going to go back to the regular order, and we're going to call on Representatives Abrams and Gambari for House Bill 381 for sponsored testimony.
Thank you, Chair Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on House Bill 381, the Do-It-For-Jack license plate. Today, at least 12 Ohioans will die of fentanyl poisoning. 190 Americans will die today of fentanyl poisoning. That is the equivalent of a 737 aircraft capacity. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered to be a lethal dose. That is the size of the tip of a pencil. My friend Mark Murphy joined me and Sheriff Jones back in 2023 on a trip to the southern border in Arizona. And that's where Mark shared his story about his 21-year-old daughter Lizzie, who thought she was taken as Anax and died of fentanyl poisoning. He said, as parents, we have to imagine this happening to our own children. We must educate our kids about this drug epidemic, talk to them, and be brutally honest. After returning home from our trip, I introduced House Bill 230 last General Assembly, which is now House Bill 88 here in this chamber. The biggest group of proponents for this bill came from my friendship with Mark as he introduced me to many families here in Ohio who have sadly lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. One of these families was the Quails. Jack Quayle was a graduate of Moeller High School in Cincinnati and received a degree in international business from the University of South Carolina. In 2021, after having moved to Boston for a new job, Jack lost his life at age 23 to fentanyl poisoning. Since the passing of their son, Tom and Stephanie Quayle have made it their mission to educate others on the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit drug use. Their goal is to preserve future generations by empowering them with knowledge to make life decisions so no family loses their Jack Good afternoon, colleagues. Before I speak about the Do It For Jack bill, I just want to take a moment to recognize the two previous witnesses that were here to testify about their loved ones. Trooper Caton's wife and Officer Durbin's wife is a busy place when things are going on, and I don't think the troopers knew what was coming right after their testimony. And when I stopped out there to let them know it was another fallen officer's family, every one of them came back in. And that's because it doesn't matter the patch you wear in your uniform, the badge you wear in your chest, these things reverberate throughout our first responder community. So certainly a challenging day for these two families to come down and speak about their loved ones. And it underscores, from listening to the testimony of the two previous witnesses, both of those young men served in our armed forces. And they came back and they switched one uniform for another because they understand that this is truly about service to a cause greater than their own. And so while we go from a road naming to a license plate, this all shares one underlying theme, and that's about educating our public and educating our folks, whether it's about service to a cause greater than their own, like the two officers who laid down their lives in service to their communities, or to the families like Jack who buried their loved one because of a decision that was made that we need to continue to educate our young folks. And it's through their presentations in schools, businesses, and local governments that the Do It For Jack group has engaged over thousands of students and parents, and they have made over 4 million media impressions through the foundations, social media, local news stations, and podcasts. Their Do It For Jack apparel helps to spread their message globally, with supporters wearing their apparel in all 50 states and 47 countries and counting. Based on Jack's love for traveling, Do It For Jack has started scholarship programs with Moeller High School and St. Columbine Grade School to support students seeking experiences that enrich their mind, body, and spirit outside of the four walls of the traditional classroom setting. In the last week, Do It For Jack made news headlines in Ohio for their Say The F Word billboards on I-75, encouraging people to have hard conversations about the dangers of fentanyl. Do It for Jack also released a documentary short titled Don't Lose Your Jack to continue to help Jack's story. I get a little choked up about that because I have a son named Jack. And when Jack's mom and dad came to testify in committee last GA when I was chairing public safety, I thought for a moment, this could be my Jack. This could be anybody's Jack or little Susie or Mary or fill in the blank. And ever since then, I've walked around with this little tag on the back of my phone. And our two kids, Maddie and Jack, always kind of banter about it. And our son, Jack really thought this was about him. And in a roundabout way, it is about him. And he said, well, why don't you have a do it for Maddie on there, Dad? And I had to have the conversation about this is who Jack was and this is who Jack is. And this is why Dad keeps this on the back of my phone so we can educate others so that they can educate their Jack or their daughter or their loved one. It's hard just to imagine what Jack's mom and dad must have been going through when they got a different knock at the door, like the two previous witnesses. Their situation was different, but they still lost a loved one. So I've really doubled down my efforts to support this initiative, not just with the Do It For Jack organization, but Fenton All Fathers and many others that have had similar tragic stories unfold as well. So the documentary that I mentioned is told through interviews with Jack's friends and how the phrase Do It For Jack has become their source of motivation. With fentanyl poisoning being the leading cause of death for 18 to 45-year-olds, Do It For Jack is helping to lead the movement to educate groups on how dangerous fentanyl truly is. The Do It For Jack license plate will help Tom and Stephanie continue their mission and reach more young people across the state and soon across our nation. Chairman Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, and members of the Senate Transportation Committee, my colleagues Cindy and I are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have, and we are very grateful that you gave us an opportunity to present testimony today in your committee. Thank you.
Thank you both for your testimony. Are there any questions of the witness? Seeing none, we appreciate it. and this will conclude the first hearing on House Bill 381. Thank you. For those involved, the Senate Rules and Reference Committee has been delayed until 1145. We're going to call up our next bill, which is House Bill 471, for its first hearing.
Again, Representative Abrams. Thank you, Chair Patton, Vice Chair Shaver, Ranking Member Antonio and members of the Senate Transportation Committee for giving me the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 471. Friday, May 2nd, 2025 was likely a normal day for most of us. Schools were getting ready for summer break, vacation plans were being made, and the weather was warming up. For Mrs. Henderson and her family, it would be the worst day of their lives. Following his time with the United States Marine Corps, Larry Henderson served with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for 33 years before retiring in December of 2024. Deputy Henderson loved our community and continued to serve special details for the Sheriff's Office. One of those details was traffic control for the University of Cincinnati's spring commencement on May 2nd, where the university welcomed tens of thousands of people onto the campus for graduation. While thousands of individuals were celebrating their college graduation, Deputy Henderson was ensuring that people attending the ceremony could cross the busy street. Deputy Henderson stood at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Burnett Woods Drive in Clifton, near the traffic box, on the sidewalk, manually running the light as a car entered the turn lane, waited for other traffic to pass, before accelerating onto the corner, striking and killing him. One man made the decision to kill, hit and kill Deputy Henderson simply because of the uniform he was wearing. While proudly wearing that uniform, Larry Henderson was a man of high integrity. He had a great sense of humor. He was compassionate. He was a father, a husband, a grandfather, and most recently, a foster father to a six-month-old and a two-year-old. Following Deputy Henderson's murder, his colleagues with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Mrs. Henderson came to me about creating a memorial highway in his memory. House Bill 471 will designate the portion of I-275 in Hamilton County over the five-mile road exit as the Deputy Larry Henderson Memorial Highway. This spot was chosen by Deputy Henderson's wife and colleagues. It is a five-minute drive from District 5 where Deputy Henderson served before he retired. That stretch of I-275 is heavily traveled daily. The Deputy Larry Henderson Memorial Highway will be a constant reminder for Ohioans and everyone who travels on that highway that we are grateful for Deputy Henderson's service to Hamilton County and to our nation, and we will never forget him. House Bill 471 passed out of the House Transportation Committee and off the House floor unanimously. This Memorial Highway has the support of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the family of Deputy Henderson. At the request of Deputy Henderson's family, we have drafted an amendment for the bill to make sure Junior is added to the end of Deputy Henderson's name. Thank you again, Chairman, for the opportunity to provide sponsor testimony. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your testimony. Will we be adding this amendment during the course of its time in the Senate?
Yes.
Okay. Thank you. Questions of the witness?
Senator Timken. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Representative. Abrams for bringing this. This is, again, another example of the sacrifice of our men and women who serve our country, not only as veterans, but as our police officers. And this is somewhat personal for me. I grew up in Clifton. I know exactly the spot where he tragically lost his life. So I applaud you for bringing this forward, and thank you very much.
Thank you, Senator.
Any other questions? Thank you for your testimony. This is becoming a committee of very solemn and heartbreaking bills, but we appreciate you bringing this forward. Thank you very much. Chairman, it's a heavy day, but it's an important day. Exactly. Thank you, Chair. Our next bill will be Senate Bill 364 for its second hearing. Is there anyone here willing to testify in Senate Bill 364? The Chair now recognize Vice Chair Schaefer for motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to report Senate Bill 364 to the Committee on Rules and Reference and recommend its passage. Clerk will call the roll.
Chair Patton?
Yes.
Vice Chair Schaefer?
Yes.
Ranking Member Antonio?
Yes.
Senator Chavez?
Yes.
Senator Reinecke?
Yes.
Senator Smith?
Yes.
Senator Timken?
Yes.
I have received a sufficient number of votes. Senate Bill 364 is referred to the Committee on Rules and Reference. Please make sure we sign the vote sheet.
Our next order of business is House Bill 258 for its first hearing, Representatives Matthews and Dieter. Morning. Welcome to the committee.
Good morning. Thank you so much, Chair Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, illustrious members of the Senate Transportation Committee. Thank you so much for the opportunity to present sponsor testimony on House Bill 258, a common sense piece of legislation that seeks to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of our state driver's license renewal process by authorizing the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to send electronic notices of imminent license expiration before the license expire, rather than the current process of after they've expired. Current Ohio law requires a registrar to notify drivers of their license only after the license has already lapsed. This notice is sent by mail to the person's last known address within 45 days following the license expiration date. This practice can lead to unintended lapses in licensure, resulting in potential legal complications, fines, and disruptions to daily life for many of our constituents. Both myself and my joint sponsor have heard from local citizens who in the busyness of life accidentally forgot to renew their licenses and only learned of such weeks afterwards By ensuring the drivers receive timely reminders before their license expires, we can promote compliance, enhance road safety, and reduce administrative burdens associated with the license. It improves public safety, the administrative efficiency, and the economic considerations by avoiding these fines and potential increases to insurance premiums. Recognizing that there may be administrative costs of the BMV, we adopted a substitute bill throughout the process to propose a simple and cost-effective electronic notice option for those drivers who wish to opt into the system if they want to give an email address that is not required or the cell phone address to the BMV. Should drivers provide this information, this bill authorizes an electronic notification to be sent at least 15 days prior to the expiration and again 14 days after the expiration. By allowing the electronic notifications to be sent at these intervals instead of mailing, it also would likely reduce the number of mailed notifications and cost on the BMV. According to the BMV, it costs roughly a dollar to send each mailed invoice. and by promoting this early compliance, we further expect the bill to lower B&B costs and save taxpayer dollars that could be better used elsewhere. Just on the timing, we see an uptick, especially around Christmas and holiday and winter seasons, and then with Christmas cards and such, these notices get lost. And we introduced this after both of us had heard from our constituents around that time. So this is a major thing. So thank you, and I ask for favorable consideration, and I welcome any questions you may have.
Thank you for your testimony. What is the position of BMV when we're approached with this?
We worked with them. We actually approached them even before we did the introduction, and working with this, they believe it would save them money, especially with the electronic notices after this. Thank you.
Senator Timken.
Thank you, Representative, for bringing us forward. I think we all lead busy lives, and having a reminder is great. You said that individuals can opt into this program. I guess explain to me what protections there are for cell phone numbers and e-mail addresses within the BMV so it doesn't become public record. Through the chair to the senator, public records are for the routine benefit,
the government business, and in the same way that all of your driver's license information, information. The BMV has that currently. And so if you believe we need some belts and suspenders to make sure that there's no public records here, I'd be happy to talk for an amendment, but I believe
that this would not qualify, that would not qualify as a public record. Senator Antonio. Seeing no further questions, thank you very much for your testimony today.
Thank you so much.
This will conclude the first hearing on House Bill 258. Our next order of business, House Bill 384, Representative Moore for its first hearing. Good morning sir welcome to the
committee. It's a solemn day but an important day indeed I appreciate you having me. Good morning Chair Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio and fellow members of the Ohio Senate Transportation Committee. Thank you for allowing me to provide testimony on House Bill 384. It is designed to a designated portion of U.S. Route 22 as Staff Sergeant Melvin Treshel Sr. Memorial Highway in Harrison County. Staff Sergeant Melvin Treshel was a proud World War II veteran. Treshel was born in Cadiz, Ohio in 1919. In 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served six years during World War II. Sergeant Treshel began his Army stint with the U.S. Cavalry and later transferred to Combat Command B of the 10th Armored Division. Sergeant Trussell served in the European Theater, which is one of the two main theaters of combat in World War II. He earned several military decorations, including the European African Middle Eastern Service Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal, and the Distinguished Unit Badge. In 1941, he was a guard of the Tomb of the unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Following his military service, Sergeant Treshill remained active in his veteran and community organizations, including Hopedale American Legion Post 682 and a lifetime member of the Hopedale VFW Post 447, the Catazegals, and the United Mine Workers of America. This portion of US Route 22 will carry his name just as he carried himself with valor, strength, and dedication.
Indeed, a true American hero.
Thank you for allowing me to testify today. I'd be happy to entertain any questions. Thank you for your
testimony. And for his service to our country, we're grateful. Are there any of his family members that survived
that are aware of this? There are.
Will they be coming in to testify?
They will.
Any questions? Seeing them, thank you very much, Representative Moore, for your testimony. Stay right here. I'm sorry. We're back-to-back on this one. The Senate calls up House Bill 385 for its first hearing. Welcome back, Representative Moore.
Thanks again. Good morning again, Chair Patton, Vice Chair Schaefer, Ranking Member Antonio, fellow members of the House and Senate Transportation Committee. Thank you for allowing me to provide testimony on House Bill 385. It is with deep respect and solemn pride that we recognize Private First Class Thomas Tommy Pizzino, a native son of Hopedale and a true American hero. On Thanksgiving Day in 1965, Private First Class Tommy Pizzino's family received the news that he died while serving in Vietnam. Just days before, at only 20 years old, he became the first Harrison County resident to fall in the Vietnam War. Pizzino was a member of the C Company of the 1st Cavalry Division's 7th Regiment. This division was involved in the heaviest fighting in the Ai Drang Valley in southeast Vietnam. During his deployment, he wrote letters to his mother describing waiting hip-deep in rice paddies and wearing the same clothes for days. He expressed that it would be difficult to write about the conditions, but he would tell her when he returned home. That homecoming never came, but his words, his bravery, and his sacrifice will never be forgotten. Private First Class Pizzino was awarded the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, for his heroic action in the military operations, and the battle I drank. His brother Ed wrote me a note. The note says, Tommy was a happy young man in the Army in 1965. Just the wrong place, wrong time. His name is on a scroll at the end of the movie, We Were Soldiers, along with so many young men who will never be recognized. Your help today means a lot to our family, and we thank you deeply. We named this portion of U.S. Route 22 in his memory, but we do more than honor a fallen soldier. We remember a son, a brother, a neighbor, and a young man who answered the call when his country needed him most. Thank you once again for allowing me to share Private First Class Tommy Pizzino's story, and I will entertain any questions if you have them. Thank you.
Thank you for your testimony. Are there questions of the witness?
What a long-ago tragedy, but it was obviously at the early part of the Vietnam War. in 1965. So what a shame. Thank you.
And I have to tell you, Senator, your words resounded with me back there when you said your name was mentioned twice. That hit me hard in the heart. Thank you for that. Appreciate it.
Thank you for your testimony.
Thank you.
Our next order of business is Senate Bill 280 for its second hearing. David Root is here to testify. David, you still here?
Let's take a look and see if David's testimony is on the... It's on the... We're going to give everybody a second or two to read it. And...
David is with the VFW, and he strongly supports allowing the Humvees, regardless of age, to be registered as historical motor vehicles. Is there anything, any remarks before we ask for a motion from Chair Schaefer? Are we going to vote on this? Yes. No. No? What? A substitute. We're going to vote on a substitute. The chair now recognizes Vice Chairman Schaefer for a motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I move to amend with Substitute Bill L-136-1955-2. If the Substitute Bill is in order, you may proceed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This sub-bill makes a few substantive changes to the bill, including increasing the scope of the original bill language to include a codified process in which Ohio residents will be able to register their Humvee for legal use on Ohio's public roadways. It lays out the expectations for registering a Humvee through the Ohio BMV after receiving a safety inspection from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, ensuring that the vehicle meets proper safety standards in accordance with the revised code, and outlines a process where Ohio residents can remove the, quote, off-road use only, end quote, designation from their Humvee title and get it approved for general transportation by passing the OSHP safety inspection. Thank you, Vice Chair Schaefer. Members, please note that a more detailed description of the sub-bill changes will be on your iPads and on the committee website. Are there any objections to adopting Substitute Bill 1955-2? Object. Okay, seeing the objection, will the clerk please call the roll?
Chair Patton?
Yes.
Vice Chair Schaefer?
Yes.
Ranking Member Antonio?
No.
Senator Chavez?
Yes.
Senator Reinecke?
Yes.
Senator Smith?
Senator Timken?
Yes.
The Substitute Bill is now accepted and will become part of the working bill. This will conclude the second hearing on Senate Bill 280. Our last order of business, and thank you, members, for your patience, will be Senate Bill 358 for a second hearing. Is there anyone here that wishes to testify in Senate Bill 358? Members, please direct your attention to the written testimony from Tyler Mies on your iPads. And thus, this concludes the second hearing of Senate Bill 358. So you now know further business before us. I conclude this as adjourned.