COLUMBUS, Ohio – Governor John Kasich struck out a provision of the new state transportation bill that Democrats and voting rights activists said would have discouraged out-of-state college students from voting in the crucial swing state
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
Kasich signed the two-year $5 billion which helps fund approximately 1,600 projects, including expansions to I-71 in Columbus and I-70 in Clark County, a new interchange at Cherry Valley Road in Newark, the second phase of Cleveland’s Opportunity Corridor, upgrades to the I-475/US 20 interchange in Lucas County, and the Mill Creek Expressway in Cincinnati.
The budget also provides $600 million to local governments for road and bridge improvements, Kasich’s office said.
Kasich vetoed language inserted by majority legislative Republicans that would have imposed a special penalty on new Ohio residents who didn’t obtain state documentation.
Despite the veto, out-of-state college students who register to vote in Ohio still must obtain an in-state driver license and vehicle registrations — and soon must do so within 30 days – according to a report in the Columbus Dispatch.
The language declared that failure to obtain an Ohio driver’s license and registrations within 30 days would forbid new residents from driving in the state while providing no mechanism to restore their driving privileges.
Democrats and voting-rights advocates claimed the measure targeted out-of-state college students to discourage them from voting in Ohio and potentially opened new doors to challenges to their voting eligibility.
Saying residency provisions are spelled out elsewhere in law and its language was confusing, Kasich yesterday vetoed the measure linking voting registration and driving privileges for new Ohioans.
He also killed the no-driving-decree, pointing out it was inconsistent with other laws specifying how driving privileges can be restored.
However, the Republican governor retained the 30 day deadline for new residents to get Ohio licenses and registrations – beginning July 1 — as rightfully closing a “loophole.” Current law requires the documents, but sets no deadline.
Kasich also killed language stating that a person declares his or her Ohio residency by filing their taxes from an in-state address, which also appears in existing law.