COLUMBUS, Ohio - An Ohio legislative committee advanced a two-year transportation budget bill Wednesday night, which would increase the gas and diesel tax over the next three years.

But before voting on House Bill 62, the Ohio House Finance Committee adopted a large amendment that gives public transit $100 million a year in federal transportation funds.

That is up from $70 million a year that the committee had discussed Tuesday night, and higher than the $40 million a year recommended by Gov. Mike DeWine. The state’s 61 urban and rural transit agencies now get $33 million a year.

Additionally, Ohio’s local governments scored more money in HB 62.

In DeWine’s recommendations, the fuel tax was to be split 60-40 between the Ohio Department of Transportation and local governments. The House Finance Committee went along with that ratio until Wednesday’s omnibus amendment, which changed it to 55 percent going to ODOT and 45 percent to local governments.

“Members felt it was very important for local government to receive more money,” said House Finance Chair Scott Oelslager, a North Canton Republican.

Counties would get $6 million in additional money in the first year the new fuel tax is phased in, $11 million in the second and $14 million in 2022, he said.

HB 62 is expected to hit the House floor Thursday afternoon.

If it passes the House, it proceeds to the Senate, which means more changes are likely coming. The General Assembly needs to pass the bill by March 31.

Fuel taxes

HB 62 would create different tax rates for gas and diesel. Currently both are taxed at the same rate of 28 cents a gallon.

The gas tax would increase by 10.7 cents a gallon:

5 cents on Oct. 1 this year

An additional 3 cents Oct. 1, 2020

An additional 2.7 cents Oct. 1, 2021.

The diesel tax would increase by 20 cents a gallon:

10 cents on Oct. 1

An additional 6 cents on Oct. 1, 2020

An additional 4 cents on Oct. 1, 2021.

DeWine had wanted both to increase by 18 cents a gallon and be pegged to the Consumer Price Index to rise yearly with inflation.

HB 62 would impose a yearly registration fee on alternative fuel vehicles:

$200 for electric vehicles

$100 for hybrids

Rep. Mike Skindell, a Lakewood Democrat, tried to reduce the electric fee to $150 and the hybrid to $75, but the Republican majority on the committee defeated his amendment.

“Most electric vehicle owners agree a fee should be placed so they can contribute to the maintenance of our roadways,” he said. “However, they’re advocating for a reasonable fee and the communications I’ve received in my inbox say $200 is too much."

New audits

The omnibus amendment requires the state auditor to conduct more unannounced audits of ODOT and all 61 transit authorities.

Currently the audits are once a biennium. As of Wednesday night, they would be yearly.

What else is in the bill

HB 62 contains a number of provisions, which are described in detail here.

Some of the highlights include:

Only one license plate required on a vehicle, in the back.

Municipalities and townships could levy an additional $5 motor vehicle registration fee.

ODOT would be prohibited from closing rest stops and from implementing variable speed limits wherever it saw fit, which was proposed in DeWine’s budget recommendations . The ODOT director would have to establish variable speed limit rules and appear before a legislative committee that reviews agency rules.

The bill creates the $250,000 Catastrophic Snowfall Fund, which could be used in a storm with 18 or more inches of snow. ODOT or local governments could use the money to clear roads.

The bill would specify that light-weight electric scooters, such as those by Bird and Lime, would be regulated by the state. The current form of t he bill has age limits, speed restrictions and other provisions.

Traffic camera restrictions

Also in HB 62 are provisions restricting how cities use the controversial traffic cameras.

Under the bill, traffic violations caught by the cameras would have to go before municipal court, which would be more costly to cities than the mayors’ courts where many of the cases currently end up. Cities would have to pay, in advance, a deposit of all applicable court costs and fees. Judges couldn’t charge drivers any court costs or fees.

Municipalities would have to file a report with the Ohio Tax Commissioner showing the fines collected as a result of cameras. Then the commissioner would reduce the Local Government Fund money normally sent to the municipality by the amount collected in fines. This mimics previous legislation that has attempted to dock state funds from communities by the amount they collected using the cameras.

Any Local Government Fund money that is saved would go to projects that would enhance public safety on roads in the area of the municipality.

If municipalities don’t file reports to the tax commissioner, they could lose all their Local Government Fund money.

The Ohio General Assembly’s years’ long war against traffic cameras has been before the Ohio Supreme Court several times, as cities believe the legislature is violating the home rule provisions of the state Constitution.

The battle between lawmakers and municipalities is so legendary, it even made an appearance on the public radio program, “This American Life.”