COLUMBUS, Ohio — Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a story published on Feb. 20, 2021.
Less than two months after proposing a bill that would eliminate the E-Check program, on Thursday, the Ohio House of Representatives passed the bill that would get rid of the vehicle emissions testing.
In April, State Reps. Diane V. Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Gail Pavliga (R-Atwater) introduced the proposed legislation, now known as House Resolution 56, stating that the E-Check program is out of date and adversely affects certain Ohioans.
“The ends simply must not be permitted to justify the means,” Grendell said. “The poorest among us, elderly, students, and lower-class individuals, are consistently forced to take time off from work to make expensive repairs to their vehicles to meet these arbitrary standards.”
The program requires vehicle checks for residents every two years, making sure that each car passes regulatory emission requirements. However, only residents of Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties still have to adhere to the program.
“E-Check imposes a burdensome and costly motor vehicle emissions testing requirements on the citizens of Northeast Ohio and wastes their valuable tax dollars,” Grendell said in April.
H.R. 56 also calls for the U.S. Congress to reform the Federal Clean Air Act, as well as help companies, find new ways to solve air quality issues that do not significantly impact the U.S. economy.
The bill currently has 19 co-sponsors and will await consideration from the Ohio Senate.
Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previous, unrelated story.