Wachtmann pleased PUCO rules rescinded

COLUMBUS — State Representative Lynn Wachtmann (R-Napoleon) applauds the decision by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to rescind the revised regulations on private commercial vehicles operating in intrastate commerce.

Initially intended to take effect on January 1, the PUCO extended motor carrier safety regulations to include private intrastate vehicles with a weight of between 10,001 and 26,000 lbs. Included in the new regulations were rules that require drivers of these vehicles to maintain log books and medical certificates. Furthermore, these vehicles would have been subject to inspection by the state of Ohio, and the operations of the companies that use these vehicles would have been subject to review from the PUCO’s safety compliance auditors.

“I am excited that the PUCO and Governor Kasich recognized that these regulations would have had devastating consequences and driven small businesses into the ground,” Wachtmann said. “The extra time and money that independent businesses would have had to set aside for jumping through these hoops was ridiculous, so I am pleased that these job-killing regulations, set in motion by former Governor Strickland, have been stopped. Ohio cannot afford to lose more businesses to states with less of a regulatory burden. We need to continue our focus of implementing policies and legislation that will prosper our businesses and provide them with incentives to remain in Ohio. ”

House Bill 82, which was introduced in February, would have matched Ohio’s hazmat requirements to the federal standard and repealed the additional regulations that are not required by the federal government. This legislation was aimed at alleviating some of the burden caused by the new motor carrier vehicle regulations on businesses.