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Law Lets Ohioans with Drug Offense Convictions Keep License
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – Ohio Gov. John Kasich has signed a bill into law giving judges the option of suspending a driver’s license for someone convicted of a drug charge, instead of the suspension being mandatory.
The legislation affects only drug convictions that don’t involve driving. It also would allow a judge to end a previously imposed license suspension for a drug conviction that didn’t involve a vehicle.
Bill sponsor Sen. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, has said that current law made it difficult for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans with suspended driver’s licenses for drug convictions to find a job.
Kasich signed the bill Monday. It takes effect in 90 days.
Legislative analysts say there were about 157,000 active in-state drug offense suspensions in 2014.