Ohio state lawmakers are talking about getting rid of E-Checks. The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Resolution 85 on Wednesday.
It asks President Donald Trump and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to amend the Federal Clean Air Act, which would eliminate mandatory E-Checks.
MORE: Read HR 85
E-Checks are mandatory for all vehicles more than four years old in seven Ohio counties; Cuyahoga, Geauga, Portage, Lake, Lorain, Summit and Medina.
The emissions checks were put in place 20 years ago in an effort to keep the air clean. At that time, E-Checks were considered one of the most cost effective ways to safeguard air quality.
"Some situations where you don't know what's wrong with your car? It will demonstrate exactly what the problem is," Kenneth Triplett, a Cuyahoga County driver, told News 5.
HR 85, calls E-Checks "burdensome" with a "disproportionate impact on poor and lower middle class" drivers.
"What if people don't have the funds to take care of their vehicle? Other states they don't have to do it," Cleveland driver Marie Halaby told News 5.
Folks opposed to the resolution say it would stop protecting air quality for Ohioans--hurting children, the elderly, and those with asthma.
"I think it's a good idea to keep it here and not get rid of it," Cuyahoga County driver Kenneth Triplett said.
The American Lung Association responded to the resolution with this statement:
“Ohio has put in place important safeguards to reduce air pollution under the Clean Air Act, safeguards that have helped us protect the lives and health of millions of Ohioans. The American Lung Association in Ohio supports continuing to provide those protections to all Ohioans, especially in areas where the air poses recognized risks to children, older adults and people with lung diseases.”
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