The Ohio state Senate has dropped a measure that would have increased aircraft registration fees in the state for small aircraft by more than 800 percent. The measure was a part of the highly debated Ohio Budget Bill.

In late May, AOPA Manager of Airport Policy Keith Holt, accompanied by Regional Representative John Luce, testified before the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee. "Increasing the aircraft registration fee to a flat fee of $100 is unacceptable," Holt said. "You are asking the owner of a small aircraft to pay exactly the same as the operator of a large corporate jet."

In follow-up meetings with state legislators, many told Holt and Luce that they had been hearing from AOPA members opposed to the increase.

The Senate's substitute budget bill currently under consideration removes the registration fee increase. If enacted, the substitute language would keep registration fees at their current level, which is $12 for a four-seat airplane.

The Senate is expected to act on the bill in the near future. Since the measure differs from the House version, those differences will have to be reconciled in conference committee. Under state law, the budget must be enacted before July 1.

FMI: www.senate.state.oh.us, www.aopa.org