To enact section 5534.617 of the Revised Code to designate a portion of I-280 in Lucas County as the "SSG Jack W. Coy Veterans Memorial Highway."
Summary
HB228 would create a new section of the Ohio Revised Code to designate a specified stretch of Interstate 280 in Lucas County, between Navarre Avenue and Front Street, as the "SSG Jack W. Coy Veterans Memorial Highway." The bill is a commemorative roadway designation honoring Staff Sergeant Jack W. Coy, a veteran, and authorizes the Ohio Department of Transportation to place appropriate markers along the route.
The measure does not change traffic rules, funding formulas, or highway operations; its legal effect is limited to adding an honorary name to the identified segment of state highway. The designation would be codified in section 5534.617, joining other memorial highway provisions in Ohio law and applying to the northbound and southbound lanes of I-280 in Lucas County.
Impact
HB228 would amend Ohio law by enacting section 5534.617 of the Revised Code, adding an official memorial designation for a portion of I-280 in Lucas County. The Ohio Department of Transportation would be permitted, but not required, to erect signage recognizing the "SSG Jack W. Coy Veterans Memorial Highway." The bill affects state highway naming statutes and has no direct regulatory, fiscal, or enforcement impact on drivers, local governments, or private parties beyond the placement of markers.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests the bill was broadly supported and noncontroversial. It received unanimous favorable passage in the House Transportation Committee, passed the House 88-0, and later received unanimous favorable passage in the Senate committee. That voting pattern indicates strong bipartisan agreement around honoring a veteran through a memorial highway designation.
Contention
No substantive opposition is reflected in the available transcripts or votes. Because the bill is a ceremonial roadway naming measure, any discussion would likely center on the appropriateness of the memorial honoree and the specific roadway segment chosen, but the recorded votes show no visible disagreement. The only practical consideration in the text is whether the Department of Transportation chooses to install markers, which is discretionary rather than mandatory.
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