Now, State Rep. Rick Perales, R-Beavercreek, is among two lawmakers pushing — for the third time — a bill to strengthen penalties against people who attack public bus drivers and rail operators in Ohio.
“In my mind this is pretty common sense,” Perales said.
But in past years, similar bills haven’t passed.
Perales said these drivers need more protection.
“There have been bus drivers killed, punched, knifed, hot coffee, you name it, it’s happened,” he said.
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The bill would make the punishment for attacking a public bus driver the same as what attackers of school bus drivers face: a felony charge.
RTA officials also supports the bill. In a statement to News Center 7, RTA CEO Mark Donaghy said: “This issue should have been addressed a decade ago. Transit workers deserve the same protection under Ohio law as school bus drivers.”
But some are less sure of this bill.
David Rice rides RTA buses and said he’s never seen a major problem.
“Unless there’s some sort of endemic epidemic here in Dayton,” he said.
He said he’s worried this could be a slippery slope.
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“If it’s simple assault, then the law says it’s simple assault. It doesn’t differentiate by gender, so I don’t think the law should differentiate by vocation. I mean where does this end?”
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