ICYMI: Ohio Editorials Praise Brown’s Bipartisan Railway Safety Act

March 6, 2023

Columbus, OH – In case you missed it, editorial boards around Ohio this weekend praised Sherrod Brown’s bipartisan Railway Safety Act and the work that Brown is doing to reach across the aisle and get results on rail safety.

“U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has been especially strong on this matter. He hosted a conference call on Wednesday to discuss new railroad safety legislation that he has introduced, along with his junior senator, Republican JD Vance. The landmark bill is being hailed by labor as one of the biggest changes to the industry in a generation,” writes the Ironton Tribune editorial board.

Read more from Ohio editorial boards below:

Toledo Blade: Bipartisan Rail Act wise

“The catastrophic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has produced one piece of good news. A bipartisan team of U.S. Senators led by Ohio’s J.D. Vance, a Republican, and Democrat Sherrod Brown have introduced the Railway Safety Act of 2023 as protection against future incidents like the East Palestine accident.”

Ironton Tribune: Working together in crisis

“U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has been especially strong on this matter. He hosted a conference call on Wednesday to discuss new railroad safety legislation that he has introduced, along with his junior senator, Republican JD Vance. The landmark bill is being hailed by labor as one of the biggest changes to the industry in a generation.”

Cleveland.com: Brown, Vance Rail Act: Darcy cartoon

Applaud Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance of Ohio for engineering the new bipartisan Railway Safety Act, and all those who get on board with it, as President Biden already has…In response to derailments, it’s good to see bipartisan railment. That’s what the founding fathers, mothers and today’s voters deserve.”

Vindicator: Proposed new rail regulations common sense

“The Railway Safety Act of 2023 may have been inspired by a disaster in East Palestine, Ohio, but the changes could help keep people across the country safer.”

Marietta Times: Railway Act could keep country safer

“U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and JD Vance, R-Ohio, are cosponsors of an important piece of legislation that would impose both new regulations for the railroad industry and financial consequences for breaking them.”

Wheeling News Register: Making Nation’s Rail Lines Safer

“Among the necessary changes included in the act are requirements that all rail carriers with trains carrying hazardous materials — even those that do not fall under existing regulations for high-hazard flammable shipments — must create emergency response plans and provide information and advance notification to the emergency response commissions of each state through which a train will pass…It sounds like a lot of ‘why weren’t we already doing this?’ doesn’t it?”

Vindicator: Orchids and onions

“ORCHID: To Sen. J.D. Vance, Portman’s Republican successor, and Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio’s senior Democrat senator, for vowing to work together cohesively and constructively on legislation to toughen safety standards on all rail cars traversing the U.S. Let’s hope this is just the start of cooperative politics that typifies the civility and bipartisanship Portman’s new center advocates.”

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