Ohio Rep. Sean Brennan is the sponsor of HB 381 and is pictured here addressing BLET members in 2023.
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By a vote of 87-0, the Ohio House of Representatives passed a bill that would rename a northeast Ohio highway interchange to honor fallen BLET Division 607 President Lou Shuster. HB 381 would designate the interchange between I-480 and West 150th Street as the “Louis P. Shuster Memorial Interchange.” Brother Shuster was tragically killed in a collision at a Norfolk Southern rail yard in Cleveland in early 2023. The exit ramp at I-480 and West 150th is used by many of Brother Lou’s fellow railroaders when reporting for duty at Norfolk Southern’s Rockport Yard.
The members of BLET Division 607 (Cleveland) and BLET Ohio State Legislative Board Chairman John Esterly have worked with Ohio District 14 Representative Sean Brennan to advance the bill. Brother Esterly said: “Rep. Sean Brennan, the sponsor of HB 381, had some wonderful words about Lou, his son Ethan, Local Chairman Pat Redmond, and the rest of Division 607, and the BLET.”
The video can be seen here, and Rep. Brennan’s speech begins at approximately 27:50.
Brother Esterly said that HB 381 has been assigned to the Senate Transportation Committee, and he is confident the bill will pass this fall.
A memorial plaque honoring the late Lou Shuster was dedicated in a ceremony in July 2023 at Norfolk Southern’s Rockport Yard in Cleveland, Ohio. Click here to view video highlights of the ceremony.