Opinion ID: 1360640
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The plain language of the savings clause weighs against preemption

Text: The Ohio garnishment statute fits within an explicit exception to preemption. See 12 C.F.R. § 7.4007(c). This savings clause lists a number of other areas of bodies of state law that, in addition to rights to collect debts, are not preempted: contracts, torts, criminal law, acquisition and transfer of property, taxation, and zoning. All of these are laws of general applicability that incidentally affect, but do not target, national banks. The garnishment law at issue affects not only national banks, but state banks, employers, trusteesany entity that might be subject to a garnishment action. As the majority recognizes, and for the reasons stated in the majority's opinion, the banks' (and the OCC opinion letter's) argument that the savings clause refers only to banks ' rights to collect debts is highly implausible.