Amanda’s Bill Passes 76-74: Buckle Up
by Aaron Margolis, January 20th, 2006 at 12:57pm
Doing exactly what they promised not to do, the Massaschusetts House passed, be it narrowly, a mandatory seat-belt bill that would make it a primary enforcement law.
To the glee of safety hawks, the House yesterday narrowly passed a mandatory seat-belt bill giving police the power to pull drivers over for not buckling up.
To become law, the bill, approved 76-74, must now be backed by the Senate and governor.
Under the bill, a driver or passenger not wearing a seat belt would face a $25 fine. The driver also would face a fine for anyone 12 to 16 who isn’t buckled up. Police would no longer need any other reason to pull motorists over.
“Of all the things that we do regulate in the commonwealth . . . this is one we should be on the side of,” said state Rep. Paul Loscocco (R-Holliston), pointing to hundreds of reasons police can pull over drivers.
Yet some House lawmakers said they can’t support granting government — and police officers — sway over drivers’ belting habits.
“I don’t want to be safer if I can’t be free,” said state Rep. James Fagan (D-Taunton).
The measure has been dubbed Amanda’s Bill, after 18-year-old Amanda Decoteau from Springfield who was thrown from her car to her death in August 2004.
If this bill makes it Romney’s desk–which it likely will–he has indicated he will sign it into law.
This bill has outraged many, including Boston Herald columnist and WRKO Talk Show Host Howie Carr, who wonders how long will it be before the seat belt roadblocks begin. On his radio program last night, Howie Carr spoke with speak to Chip Ford of Citizens for Limited Taxation about the effect of this new law, and wondered how long before this becomes a surchargeable offensive. Needless to say, Howie Carr and many of his listeners are quite perturbed by the passing of this bill, and disappointed in the Governor for pledging to sign it into law.
Entry Filed under: Beacon Hill
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