Senate Might have Do-Over Vote on Primary Seat Belt Law in ND

January 22, 2019 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota
Senator Curt Kreun (R - District 42) addresses the North Dakota State Senate in favor of SB 2060. Kreun is the prime sponsor of the bill. (Photo via screenshot.)

About a month ago, we reported that a lone Democratic State Senator — Erin Oban (District 35) — had joined five Republicans on a bill proposing to move North Dakota’s seat belt law from secondary enforcement to primary. This means that law enforcement could pull you over for simply not wearing your seat belt— and fine you too. That bill is Senate Bill 2060 and was heard in the Senate Transportation Committee last Friday where it received no recommendation. Apparently the committee was split 3-3 on it.

Yesterday, that split continued. The Senate voted 23-23 on the bill after a good amount of floor debate. Lt. Governor Brent Sandford — who’s part of an administration that supports the bill — didn’t cast a tie-breaking vote. With the tie, the bill failed. But reports are now coming in that the bill will be reconsidered.

The reason for potential reconsideration is clear. The only Senator absent from yesterday’s vote was Scott Meyer (R – District 18), who also happens to be one of the bill’s sponsors. I’m not sure the reason for his absence, but those voting erupted in giggles when the vote tally appeared on the board above Meyer’s absent name.

So, it appears there will be a re-do. Unless someone changes their vote, the bill is likely to pass and head over to the House side where we have to hope that it will be killed.

 

Sources:

  1. https://theminutemanblog.com/2018/12/21/oban-joins-five-republicans-in-proposing-stricter-seat-belt-law/
  2. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/bill-actions/ba2060.html
  3. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/66-2019/bill-index/bi2060.html
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About T. Arthur Mason 878 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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