AUGUSTA — A proposal to make Maine’s seat-belt law a secondary offense hit a significant roadblock in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The House voted 91-51 against passing the bill, an outcome that will push the measure back to the Senate where the proposal from Sen. Donald Collins, R-Wells, faces an uncertain future.
The Senate last week narrowly passed LD 64 with several Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. Republican opposition was more widespread during Wednesday’s House vote.
Thirty GOP lawmakers voted with Democrats to beat back Collins’ bill, which would essentially mean law enforcement officers could no longer pull over drivers for not wearing seat belts.
Under current law, all motorists in Maine must wear a safety belt and can be fined $50 for the first offense and $125 for the second offense. Police can pull over motorists for not wearing seat belts because it’s a primary offense in state law.
Collins’ bill would downgrade the offense to a secondary infraction.
Proponents of Collins’ bill say the current law strips individuals of their right to make their own decisions about personal safety.
Opponents say rolling back current law undercuts successful public safety efforts and would result in lost fine revenues. The estimated fiscal impact of Collins’ bill is a loss of $1.1 million over two years.
The decisiveness of Wednesday’s House vote sets up the possibility that the bill could die between the two chambers if both bodies stand by their original votes. Had the House vote been closer, the Senate majority would stand a better chance of exerting pressure on defecting House Republicans to reconsider.
GOP lawmakers on Tuesday delayed voting on the bill, a signal that bill supporters didn’t have the votes to achieve passage.
House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland, Majority Leader Bob Curtis, R-Madison, and Majority Whip Andre Cushing, R-Hampden, voted with the minority on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Rep. David Burns, R-Whiting, told House members that the bill was a bad idea. Burns served 24 years as a trooper with the Maine State Police.
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