Subject: Senate committee approves repeal of national speed limit

From: [email-masked] (John Carr)
Date: 10 May 1995 19:52:36 GMT

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved a highway
bill which, among other things, repeals the national speed limit.
(This is the bill which I reported was approved by a subcommittee
recently.)  The full Senate, during debate on this bill, may consider
repealing the federal seat belt requirement.

There was one vote against (Sen. Lautenberg from New Jersey, who
according to the article I read "will propose an amendment before
the Senate to restore the speed limit, but give the states the option
to not enforce it", one of the stupider government proposals I've
seen recently.  Is it something in the New Jersey air that makes its
government officials act irrationally?)  The committee chairman,
from Rhode island, was "disappointed" that the bill contained the
speed limit repeal.

Senate debate will concentrate on a provision of the bill repealing
the prevailing wage law for highway projects.

The Clinton administration is opposed to the speed limit and seat
belt repeal, and I would be amazed if they didn't also oppose repeal
of the prevailing wage law.

-- 
    John Carr ([email-masked])

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 12 May 95 10:07:11 EDT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (John Carr) writes:

(abbreviated)
> The full Senate, during debate on this bill, may consider

Thanks for the update.  But what federal seat belt requirement are 
you referring to?

					Darren

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From: [email-masked] (John Carr)
Date: 12 May 1995 14:58:45 GMT

>Thanks for the update.  But what federal seat belt requirement are 

States which do not require seat belt use lose part of their federal aid.
Massachusetts last year became the last state to cave in to federal
pressure; the bill was passed over Governor Weld's veto and a referendum
to repeal the seat belt law failed by (I think) 47-53%.  A similar
referendum had succeeded in repealing a 1986 seat belt law.

The 21 year old drinking age is also a federal requirement enforced by
the threat of whitholding highway funds.  Before the late 1980s the
drinking age in many states was 18-20; the federal requirement was
announced around 1983 and took effect around 1987.

-- 
    John Carr ([email-masked])