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State Representative Tony Cornish
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4240
For more information contact: Jason Wenisch 651-296-2317
NEWS RELEASE
CORNISH: ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES BILL LIKELY TO BECOME LAW
ST. PAUL – State Representative Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder) said a compromise bill that would allow local law enforcement to issue administrative penalties instead of traffic citations has been approved unanimously by the House Public Safety Committee.
“I’m personally not a fan of administrative penalties, but the agreement that was reached is the second best option,” Cornish said. “This bill makes the penalties legal but tightly controls the offenses that qualify. It also gives the county or city the opportunity to opt in to the administrative penalty program, and if it does, it must adhere to strict guidelines.”
Cornish said the agreement was reached between Republicans and Democrats, and was also approved by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, the Minnesota Police Chiefs Association, the Minnesota Sheriffs Association, and the League of Minnesota Cities.
Administrative penalties, which are used in some area communities, are issued by police instead of traffic tickets or other minor criminal infractions. They cost less than a normal citation with the funds going straight into the city’s coffers. Nearly all proceeds from traffic citations are sent to the state, and the tickets are also reported to insurance companies.
Under the new legislation, a $60 flat rate would be established for the penalties, with 2/3 of the revenue allocated to the local community and 1/3 to the state. Penalty offenses are limited to speeding at less than ten miles per hour over the posted limit, stop sign and equipment violations, and failing to yield the right of way.
The administrative penalties would not be noted on the driver’s record, and the information would not be submitted to insurance companies. Communities currently using administrative penalties must stop their plan and opt in to the new statewide agreement, and only licensed peace officers will be allowed to issue them.
“The one thing this bill would do is create a level playing field between neighboring jurisdictions,” Cornish said. “It will also allow the state to recover some of the money that would have been lost. Rightly or wrongly, I expect most counties and cities to join the program in order to collect more revenue locally.”
Because all interested parties have signed off on the proposal, Cornish expects little resistance from the full House or Senate, and expects the bill to reach Governor Pawlenty’s desk in the coming weeks.
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