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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
Primary seat belt law in effect
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
One of the first statutes coming out of the recently completed legislative session to take effect is the primary seat belt law. In fact, the legislation is already in place, with the effective starting date being Tuesday, June 9.
This bill was debated long and hard in the final days of the session. Law enforcement, along with the medical community, were among those in favor of the bill, while those advocating individual rights opposed it. Several metro-area lawmakers also spoke against the measure, arguing that it would lead to more profiling.
Minnesota already had a seat belt law, although it was not primary, meaning that one couldn’t be stopped solely for a seat belt violation. We were among the nation's leaders for seat belt usage, with an 87-percent compliance figure. Proponents said that making the law “primary” would add another 10 percentage points onto that total.
I have my doubts about that argument. There will always be some who, for whatever reason, will not use seat belts. And saying that over three-fourths of those who presently don’t buckle up will now do so is a lofty goal.
It was also argued that the penalty for not wearing seat belts would “only” be a $25 fine. Well, as Paul Harvey used to say, here’s the rest of the story: On top of the fine, there is a $75 surcharge, which goes to the state, and an $18 law library fee. So the total fine for not buckling up is $118, which for most, represents a pretty good whack on the pocketbook.
It will now be permissible to carry an uncased and unloaded firearm in a vehicle in most parts of Minnesota. Passed as part of the game-and-fish bill, this provision sparked lots of debate. Several retired conservation officers testified in favor of the bill, while I got e-mails from current officers who opposed it.
Those in favor cited both North and South Dakota, states which currently have similar laws on the books. They also related how certain methods of party hunting make it difficult to comply with current Minnesota law. A group of hunters, for instance, may make a “drive” from one end of a field to the other. They would leave their gun cases in one vehicle and, after walking to the other end of the field, get into another vehicle that had been left there for them. Until they got back to the first vehicle and retrieved their gun cases, they were in violation of the law.
The new law is effective state-wide, with the exception of several metro-area counties that opted out of the provision.
Another new provision contained in the game and fish bill makes it legal for out-of state residents to spear fish in the winter here in Minnesota. For some reason, up until now, it was illegal for non-residents to obtain a license and partake in that wintertime sport.
On a related note, one provision that didn’t become law this year was the two-line fishing bill. It was mentioned that allowing more than one line would deplete the number of fish in our lakes. I found that argument curious, since the daily limits for taking fish were not going to be changed.
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his new office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
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