wisconsin bill shot down
Amsnow
Wisconsin's Senate Bill 485, introduced by a group of Wisconsin state Senators, would have required snowmobile registration fees to go up from the current $20, to anywhere from $40 to $50 per season. The bill also requested that the extra money go towards providing more law enforcement for the proposed 55 mph snowmobile speed limit after dusk and before dawn.
The bill also requested that penalties for first-time drunken snowmobile driving would include a fine and loss of snowmobiling privileges for one year. For second- and third-time offenders, snowmobile privileges would have been revoked for two and three years, respectively. Maximum fines would have been $1,000 for second offenses and $2,000 for third offenses.
Anyone convicted of driving a snowmobile while drunk in Wisconsin now pays a $581 fine. The bill would have increased fines to as much as $2,000 for a third offense-- and would revoke snowmobile driving privileges for up to three years.
The Snowmobile Recreation Council in Wisconsin recommended the bill due to Wisconsin's record 38 snowmobiler deaths last winter.
The bill was proposed by Wisconsin state Senators, Decker, Burke, Moen, Plache, Roessler and Huelsman and cosponsored by Representatives Johnsrud, Hutchison, J. Lehman, Kelso, Vrakas and F. Lasee.
The bill failed on April 6, 2000.