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Senator proposes 80 mph interstate and simpler fine schedule; amendment to overhaul local fine tables fails and bill deferred
Summary
Senator Rummel proposed amending HB 1298 to raise interstate speed to 80 mph and replace complex local speeding fine charts with a $5-per-mile-over schedule and remove local fine-doubling authority. The amendment failed on roll call and committee members decided to defer final action pending related legislation.
Senators considered amendments to House Bill 1298, the measure addressing interstate speed limits, including a substantive amendment offered by Senator Rummel to raise the interstate limit to 80 mph and to simplify and standardize speeding fines statewide.
Rummel’s amendment proposed three principal changes: change the interstate maximum from 75 to 80 mph, replace multiple zone-specific fine charts with a single schedule charging $5 per mile over the posted limit, and eliminate local authority to double speeding fines in municipal jurisdictions. Rummel argued the current fine tables are inconsistent and confusing and cited examples where identical speeds in different posted zones produce different fines.
Sponsor Ben Koppelman and other senators resisted combining a major fine-schedule overhaul with the interstate speed-limit bill. Koppelman and others urged keeping the underlying bill focused on interstate speed and variable speed-limit authority for safety. Senators also raised concern that the larger fine overhaul might jeopardize House passage or create unintended consequences.
The committee voted on the amendment by roll call; the amendment did not carry. Senators then agreed to postpone final action on HB 1298 pending related work and to await outcomes on a companion or related bill that would address speed fine uniformity.
Why it matters: The debate coupled two policy aims — adjusting interstate speed limits and simplifying fine structures — that have different stakeholder groups (highway safety, municipal finance, and enforcement). Proponents said simpler, consistent fines would reduce confusion; opponents said combining unrelated changes risks political and practical complications.
Next steps: The amendment failed on a recorded roll call and the committee deferred further action on HB 1298 until related bills are resolved; legislators may revisit speed limits and fine schedules later in the session.
