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House rejects bill to restore officer discretion on vehicle impounds
Summary
The House debated HB 80, which would have returned "may" discretion to officers deciding whether to impound vehicles when insurance evidence exists; sponsors argued it would prevent wrongful impounds, opponents warned it could reduce public safety. The measure failed 29-40.
Representative Cox, the sponsor, told colleagues HB 80 "puts the may back in our statute," arguing that restoring discretion would let officers avoid impounding vehicles when drivers can show proof of insurance but the record does not appear in the state database. "If somebody has the certificate … the officer can make a decision," Cox said, describing cases where paperwork or electronic proof existed but the database showed no record.
Supporters of the change said the current strict "shall" requirement led to some wrongful impoundments and administrative…
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