Speed limit debate stalled in House
Valley cities voice opposition
to loss of authority
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
Amidst objections from many Idaho
municipalities, a bill that would repeal the abilities of cities to set speed
limits on state highways inside their borders has stalled in the Idaho House of
Representatives.
At the request of the bill’s sponsors, a
scheduled Monday hearing was put off to Tuesday, and the Tuesday hearing was put
off to Feb. 10, said House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, who is
fighting the repeal.
Bellevue Marshall Randy Tremble
says his town is not a speed trap. "We do not have a neo-Nazi police force here.
We do take a strong attitude about personal safety," he says. "If they change
the speed limit to 35 mph, through the core of Bellevue, the 10 percent of
people who habitually violate the speed limit will cause more damage than I’m
prepared to watch." Express photos by Willy Cook
Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Ridinger, R-Shoshone,
who is vice chair of the House Transportation and Defense Committee, is
attempting to take the bill back to the committee for another vote. Although the
committee voted 11 to 2 on Jan. 28 to pass the bill, Ridinger believes he has
changed the minds of several committee members.
"I’m not there yet, but I’m getting
closer," he said Tuesday.
Ridinger also said the delay of a hearing
in the full House indicates the bill’s sponsors may not have cornered enough
votes for passage.
"We’ve got them nervous, because they keep
holding the bill," he said. "They want the votes to pass it, and they might not
have them."
Cities have had control over local speed
limits only since 1997, when Ridinger and Jaquet co-sponsored the local control
legislation.
The bill to repeal the local control
provision is sponsored by Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, and Rep. Mike Moyle,
R-Star. Their measure would give the Idaho Transportation Department, not city
councils, the authority to set speed limits on state highways running through
Idaho’s cities.
The perception that Bellevue is a speed
trap helped spur a legislative effort to take away the ability of Idaho
cities to set speed limits on state highways within their borders.Express
photos by Willy Cook
The issue has ruffled city officials from
Blaine County’s cities, as well as elsewhere.
Bellevue city officials last week issued
strong statements against the proposed repeal.
"I would like to see Rep. Leon Smith come
before the Bellevue City Council and explain his position," said Bellevue Mayor
John Barton.
Barton and council members agreed that any
increase in the speed limit on Highway 75 in Bellevue would endanger the lives
and wellbeing of citizens.
Hailey Mayor Susan McBryant said Friday
she had indicated her opposition to the plan to the Association of Idaho Cities.
"Certainly, for the city of Hailey, it is
a concern," she said. "We would like to have some control of the speed on
Highway 75, because it is our Main Street and our business district."
On Monday night, Ketchum officials noted
their objection to the proposed legislative change. Moreover, the discussion
rekindled a prior discussion about lowering the speed limit on Main Street from
35 mph to 25 mph between Saddle Road and Sixth Street in Ketchum.
Though official action was not taken,
council members appeared unanimous in their support of the speed decrease on the
city’s northern periphery.