Legislative Update, Week 15

Getting There!

Skipped last week.  Future updates may be haphazard and random as there just isn't that much of interest for bikes and transportation generally.  See week 12 for longer list of bills that died in committee and other bills that looked certain to die in committee.

Hearings:

Two hearings, one on Monday, May 20th on a study of studded tires; the other also on Thursday the23rd on length of license suspensions.  See below for links to the hearings agenda.  Neither seem like key legislation.

Only three bills really remain active on the watch list here.

Paying for the Roads

• Studded tires.  House Bill 2277 is the survivor! In committee, though, it was watered down from genuine action to a call for the proverbial "further study" on the "impact" of studded tire use.  There's a hearing on the 20th.
• House Bill 2453 - "Requires persons operating certain high-mileage motor vehicles to pay per-mile road usage charge or flat annual road usage charge." It continues to get hearings and at least to give the appearance of movement. Work Session held on the 14th.

Road Safety

• HB 3047 would double the length of a motor vehicle license suspension from 10 to 20 years.  In Senate Judiciary.  Work Session for the 23rd.

Bills Moribund in Committee, looking doubtful

• ConnectOregon V reform - House Bill 2310 to fund "ConnectOregon" has moved out of committee and picked up amendments to include bike/ped projects, but there has been no movement for a month now and it looks increasingly dead.   
• Celphones, texting, and distracted driving - Senate Bill 9 filed by Senator Courtney would "increase the penalty [for using a cel phone while driving] from a Class D violation to a Class B violation, which means the maximum fine would increase from $250 to $1,000. The minimum fine would increase from $60 to $130."  (The amendments are still baffling.  Hopefully folks will chime in with some clarification.  I have no idea what this bill really means.)  It also looks stalled in committee. Senate Bill 294 would create an exception in existing law for taxi-cab drivers to use a hand-held celphone while driving. It passed the Senate and is in the House.  Hearing held on the 8th, but no movement it seems.
• House Bill 2115 would broaden the definition of intoxicating substances for the purposes of DUI citations.   It has picked up amendments, and went to the floor, but it was re-routed back to committee last month.  Could be death by procedural shuffling.

House Bill 2500 on school transportation funding and Senate Bill 756 donations to Parks and Rec for bike path funding look more than moribund.

All of this year's legislative updates are tagged 2013 Legislative Session.

If you know of something of interest, please add it in the comments!