Knee jerk legislation

By Staff
Jerry Fancher
Some legislators believe that a new law can fix any of our problems. A good example of this is HB69 that passed unanimously in the Alabama House of Representatives again this year. The reasoning behind this bill is that stiffer penalties can fix anything.
Steel coils have fallen off trailers. The knee jerk reaction is to increase the fines to solve this problem. The trucking industry is regulated by the USDOT and the Alabama DOT, making them one of the most regulated industries in America. As with other industries, the trucking industry needs regulations that are fair and reasonable to protect the public from unscrupulous companies.
The trucking companies train their drivers to properly secure the load. If a company continues to have problems with loads not being secured, the insurance company will cancel their liability insurance, therefore effetely putting the trucking company out of business. The driver will loose his job because of poor job performance.
HB69 increases the maximum fines for violations which is not the issue that makes it a bad bill. HB69 adds two provisions that need to be removed if the bill is to become law.
The bill calls for training of local police to enforce the provisions of the law. To become a Alabama DOT officer, you must undergo rigorous training. For local police officers to be handed this additional responsibility doesn't make a lot of sense. Their cup is already running over with all their current responsibilities.
If you are convicted, you are subject to a jail term of up to one year. This provision would not allow a person convicted to get a permit to carry a firearm, because of the one year possible jail term.
When laws are on the book to take care of a problem, adding additional penalties and giving local officers additional burdens will not solve the problem.
If you agree with this, contact Senator Bedford and encourage him to kill the bill in the Senate. Should it pass the Senate, Contact Governor Riley and urge him to veto this unneeded regulation.
Remember, your voice does count, make it heard.
Jerry Fancher is the Chairman of the Franklin County Republican Executive Committee. He can be reached via email at jfanchergop@yahoo.com