Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 22, 1995 TAG: 9506220052
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
But the National Highway System bill, still facing action by the House, retains federal rules calling for seat belts and setting speed limits on large trucks and buses.
Sens. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, and Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., led the attack on the motorcycle helmet requirement - calling it a question of states' rights, rather than safety.
``The federal government simply can't get involved in every form of behavior in which there is some risk,'' said Campbell.
``Somebody smokes and it leads to cancer, somebody doesn't follow a healthy diet and it leads to heart disease ... where do we in the federal government draw that line,'' asked Snowe.
Helmets have saved thousands of lives, insisted Sen. John Chafee, R-R.I. ``If we leave it up to the states, what'll happen is, we won't have the law.''
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, sought to amend the bill to permit states to drop helmet laws but withhold federal money from Medicaid costs incurred by bikers in those states who are injured when not wearing a helmet.
``I should think this would be fine with the states rightists, they get what they want and they avoid the problem of the big federal government coming in and paying the bills,'' said Chafee.
But the Senate rejected the amendment 60-39 and then approved dropping the helmet requirement on a voice vote, after a motion to table it failed 64-36.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted 65-35 to drop the federal maximum speed limit for automobiles of 55 mph on most highways, 65 on rural interstates.
Transportation Secretary Federico Pena has urged Congress not to eliminate federal safety rules, which he said save thousands of lives annually.
In addition to freeing $13 billion over two years to improve 159,886 miles of major highways, the bill:
Eliminates the requirement for states to post highway signs using metric
measurements.
Permits charging of tolls on more interstate highways.
Lets states count private funds and donations as part of their share of
highway spending.
by CNB