Letter to the Editor- Child Passenger Safety Bill

BURNSVILLE, Minn.--May 22, 2006--On behalf of AAA Minnesota/Iowa, I would like to thank the following legislators for their traffic safety leadership as authors of the child passenger safety bill. There is no higher responsibility for legislators than that of public safety. Every year children between the ages of 4 and 7 are needlessly killed or seriously injured because they have progressed from their car seats to the adult seat belt without the use of the booster seat in the intermediate stage.

Despite the fact that once again the Minnesota House defeated the child passenger safety bill after the Minnesota Senate has passed it, I still want to commend these legislators for their valiant efforts. Hopefully, next year the Minnesota House will revisit the issue and enhance traffic safety for our children.

House authors:

Representatives Duke Powell, Michael Paymar, Keith Ellison, Pete Nelson, Frank Hornstein, Connie Ruth, Paul Gazelka, Melissa Hortman, Lloyd Cybart and Maria Ruud.

Senate authors:

Senators Mike McGinn, Sharon Marko, Leo Foley and Jane Ranum.

Letter to the Editor- Primary Enforcement Seat Belt Bill

On behalf of AAA Minnesota/Iowa, I would like to thank the following legislators for their traffic safety leadership as authors of the primary enforcement seat belt bill. There is no higher responsibility for legislators than that of public safety. Annually, half of the more than 550 Minnesotans dying on our roadways are unbuckled. While seat belts would not have saved all of those lives, it would have saved many of them from needless loss of life.

Despite the fact that once again the Minnesota House defeated the primary seat belt bill after the Senate had passed it, I still want to commend these legislators for their valiant attempt. Hopefully, next year the Minnesota House will revisit the issue and enhance traffic safety for all of us.

House authors:

Representatives Ray Cox, Duke Powell, Paul Thissen, Ron Erhardt, Keith Ellison, Leon Lillie and Diane Loeffler.

Senate authors:

Senators Steve Murphy, Mike McGinn, Leo Foley, Dave Senjem and Mee Moua.

Letter to the Editor- Graduated Drivers' License Bill

On behalf of AAA Minnesota/Iowa, I would like to thank the following legislators for their traffic safety leadership as authors of the graduated drivers' license bill. There is no higher responsibility for legislators than that of public safety. Annually, teen drivers are involved in more than their fair share of traffic crashes and fatalities. While this new law would not have saved all of those lives, it would have saved many of them from needless loss of life.

Despite the fact that the Minnesota House defeated the graduated drivers' license bill after the Minnesota Senate passed it, I still want to commend these legislators for their valiant efforts. Hopefully, next year the Minnesota House will revisit the issue and enhance traffic safety for all of us.

House authors:

Representatives Pete Nelson, Sondra Erickson, Diane Liebling, Melissa Hortman and Maria Ruud.

Senate author:

Senator Sean Nienow