The Iowa Senate Workforce Committee pushed Senate Study Bill 3097 through committee on a narrow 7-5 vote on Thursday. The bill attempts to provide uniformity to driving laws for 14- and 15-year-olds in Iowa.
Republican State Sen. Adrian Dickey managed the bill through committee. He noted the bill is the product of recommendations made by an interim study committee that included three members of the Senate, three members of the House and representatives from various state departments to come up with the best solutions possible.
“We had two meetings and met probably four, five, six hours each,” Dickey said. “A lot of time was spent by the committee members before we met, when we met, between meetings, at the second meeting and then before the recommendations were drafted. This was not a hodgepodge, one-hour deal.”
The goals were to make the laws fair and equitable for all children who are 14 and 15, increase safety over what is currently law and add teeth to those who break the rules.
Currently, those drivers are allowed to drive to work or school in a 50-mile radius. This bill would cut that in half to 25 miles. Drivers are also allowed to drive from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. This new law, however, would restrict drivers to being on the road one hour before work or school begins and one hour after the school event or shift at work ends.
Drivers who violate the law will have their school permit suspended for three months and experience a three-month delay in being able to receive their full 16-year-old license.
Under this current proposal, young employees may drive to work but may not drive anywhere for work once they are at their place of employment. The same rule applies to the agriculture community. Those same 14- and 15-year-old drivers will not be allowed to go pick up parts or grab lunch. That too is a change from current law.
Democrat State Sen. Bill Dotzler spoke against the bill. Dotzler said he is concerned about the ability of drivers to have one other person who isn’t related in the vehicle with them. Dotzler also said he was worried about drivers being on their phones, but that is prohibited in the bill.
Democrat State Sen. Todd Taylor, who served on the interim study committee, said he did not vocally express any objections to the recommendations at the time of the committee, but said now that the bill has been brought forward he has concerns.
Taylor noted a young person’s brain is not fully developed until their early or mid-20s. He is particularly concerned that the part of the brain that controls risk assessment and decision-making just isn’t where it needs to be to recognize the risks on the road while taking appropriate corrective actions to prevent a crash.
Republican State Sen. Jason Schultz said he is “stunned” at the resistance from Democrats. Schultz said the reality is the legislature went “too far” to begin with. Schultz said he regrets his votes that expanded driving for those children as much as the legislature did. Schultz said the current proposal provides more than he’s comfortable with.
“This is actually becoming my fantasy sports vote of the Workforce Committee,” Schultz said. “I’m going to support this completely.”
Schultz said anyone worried about the safety of children driving too early should support the measure because it pulls back what is currently allowed by law.
Dickey echoed those thoughts in his closing comments.
“Not one aspect in this bill makes it less safe than what’s currently allowed,” Dickey said. “Not one. So I challenge anybody that says they’re voting against this bill because it doesn’t make it safer than what is currently out there to come talk with me as to how in the hell you can say that because there are just no facts to it.”
Republican State Sen. Charlie McClintock joined all four Democrats on the committee in opposition.
What, wait, we can’t depend on 14 & 15 year olds to properly drive, but they CAN make a decision about what sex they are.
BINGO! Hypocrisy is stunning!