On a 5-4 vote, the Senate Transportation Committee has killed SB 1229, the bill to let trucks go 75 mph on Idaho's freeways, the same as cars; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

"There was some great testimony here today," said Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, the bill's sponsor. Sen. Steve Bair moved to send the bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass, and Sen. Tim Corder seconded the motion; Sen. John McGee moved to hold the bill in committee, and Sen. Chuck Winder seconded his motion. Winder, a former chairman of the Idaho Transportation Board, said, "If we have the largest number of operators, these larger fleets, still maintaining a lower speed limit, we won't have accomplished anything. All we'll do is maybe turn some of the renegades loose form Mississippi or Tennessee or something like that, that go flying through our state. And I think the general traveling public in a smaller vehicle are very uncomfortable with the faster speeds."

In the vote, those voting to kill the bill were Sens. McGee, Winder, Bilyeu, Werk and Keough; those opposing the move were Sens. Hammond, Brackett, Corder and Bair.