Silverwood Legislation Loses Chance In Senate

Legislation that would have limited Silverwood Theme Park’s liability from patrons who don’t follow the rules was removed Thursday from Senate consideration.

“We were real close but there were still a few little things wrong with it,” said Sen. Gordon Crow, the bill’s sponsor.

The bill was revoked when lawyers on both sides of the issue could not come to terms.

“There were a couple of problems with language, so they will work on it over the summer and reach a compromise,” said Crow, a Hayden Republican.

Crow proposed a similar bill last year. That bill was vetoed by Gov. Phil Batt because it put an “undue burden on the patron.”

This year, Crow produced a scaled-back version of the bill. The legislation set out the responsibilities and liabilities of amusement park operators and set out the duties of patrons. Under the bill’s provisions, customers who acted irresponsibly could not sue the park if they were injured.

“Both sides have been wonderfully concerned with customer safety,” said Crow. “But it’s getting too late in the session to be making any changes.”

“Next year will come back with a perfected bill that everyone can sign off on,” he said.

, DataTimes