Panel Kills Off-Road Ticketing Bill Senate Committee Votes 6-3 Not To Bar Police From Acting

Rep. Jeff Alltus’ bill to stop Kootenai and Shoshone county sheriff’s officers from ticketing off-road vehicle riders was killed in a Senate committee Thursday afternoon, but Alltus said he’ll be back next year.

Alltus said Senate Transportation Committee members told him they had no problem with his idea, but they weren’t sure the bill accomplished it.

“I think the way it was written was really the problem,” he said.

The measure, which earlier passed the House, would have declared that no driver’s license or license plate is needed to ride an off-road vehicle, like a dirt bike, snowmobile or four-wheeler, on an unpaved forest road. Alltus said those licenses aren’t required now, but some local officers are writing tickets anyway.

Alltus said he likes to ride motorcycles with his 13-year-old son, and such family activities should be encouraged.

But sheriffs and insurance officials from throughout the state filled the committee hearing on Thursday to testify against the bill, saying it would encourage unlicensed riders, including young children, to get into dangerous situations on backcountry roads.

“Rep. Alltus would not be a problem with his son, but unfortunately we deal with people who are irresponsible and who use these devices as baby sitters, and they’re unattended,” said Idaho County Sheriff Gene Meinem.

Coeur d’Alene insurance agent John Goedde told the committee that he insures a county and several highway districts, and he’s concerned that the bill creates new liability for them. “I can see lawsuits coming,” he said.

David Rich of the Idaho State Police said, “We believe this particular piece of legislation is not only bad for public policy, it’s really bad for safety.”

Kathleen Sims, owner of Coeur d’Alene Honda, was the only one besides Alltus to testify in favor of the bill.

“It’s a family sport, a club sport and an individual form of recreation,” she said.

Off-road vehicles never were designed to run on highways, and they shouldn’t be required to have license plates or be operated by licensed drivers, she said.

Sims also accused law enforcement agencies of trying to nab more and more of the funds generated by the sale of off-road vehicle permit stickers, so they can purchase their own off-road vehicles to use for enforcement.

Alltus said if law enforcement takes the position that licenses and plates are required for an off-road motorcycle, that suggests the dirt bike could legally be ridden down a busy city street - which few would support.

Sen. Jack Riggs, R-Coeur d’Alene, backed the bill. “It is unfortunate that the law is applied unequally in our state,” he said. “This raises a problem that I’m familiar with.”

Sen. Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum, also voted for the bill, as did Transportation Committee Chairman Evan Frasure, R-Pocatello. But it died on a 6-3 vote.

The committee’s other North Idaho member, Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, voted no.