House gets into extended debate over freeway fast-lane slowpokes, then passes bill, 41-28

After a lively debate, the House has voted 41-28 in favor of Rep. Lance Clow’s bill to crack down on freeway fast-lane slowpokes, by making it illegal go slower than the speed limit in the fast lane “for a period of time,” impeding those who want to drive at “a lawful rate of speed. Violations could bring a $90 ticket.

Numerous lawmakers pointed out concerns about how that would apply to their areas of the state, from Chubbuck Hill near Pocatello, where slow-moving trucks often pass each other, to I-90 through Coeur d’Alene, where through traffic is directed to use the left lane. Clow, R-Twin Falls, said he thought local rules or signage would take precedence, and said police officers could use their discretion on when to issue a ticket and when not to.

Other lawmakers said this is just the kind of driving behavior that infuriates them, and praised the bill. “Driving in the rural areas on the interstate both east and west of the Treasure Valley, this problem presents itself all the time,” said Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell. “There needs to be motivation for people to move over.”

Still other lawmakers noted that state law already outlaws impeding the “normal and reasonable movement of traffic,” and questioned whether the bill duplicated existing law.

Rep. Bryan Zollinger, R-Idaho Falls, said, “When I first saw this bill I loved it – nobody lays on the horn more than me when I’m being impeded.” But he said courts already are overburdened dealing with infractions. “I’ve actually seen people argue for one hour what following too closely is,” he said, “and statutes like this I think waste judicial resources.”

At that, Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, remarked to laugher, “Certainly WE never do that.”

Rep. Patrick McDonald, R-Boise, said the bill is trying “to provide a solution to a problem that was created by the Legislature,” and called for eliminating Idaho’s lower speed limit for big trucks.

After two more representatives stood to debate the bill, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, declared to laughter, “If anybody else stands up, we’re coming in tomorrow.”

At that point, the House was only on its fourth bill; it had more than 20 listed as pending on its 3rd Reading Calendar. In the end, the House only got through a few more bills before adjourning until Monday.

Clow, called on to close the debate, remained sitting at first, and asked, amid more laughter, “Am I allowed to stand?”

Here’s how the vote broke down:

Voting in favor: Reps. Amador, Anderson, Anderst, Barbieri, Bedke, Blanksma, Boyle, Burtenshaw, Chaney, Cheatham, Clow, Collins, Crane, Dayley, DeMordaunt, Dixon, Ehardt, Gestrin, Harris, Holtzclaw, Kauffman, Kerby, King, Loertscher, Malek, McDonald, Mendive, Miller, Monks, Moyle, Palmer, Raybould, Redman and Shepherd, Stevenson, Thompson, Troy, VanderWoude, Wagoner, Wood and Youngblood.

Voting against: Reps. Armstrong, Bell, Chew, Erpelding, Gannon, Gibbs, Giddings, Hanks, Hartgen, Horman, Kingsley, Kloc, Luker, Manwaring, McCrostie, Moon, Nate, Packer, Perry, Rubel, Scott, Smith, Syme, Toone, VanOrden, Wintrow, Zito and Zollinger.

The bill now moves to the Senate Transportation Committee. To become law, it would need to win approval there and in the full Senate and receive the governor’s signature.