"If it's a law, we want to enforce it," said Del. Rudolph Cane, a Salisbury Democrat. "Until vehicles have to be registered, we can't do hardly anything to help." Translation: He's against it, and he's a senior Democrat. Shewell's a far-from-senior member of the minority. And legislative committees are quite resistant to tales of tragedy.
Prospects: Slim to middling.
HB129: For some reason, horses fall under the transportation article of Maryland law, so Del. Joseline Pe?a-Melnyk's bill to require helmets for horseback riders under 18 on public property was heard with this bunch.
The Prince George's Democrat put on a strong case for the dangers of getting aboard an unpredictable 1,000-pound beast with the ability to throw its mount high in the air. A pair of equestrian enthusiasts relayed their experiences and endorsed the bill. They convinced me that any rider who would get on a horse without a helmet is showing a distinct similarity to the hindquarters of the ridden.
If Pe?a-Melnyk were trying to apply this requirement to all ages, it would likely sink like a stone. But Maryland legislators tend to be protective of children, who can't vote against them for doing so.
Prospects: Good in committee but could go down on the House floor or in the Senate. It's an easy idea to ridicule if you haven't heard the testimony.
HB130: In a session where any bill that costs money looks like road kill, Pe?a-Melnyk has come up with one that could actually make money for the state by addressing a widely acknowledged public nuisance and safety hazard. Anywhere but Annapolis, it would probably be a slam dunk.
The bill would let county and municipal workers remove patently illegal road signs that clutter the right of way of our state highways. It would also let the State Highway Administration and local governments bill persistent scofflaws to recover some of the cost of removing their ugly and driver-distracting signs.
So what's the problem? Well, some lawmakers hate on sight any bill that might produce money for the government - even if it's coming from lawbreakers and going to fix highways. Others worry that it could empower state highway workers to remove their political signs from private property. (Legislators come alive at the hint of a threat to their signs.)
Prospects: Grim if those lawmakers read this column. If not, it's got a fighting chance.
