 Okay, so welcome everybody today is Wednesday the 31st of March and this is the house transportation committee and welcome all anyone that's watching in. We're going to do a little bit of bill introduction this morning by the members that have bills on the wall in our committee. And so so welcome and welcome to everybody. So, members are going to start this and we have promised representative Smith and McCormick they would go first this morning. And that's what we'll do. But just, we really don't need just just for everybody's edification, just just a high level overview of your bill. And should the committee decided to take up any of our bills will have an idea walk us through the bill when the time comes to have more discussions on it. So this is really a sales call for everybody today, selling a bill to the committee to see if we can see if you can generate some interest within the committee. So, so with that, any questions before we get started this morning. And you guys are pretty easy. So, so good so representative Smith, representative Smith and representative McCormick have 262 and we know how to get there it's it's on our committee page under bills in committee, or members we have a document that Lori sent to us a week to maybe a little bit longer than that ago that if you decide to go to that document it has a link to the bills in the document. I was lucky I was able to get it over to my one drive so that's where I have mine labeled but everybody has their own so if everybody's ready and has a copy of the bill in front of them. We'll get started. So representative Smith would you like to take us through your bill with the system. I would I'll start and Kurt can fill in the blanks that I miss. I mean representative McCormick for record representative Brian Smith. I'm introducing House bill 262. I believe it's for the third time. And I think I've got it tweaked so that I'm hoping that this bill will be successful and going through our committee. To start with, I would like to read I resubmitted my resident registration for my truck the other day. And those little envelopes that they send to you that you have to tear apart and get mad at all the time on the envelope. I'm still going to read what the state of Vermont thinks about this texting and driving is one of the most dangerous forms of distracted driving. At any given moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using manipulating electronic devices while driving. A number that is health study since 2010 distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America's roadways and distracted drivers aren't just a threat to themselves or a danger to everyone else on the road. In Vermont texting while driving carries a fine of $230 and five points for the first offense. And that fine increases to $479 for the second and subsequent offenses. Please remember text one or call should wreck it all. This is what the state of Vermont is putting on these right here. So, that being said, everyone has seen a lot of the advertising done on television about texting and driving. And I think it's a very serious problem. And I think we need to sink some teeth into this bell and stiffen the penalties. 262. I sent a comparison sheet to members yesterday. That and the ascent to me. And if you do have it, you can see the differences in the price in the fines and in the point that increases. For the young drivers, the fines are reduced. I don't think it's the money factor that is going to affect these kids as much as the point structure will. They're more concerned even and adults as well more concerned about losing their license than they are paying a fine. I spoke with. I was reading the paper that in Hardwick and St. John's Refugee Departments are picking up the pace a little bit in their communities. And they're ticketing distracted drivers and texting and driving. And I spoke with the chief Cochran of hardwick, and I explained my bill to him. He was in agreement with me. He thought he's going to have to come to Montpelier to testify. And I explained to him, he could do it over zoom if he if he wishes. And he indicated to me that his feelings were the fines. It's kind of a tough time right now for Vermont is while COVID-19 is shutting down a lot of things and killing a lot of jobs. He'd rather see the points attacked and increased. And I wouldn't have a problem. I think I spoke with you represent McCormick about this. I wouldn't have a problem holding off on the fines until like July 2022 July 22, I mean, but I think it's an important bill that we, we stiffen things up and make people aware that we want to stop people dying on the highway. And that's pretty much what the bill does and when and the I want to read through it. My little sentence that I wrote here. If we're serious about reducing accidents, serious injuries and or death on Vermont highways, and we need to toughen up our existing laws. That's my pitch. I think everybody heard it that was in transportation they heard it last year. I seriously sincerely hope that the committee will consider this serious enough to push through to the Senate. Thank you. Representative McCormick. You're muted. Thank you. Yeah, I'm remembering the debate last year and some of the testimony on number of public safety came in and they were neutral. Last year, whereas a year before they were opposed to it, I believe, and last year they were neutral. And the only thing they said, you know, negative about it was they were concerned that people, you know, would not be able to afford it. You and maybe even lose their licenses. And, you know, that those are the concerns of the legislature. And ultimately could be a concern in a court. But it's my opinion that public safety should be concerned with public safety and enforcing the law and carrying out the law so that those that was the gist of their testimony is as I recall I'm assuming also memory is different that would be in the 2019 session. No, it's 2020 session, I guess, while we were in while we were together. And I heard statistic just the other day that nationwide car registrations miles driven are still dropping. Yet, accident death, crossing accidents are rising. So it's an interesting change. You know, fewer miles being driven out there, and more deadly accidents. I would think that's got to be attributable to to the hand devices because that's that's what's changed. The downward trend and and car registrations and miles began around 2001, and it goes up a little bit when the when the price of gas. But it's still generally down and yet accidents are generally up. I don't know about Vermont. And you guys probably had that testimony that I probably that's back and I'm starting to echo. You may have gotten that testimony this year that I may have missed for for Vermont, when you when you had the safety people and, but that's what I heard tapping nationwide and I don't know if tapping in Vermont but I would think that it would be we are not that far out of these trends usually. It might satisfy a lot of people if we, if we did not raise the penalties but raise the points. So that the that would be the penalty that would be raised not not the monetary. And I you know I gave a my pitch yesterday about what how I noticed it here in Burlington, perhaps more than some of you might in your districts, because of all the stop signs here and all the lights and you know you just see people lined up keeping at the first car because the first car is on the telephone and the lights turn green. That's just a nuisance, but I guess not so dangerous but it is it is dangerous. I tell you I've seen a number of cars literally rolling at stop signs, slowly but rolling out into the intersection, while the young man's head is down in this phone. Thank you, representative McCormick. And I did note that the information that represent Smith sent us I was really notified, looking at you have some of the monetary finds you've reduced considerably, but the points are up, and I think that we could have a conversation on as as we move forward and I think it points to what representative Cormick just said that we're looking at points more than money. And will that gets people's attention. I agree with representative Cormick that I have seen in my work, just people totally ignoring the highway in texting. So this is a serious problem. So anybody have any questions for either either one of our two committee mates. I got to get to my questions log here. Oh, I see representative McCoy then representative Burke. Thank you. How many points do you lose your license and for how long. I can't remember. I know that when you get to 10 points. It's a loss of license and I, I think 30 days fatty. Okay, representative I'm, I'm not positive I think and theater better answer that. Okay, and additionally, I think it's lower for teenagers. It's not 10 points. It may be six points or five points or something. I'm remembering that there's as much lower than it, you know, you have junior operators are lower. Yeah. Okay, part of this bill reduces the monetary part of the fine to junior operators as well. Okay. All right. Representative Burke. Yeah, I'm just curious. Do we do they have the must have statistics on how many accidents are caused by by texting and work and or phones or and especially like how many fatal accidents or just just be helpful to have that information. If we're trying to, if you would like me to try to find that for your representative I will. I just think, you know, if we're going to move this bill ahead that that might be questions that that other people have. I mean, I, it's not that I'm against this I just thought would be helpful to have some data. Yep. Sounds like homework for the sponsors. Yes, it does. I love homework. Yeah. Good. You all set representative. Representative Savage. I just a quick comment. As recently as Monday morning. I almost got into a head on collision with somebody as she was texting into his on my side of the, of the road. I had no place to go. This was on my street, like a block and a half up the street, and I had no place to go because there was kids playing in the front yard. So I just stopped. And she blew my horn she finally got her attention and she looked up surprised like, oh, and she stopped in time but it was close, but that was right on my street. It's out there. Nice and sober. No, I was too upset. I would add that. I have been very persistent about this bill. And I think I explained committee last year. Probably four years ago, I was riding my motorcycle through island pond. And there's some corners on the other side of island pond. Small car was straddling the line. And if I'd been in a car, I would have been hit. Because I wouldn't have been able to get far enough over so this guy would miss me but when he went by me, it was a young young person when he went by me, he was he wasn't even looking when he went by me. And I really don't want to die when I'm riding a car or motorcycle or car or driving car in the road. I don't want to die because of somebody else's inability to keep their eyes on the road. And that's the importance of this bill. Thank you. Representative way. Thank you. Chairman shot. Sorry. I appreciate this bill representative Smith and I agree with a lot of it. I think something that makes me a little bit uncomfortable with moving it forward is it seems like generally we've been trying to move away from fines or point systems that remove someone's license because we've realized the ramifications of someone losing their license has just a very big effect on their life that impacts their ability to work a job ability to see to get food security in some situations. And it just has like this really long term trickle down effect. So I just want to put that out there if you had any thoughts on how we balance the potential for someone to lose a license or their inability to use a car with the public safety aspect. So I just want to consider that as you've drafted the bill. I did. Oh, did we apologize if we did. Well, can we can we just take take a little break right here and that's a great question. Representative white, because we're just in a like a little fact finding thing today. I, I, if it's okay with everybody. I think if we could just kind of get a feeling by a show of hands or something that we have some interest in this bill and would like to take a little more testimony or have further discussion. Is that something everybody's comfortable with doing right now. Do you have enough information to feel good about moving on along. We could just kind of like raise your hand or something and we'll, we'll kind of mark it down that. So the majority wants to hear a little bit more about this so, so represent a Smith and represent McCormick thank you, and we will. We'll have another stab at this at a little later date, just trying to thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I just wanted to respond to that. I mean, I, I, I think it is great representative white that you bring up this issue. When you think about it, right, if somebody gets five points on their license, aren't they going to really think twice about doing it again and getting another five points. I mean, you know, to me. I guess we have like a, I don't know unless first offence is five point second offence is another three, you know, to get somebody close to it. I, I'm just, I know we don't want to discuss it right now but I'm just saying that I think that it should be a wake up call to somebody. It's not like they lose their license immediately. I think they almost do if I recall for the junior operator they have that quirk in there that they lose it a lot quicker I think five Mike. They lose it. Yeah, they do. They do further and, you know, testimony. Good. So we will take more tests. Testimony underserved further conversation as, as we move forward and when we get should we decide to keep going with it when we get to primary public safety in here they'll certainly be able to help us for those stats. All right. Thank you. Thank you.