ND House Narrowly Defeats Primary Seat Belt Enforcement

March 24, 2021 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota
Rep. Bob Paulson (R - District 3) asks for the defeat of Senate Bill 2121, which would have required primary enforcement of North Dakota's seat belt law. (Photo via screenshot.)

Senator Brad Bekkedahl’s (R – District 1) attempt to make North Dakota a primary enforcer of its seat belt law has been thwarted. Yesterday, the House narrowly defeated Senate Bill 2121 on a 45 – 49 vote.

Oddly enough, there was very little discussion on the bill. Rep. Bob Paulson (R – District 3) did a stellar job of explaining the legislation and why it should be defeated. Rep. Jared Hagert (R – District 20) was the only one to ask for green votes. Yet, he made no real effort to counter the solid arguments of Paulson.

Had the bill passed, it would have meant that ALL occupants — regardless of age — would have been required to have their seat belts on. Failure to comply could have resulted in law enforcement having the ability to pull you over for that reason alone and fine you.

This wasn’t the first time the bill has been proposed. The House killed it during the 2019 session on a vote of 38-54. As you can tell, we’re inching ever closer to it one day being passed. Which is another example of why it’s so important for those who love liberty to get involved and run for office. We need a more limited government legislature.

I guarantee this won’t be the last time we see the do-gooders come out in an effort to further empower the Nanny State.

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Sources:

  1. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/67-2021/bill-index/bi2121.html
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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