Am I reading this correct? LC1433 by a legislator named Hoven, would impound your vehicle if it is insured and you forget your card. And impose a 500$ penalty. If the vehicle is listed as insured on the verification database, that does not matter. Don't think that will get very far. http://data.opi.mt.gov/bi...LC1433.htm

Hi Don...Interesting Bill. Did you notice that "Highway Patrol" has a line through it? What I find interesting, Brian Hoven who is carrying the bill is a pledge signer to Grover Norquist's ATR..and, that means, "no new taxes"....but...WOW...$500 for John Q. Public is quite a fee when a person cannot afford insurance in the first place or, probably would have a card. Notice it says they SHALL impound. Anyhow...not sure how something like this will pass but interesting to keep an eye on. Thanks for sharing the information.

I think the line thru the Highway Patrolman is to eliminate redundancy since a peace officer includes highway patrolmen. But the disturbing sentence added to the law says that "the impoundment and (500$) civil penalties apply even if the peace officer determines through the verification system that the vehicle is covered by insurance", which means that basically if you have insurance, but do not have the card in the vehicle, they shall impound your vehicle and charge 500$ to get it back.

And the word is "Shall". What a dandy that bill is.

Does Brian Hoven have some connection to a tow truck business?

I only know that he is from Great Falls as per his information on the State website.

I think we need a law, for example, a SB 275: "any legislator that requires a bill drafter to draft a bill that is frivilous and a waste of time (such as Brian Hoven's), such legislator shall have his vehicle impounded, towed to Seattle, and not allowed to get the vehicle returned until the towing charges and a 500$ civil cost are paid. This shall take place even if said legislator's vehicle is listed on the motor vehicle insurance database as being insured." (first offense). I'll get busy working on a second offense.

There is another bill (SB06?) that would confisticate license plates if (1) you forget your card and (2) if the database indicates the car has no insurance. That means if you just bought insurance, immediately get pulled over for something, you will get your plates confisticated since it takes up to a week for the insurance you just bought to appear on the database (if you forget your card).

I would rather drive the streets with an excellent driver with no insurance, than a 3 time DUI who has insurance, but that would drive some insurance proponents up a wall.

The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Has it occurred to anyone that maybe poor people aren't welcome here? This is a good way to encourage people who can't afford auto insurance to move away. Once they take away your transportation you're kind of screwed in MT.

Jeff, I am shocked, SHOCKED that you would suggest that a bill sponsored by a republican would be designed to have a disproportionate effect upon poor people.

shocked.

FRom what I heard on NPR this morning, you license plates will be impounded not your car. Not that that is a big difference for the driver, who would not be able to drive a car without plates. but easier for the officer to just unbolt the plates if your not in insurance system data base and they said nothing about if you would be allowed to drive home after the stop and plate removal. I hate when either party has too big a majority, that is when the stupidest laws get passed, not enough questions being asked by other side so dumb gets through.

Steve, Don mentions above that LC-1433 is the one where they SHALL impound your car. An interesting read if you have time. He later mentions a SB...not sure of the entire number where they will take the license plate. Two different bills. Interesting but tough to keep track of all that is going on.

LC1433 would impound your car if you forget the card and the database says the vehicle is insured. (you have insurance, but forget the card.)

SB006 would require you to surrender your plates if you just bought the insurance, and forgot the card, and the database says the vehicle is not insured. The problem here is that newly purchased insurance does not show up on the database for maybe a week. (Longer if someone types in the incorrect vin number-Arizon estimates it has 200,000 incorrect vin nrs in its database). So if you just bought insurance and forgot the card, and get stopped, you will get your plates seized and probably will not be able to move it until you go to the judge and show him/her the card and he/she will therefore not charge you with any violation, but you have had your plates seized because of faulty information on the insurance database. http://data.opi.mt.gov/bi...SB0006.htm

Jeff,

Are you indicating that it should be OK for people to be driving without insurance, if they are "poor?"

While the proposed legislation is ridiculous, it is less ridiculous than the notion that we should exempt anyone from carrying liability insurance. If you're too poor to afford a car and insurance (and registration, and gas), then you are too poor to drive.

Jeff, if you are a good driver and cannot afford auto insurance (which costs some poor people 3,000$ a year), go ahead and drive without insurance. Doesn't bother me a bit. So don't buy insurance and then have to go on food stamps or have to go delinquent on your rent and have the landlord end up paying for your auto insurance. That is worse yet. I can understand you have to get to your job and there is no public transportation to speak of in Montana. There are enough homeless in Montana as it is. If you have a choice between paying rent and buying auto insurance, pay the rent!!!!!!!!!!!! Jesus will back me up on that.

And then, when they run you over in a crosswalk while they're texting and driving, you're S.O.L., but at least the driver's rent is paid.

Auto insurance isn't $3,000/yr. for liability, unless you're a shat driver with a horrible driving record. No "good driver" pays a premium that high, or anywhere close to that amount.

A single mom with three teens pays at least 3,000$ a year for liability, and wouldn't suprise me if it is closer to 10,000$ a year in some towns. That is kind of rough for a single mom who makes 8$ an hour cleaning hotel rooms. According to a study done by Dr Robert Maril of the Eastern Carolina University Sociology department for the NAII insurance people (opposed to mandatory auto insurance), poor people often spend 30% of their income for auto insurance. Tell us how much you make, and how much is 30% of your income.

I see Montana is #6 in the nation for average insurance auto rates:

http://www.insure.com/car...rates.html

Former, I wasn't indicating anything like that. In fact I think anyone who won't be an upstanding, law abiding citizen should move or be run clear out of Montana. Like to Glendive or somewhere up in the Yaak.