Washington, DC – Yesterday, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) introduced and passed a provision cutting $50 million in unnecessary transportation funding as a way to save taxpayers money and cut wasteful government spending. The House passed the annual Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill last night, and Perlmutter’s amendment slashed funding for the Safety Belt Performance Grant Program which provides grants to few, if any, states this year.The grant program was authorized as a way to incentivize states to enact laws making it a primary offense not to wear a seat belt. However, the program will not make any grants during FY 2011. Colorado does not have a primary offense law, and receives no funding from the grant program. Colorado ’s compliance rate with safety belts is 81% without a primary offense law. Currently 31 states already have enacted primary offense laws and the other states are unlikely to do so. The program does not have any impact on the successful “Click It or Ticket” campaigns states run to incentivize people to wear their safety belt.
The appropriations bill initially requested $124.5 million for the program, however Perlmutter’s amendment reduced that amount by $50 million.
“I urge everyone to wear a seat belt, but I urge Congress to tighten its belt,” said Perlmutter. “I commend states who have primary seat belt laws on their books, however, after six years, many states, including Colorado, have not passed primary seat belt laws, and they are unlikely to do so. To spend another $50 million on incentives that aren’t working is wasteful, and this is the kind of spending we can cut and save taxpayers money.”
