(Photo: Krummel)
State Representative Jerry Krummel (R-Wilsonville) is blaming House Democrats for killing HB 3020, a bill that would have directed the Department of Transportation to erect and maintain roadside memorial signs for pedestrians or bicyclists killed in motor vehicle collisions (upon application by a family member).
Less than an hour after a rally for bike safety on the steps of the Capitol last Saturday, House Dems voted down (26-31) a motion to get the bill out of committee, where it has languished since May.
In an email from his office, Krummel said,
“It’s a strange day at the Capitol when Democrats kill a bike safety bill,”
According to Krummel, nine of the Democrats who opposed the motion were co-sponsors of the bill, and three of them spoke in favor of it at the rally which included speeches by the wives of recently killed cyclists Eric Kautzky and Tim O’Donnell.
Representative Krummel has spearheaded what he refers to as “Eric’s Law” and says he is,
“disappointed, and sad for the families of victims who won’t be able to have memorial signs erected in honor of loved ones…I am also frustrated that the Legislature passed two other bike safety bills but is ignoring this simple, no-cost-to-taxpayers way to increase public safety awareness.”
When I first covered this bill back in April the reactions from the community were mixed.