By AP
Nashville, TN – A proposal that would fine motorists driving 25 mph over the speed limit in Tennessee as much as $500 is likely dead this session. The "super speeder" bill sponsored by Republican Senator Jack Johnson failed in the Senate Finance Committee for lack of a majority vote Tuesday.
Johnson says the bill is needed because Tennessee court rulings have found that excessive speed alone is not enough to charge motorists with reckless driving. The move to add penalties also comes amid dwindling ticket citations issued by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Troopers wrote half as many speeding tickets in 2008 as in 2001.
The companion bill has been placed behind the budget in the House, meaning it will be revisited if any money is left after the state's budget is set.