Friends and neighbors,
The Senate Transportation Committee has been working through several proposals about how Minnesota should handle autonomous vehicles, which let cars operate without a human driver. It is looking increasingly likely these vehicles are going to play a large role in our society in the very near future, so we need to start laying the groundwork.
I’m supporting a simple, sensible framework: companies like Waymo get authorized by the state, carry proper insurance, follow traffic laws, and provide a plan for how first responders should interact with their vehicles.
But there are other proposals that go much, much, much further in terms of excessive regulation, reports, and rules. One would require a licensed driver to sit behind the wheel and be ready to take over at any moment, in every autonomous vehicle, no matter what. Which of course sounds crazy. The whole point of an autonomous vehicle is that it drives itself.
During the committee discussion, I put it this way: it's like authorizing cell phone use, but only if the phone is attached to the wall with a cord.
Minnesota should be setting smart rules that protect people and set up a commonsense foundation for autonomous vehicles, not impose such over-the-top rules and regulations that they never take hold here. We’re still at the frontier of what these vehicles can be, and already Democrats want to cripple them with regulations.
Thank you!
As always, it is a privilege to serve you. If you have any questions or want to share your thoughts about what is happening at the Capitol, please reach out any time!
Sincerely,