Bill on applying DWI law to tractors OK'd

The House on Thursday approved a new definition for "motor vehicle" under the state's driving-while-intoxicated law.

House Bill 1411 by Rep. LeAnne Burch, D-Monticello, intends to clarify that operators of farm equipment and four-wheelers involved in fatal or near-fatal accidents must have their blood-alcohol levels tested, Burch said.

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Burch said current law is ambiguous for law enforcement when it comes to motorized forms of transportation like ATVs and tractors.

The bill, if passed, would be called "Jacob's Law," named after a man killed in a farming accident.

-- Hunter Field

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