Rounds vetoes booster seat law

Gov. Mike Rounds vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have required some older children to be in booster seats while riding in vehicles. Rounds said the bill “proposes to criminalize the failure to place children between 5 and 8 weighing less than 80 pounds in a booster seat.”

He said compliance with the law might be nearly impossible in some instances. “Parents with large families and neighbors dropping children off at school come immediately to mind,” Rounds wrote. “I will not force South Dakota citizens to weigh their passengers before deciding whether to transport them to the movies. How can a law enforcement officer enforce this law? Are we going to provide scales to law enforcement to weigh each child before writing a warning ticket? Are we going to require children to carry identification or a birth certificate to prove their age?”

Good for the Gov!