NATION/WORLD
Tuesday, February 13, 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
9A
Bill would rev speed limits
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Kansas motorists would be able to increase their speeds by 5 miles an hour on interstates and by 10 mph on most two-lane state highways under a bill endorsed yesterday by a legislative panel.
The Senate Transportation and Utilities Committee sent to the Senate for debate a bill that would raise the top speed on four-lane highways from 65 to 70 mph.
The measure also would raise speed limits on better two-lane highways from 55 to 65 mph.
It gives the secretary of transportation authority to designate a lower speed limit on two-lanes if there are safety concerns because of condition or engineering design of the highway. Curves on some older highways are not banked to handle the higher speed.
The Senate is expected to debate the bill later this week, perhaps tomorrow.
It was amended by the Senate committee, which means it will have to return to the House for concurrence in the amendment. If the House refuses to concur, the bill will go to a joint conference committee to try to reach a compromise.
The Senate committee amended the bill to provide a 10 mph buffer. That means insurance companies would not be able to increase motorists' rates if they are ticketed for traveling less than 10 miles an hour above the posted speed limit. The House had a 5 mph buffer in its version.
The new speed limits would not include county or township roads in rural areas. The speed limits on those roads would remain the same, which is 55 mph if not posted. Some of those roads, many of which are not paved but are covered with gravel, already are posted with slower speeds.
Sen, Mike Harris, R-Wichita, attempted to amend the bill to increase the speed limit on interstates to 75 mph. He said the interstate was designed to handle traffic at that speed.
Sen. Barbara Lawrence, R-Wichita, agreed, saying it makes no sense to raise the speed limit on interstates by 5 mph and on two-lane highways by 10 mph. She said the interstates are much safer than two-lane highways.
But Sen. Lillian Papay, R-Great Bend, said a 75 mph speed limit with a 10 mile buffer meant that
people would travel at 85 mph. She said that is too fast.
"Everyone is going to drive where the buffer is, she said.
Harris doesn't agree
"The purpose of the buffer is not to encourage people to speed," Harris said. The buffer is intended to keep insurance companies from raising rates unnecessarily, he added.
"Commercial drivers will use the buffer," replied Sen. Bill Brady, D-Parsons. "That really concerns me."
Sen. Richard Rock, D-Arkansas City, a member of the Kansas Turnpike Authority, said the speed limit on the toll highway would be 70. not 75.
The present speed limit is 65 on four-lane interstates in rural areas and 55 mph on two-lane highways.
The Legislature needs to send a bill to Gov. Bill Graves' desk by March 8, or the state's speed limits go back to the pre-1974 limits. Those limits were 75 mph on interstates during the daytime and 70 mph at night. On two-lane highways, the limit was 70 during the daytime and 60 after nightfall.
Dole wins close Iowa caucus race
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — Sen. Bob Dole scored a shaky victory in Iowa's Republican presidential caucuses yesterday as Pat Buchanan emerged from the GOP field to ready a conservative challenge in next week's pivotal New Hampshire primary.
Former Tennessee Gov. Lamar Alexander ran third and hoped that
would be enough to give his cash-poor campaign a fresh start in a five-week blitz of primaries likely to settle the nomination fight.
Bob Dole
All the candidates vowed to press on, but
iowa's results were sure to dampen the hopes of publishing heir Steve Forbes, who was a distant fourth, and were perhaps a blow to Texas Sen. Phil Gramm, who ran fifth.
President Clinton was unopposed in the state's Democratic caucuses, and the bruising nature of the Republican race was a vivid reminder of his luxury.
With 90 percent of the vote counted, Dole had 26 percent, to 23 percent for Buchanan. Alexander had 18 percent, Forbes 10 percent and Gramm nine percent. Buchanan closed the Iowa campaign imploring supporters of anti-abortion longshot Alan Keyes to rally to his side and will head to New Hampshire wishing that it didn't happen —
Keyes got 7 percent, a remarkable showing given his shoestring campaign budget.
New Hampshire is a Buchanan stronghold, the state where he got 37 percent to spark his 1992 primary run against President Bush. But Dole vowed not to stumble this time as he did after Iowa got him off to a winning start in 1988.
"I am deeply gratified with the strong support of Iowa voters," Dole told The Associated Press. "Now it is on to New Hampshire on the road to conservative change in the White House."
Alexander said the results proved Dole a fragile front-runner and while congratulating Buchanan, said the former White House adviser's protectionist trade views were dead wrong. He said Iowa had winnowed the GOP contest to a three-man battle, as if Forbes did not exist.
"I look forward to a race in New Hampshire with Senator Dole and Pat Buchanan," Alexander said.
Just two weeks ago, Forbes was threatening Dole for the lead, riding the crest of a $4 million television advertising budget that shattered all records in the state.
The Iowa voting took place in 2,142 precinct caucuses and closed a nearly year-long campaign in the state. It appeared that turnout would fall short of 100,000, below the 1988 total and way below the record 130,000 predicted by state Republican leaders.
Among caucus-goers, Buchan was the clear choice of those who described themselves as very conservative or members of the religi-
Results
iowa caucus results, exit poll
How Republican candidates fared in the Iowa caucuses
Lion 27%
Buchanan 23%
Alexander 18%
Forbes 10%
Gramm 9%
Keyes 7%
Lugar 4%
Taylor 1%
Exit poll highlights
What mattered most in determining your vote?
Experience in Washington 15%
Best represents conservative values 35%
Supported Iowa as first caucus 1%
His tax plan 6%
Can beat Clinton 16%
Position on abortion 8%
Not a career politician 7%
In serving as president, would Bob Dole's age:
Help him 5%
Hurt him 33%
Make no difference 59%
Knight-Ridder Tribune
ious right.
In an entrance poll, one fifth of the caucus-goers said they settled on their choice in the last three days; of those, Alexander and Buchanan were the clear beneficiaries.
Dole was the overwhelming choice of Iowa's elderly voters, and caucus-goers said Dole' age - 72-
would make no difference in his ability to be president. iowans were split on the flat tax, Forbes' premiere issue, over the existing system — and even the flat-taxers preferred Dole and Buchanan to the millionaire publisher.
After New Hampshire comes a five-week march through 30 states, with 70 percent of the GOP convention delegates to be chosen by the time California holds its March 26 primary. While Buchanan and Alexander could claim Iowa gave them the former, both needed to scramble to refill their campaign accounts.
For Buchanan, Iowa was a sweet surprise. Just a week ago he had modest goals here, but used his upset of Gramm in last week's Louisiana caucuses to make the case to social conservatives that he was a stronger candidate than Gramm — against both Dole and Clinton.
In advance, Dole rejected the notion that he should be judged by his 1988 showing, noting the field was smaller then and that for a month he has been the main target of Forbes' relentless attack ads.
Faring poorly were three others on the ballot, Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar, Illinois businessman Morry Taylor and California Rep. Bob Dornan.
Officially, the delegate hunt began last week in Louisiana, where Buchanan stunned Gramm and captured 13 of 21 delegates. Dole, Forbes and most other GOP hopefuls boycotted, preserving Iowa's traditional role as the first full-scale contest.
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