The bill is being reviewed by a Joint Legislative committee on public safety.
No one was injured when this car crashed into a house on State Street in Monson in 2008. Both the driver and his passenger were wearing seat belts, police said.SPRINGFIELD – The City Council and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno have jointly urged the state Legislature and governor to approve “Natalie’s bill,” which would allow police to pull over a motorist solely for failure to wear a seat belt.
The council passed a resolution Monday night in favor of the bill. It was signed Tuesday by Sarno and forwarded to the Legislature.
Beatriz Fuentes, of Springfield, whose daughter Natalie was killed in a car accident five years ago and was not wearing a seat belt, praised local officials for their support of the bill named in her daughter’s honor.
“I am elated by the momentum this is picking up,” said Fuentes, who was present for the council vote at City Hall. “I am very hopeful (of passage). The time has come, and the time is now.”
Fuentes was among advocates who urged passage of Natalie’s bill last week during a hearing before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Natalie’s bill would create a “primary” seat belt law in Massachusetts, as compared to the current law, which allows police to ticket people for failing to wear a belt only if they are pulled over for another reason.
Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield, said he is a strong supporter of Natalie’s bill. The support from the mayor and council sends a strong message to legislators, he said.
The bill would save lives by encouraging more people to wear seat belts, Welch said.
City Councilor James J. Ferrera III, the lead sponsor of the council resolution, said it is a “matter of public safety” and would greater awareness to the importance of wearing seat belts.
Sarno said he knows the Fuentes family and they “have taken this tragic situation and have created a positive legacy to help save lives.”
The council resolution, in urging the Legislature and Governor to pass the bill, states it would “hopefully save many lives in the years ahead.”
The council passed two resolutions related to the tornadoes of June 1.
In one resolution, the council promised to do everything it can to support the relief efforts and to assist in the rebuilding of homes and neighborhoods “in a way that preserves the beautiful neighborhoods and beautiful architecture” of the city. the lead sponsor was Councilor Timothy Allen.
In the second resolution, the council passed a resolution that encourages mortgage holding banks and companies to implement a voluntary moratorium on foreclosures and no-fault evictions for local residents. The lead sponsor was Councilor Amaad I. Rivera, and it stated, in part, “in times of crisis, our city cannot afford any more residents deprived of their homes.”