Senators: Seat belt bill likely lost cause

COLUMBIA - Efforts to get a tougher seat belt law through the Senate have stalled, and even supporters say the bill's going nowhere.

"If you don't have 28 votes, you just might as well come to that conclusion," said Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, and supporter of the legislation. "If you can't get 28 votes, you might as well move on to something else," he said.

In the Senate, 28 votes are needed to shut down the filibuster led by Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston. He sees the bill as an intrusion on personal freedom and a mangled piece of legislation.

The bill would allow police to stop adult drivers when they are driving without seat belts. Police now can only enforce the seat belt law on adult drivers when they've stopped a car for another offense.

Police already can stop cars driven by people younger than 18 or that have passengers younger than 18 who aren't buckled up.

With a Senate calendar bloated to 50 pages of bills to be considered, "pressure is building to get this bill out of the way," Hayes said.

It's time to "fish or cut bait," said Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, and another supporter.

But he concedes those backing tougher seat belt laws lack the votes needed to end the filibuster. People who had previously said they wanted the tougher seat belt bill haven't been in their desks when they were needed, Martin said.

McConnell says the battle is nearly over.

"I sense in the Senate now that this bill is dead. It's just a question of how it's going to be disposed of," McConnell said.