Drunken boating bill sinks

The final death knell on a drunken boating bill was delivered last night inthe Iowa House. Leaders decided to allow House debate of the measure which would have madethe penalties for drunken boating similar to drunken driving, but the billfailed on a tie vote. Representative Dick Weidman, a republican fromGriswold, is a retired state trooper, but he said some on-the-water officerswould seek out drunken boaters and be too agressive in enforcement.Representative Don Shoultz, a democrat from Waterloo, argued against thebill. He says increasing the penalties is not the answer to solving theproblem.About 30 drunken boating citations were issued in Iowa last year — eachbringing a three-hundred dollar fine.