Assembly Approves Plan That Could Result In Higher Interstate Speed Limits

The speed limit on Wisconsin’s rural interstates could be raised to 70 miles per hour under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Tuesday.

This bill would leave it up to the Department of Transportation to decide whether to raise the speed limit to 70 miles per hour.

Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc, is the bill’s sponsor.

“We’re going to let the DOT safety engineers, not a bunch of politicians, make that decision on who should go what speed,” said Tittl.

But Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, a trial lawyer, said he’s represented too many people who have been seriously injured in car accidents to support a faster speed limit.

“After what I’ve seen, after the years of paraplegics and quadriplegics and dead folks that I’ve seen on the highways, I cannot in good conscience support this,” said Wachs.

The plan passed on a bipartisan 76-22 vote.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald’s office would not say whether it would get a vote in that chamber.