CO detectors & Minnesota's "Sophia's Law"

[MonacoMike]

This overreach will not stop until some boater or boater legal group sues to stop it. This is similar to requiring state specific boater safety courses on out of state boat operators. I think the best grounds are similar to auto regulations, many states require car inspection stickers but not of out of state vehicles. It is the full faith and credit clause of the constitution.

MM

 

[mobocracy]

This overreach will not stop until some boater or boater legal group sues to stop it. This is similar to requiring state specific boater safety courses on out of state boat operators. I think the best grounds are similar to auto regulations, many states require car inspection stickers but not of out of state vehicles. It is the full faith and credit clause of the constitution.

MM

I doubt anyone will sue to stop it. I think the AYBC standards around CO detection have gotten tighter from what I've read.

Plus it suffers from the usual regulator/supplier feedback loop. Any regulation that requires the purchase of a product tends not to go away because the industry guys have a vested interest in selling products, so they won't lobby to get rid of a requirement to buy a product they make and/or resell.

I also think you'd have a hard time making a rights/constitutional based argument -- not that it's not a reasonable argument, but the counter argument is safety, which tends to carry a lot of emotional weight, not to mention pretty good sense since the risk is real.

I don't honestly know how they will actually enforce it in Minnesota long-term.

 

[MonacoMike]

The standards are for builders not end users and do not require suspension of rights to see if they are being complied with. An exterior sticker with the registration for vessels registered in the state would be acceptable in my book. Not an invasive search of the interior.

MM

 

[Jandcinok]

I have followed this topic with some interest. CO detectors do have a lifespan, and they do save lives, no doubt. That being said, has anyone added a battery back up CO / fire detector? If not, why not? I dont know about your boats, but if theres a fire on the other side of the doorway from the cabin, it will be damn tough to get out of my boat. Im amazed fire detectors aren't required.