Wisconsin's snowmobile recreation council voted Friday morning to recommend new legislation to the Department of Natural Resources that would tie OWIs on a snowmobile, to the operator's driver's license.

It is another deadly season on the trails in Wisconsin. There have now been 15 fatalities on snowmobiles this season. The latest, a 37-year-old Minnesota man who hit a logging truck while crossing highway 13 Thursday evening. It’s also the 11th of those fatalities that list alcohol as a possible contributing factor.

In 2000, one of our state's deadliest years, the Governor ordered this council to come up with solutions. So they put together a list of directives, including a law to tie-in OWIs with the operator's driver's license.

It's a law that's proven effective in neighboring states. "The numbers went down for Minnesota and Michigan when they enacted their law”, said Rick Steimel, Chair of the Council’s Law Enforcement Committee. “And we feel it has a real strong possibility of reducing the number of alcohol-related deaths in Wisconsin if we, too, go on board with what they have done and found that works."

But back in 2000 that proposal didn't get very far. Opposition from the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs made it very difficult for the committee to find any lawmakers to support it... And the law stalled.

Now, 8 years later, committee members say the number of deaths is still far above what it should be, and it's clearer than ever, a change is needed.

The law enforcement committee voted unanimously to try again, and support a tie between OWIs on the trail and the operator's driving record. But before the recommendation to the D.N.R. could be adopted, it had to be voted on by the full committee. They passed it by a 13 to 1 vote
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Committee vice-chair Bev Dittmar was the one member who voted no. She says she's just not sure the tie-in law would make a difference. And she wanted the proposal more fleshed out. “The reason I voted no is, I’m definitely for keeping drunks off the trail, but I wanted it to be thought out more”, she said. “I think there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered.”

The council's recommendation will now go on to the D.N.R. There, details will be worked out and they’ll search for legislative support to get the recommendation into law. Committee members say they’re expecting opposition, and the recommendation has a long way to go before it becomes law. But they say today’s decision was a needed first step.