White Earth reservation has primary seat belt law
by The Associated Press
 
WHITE EARTH -- White Earth police officers are now stopping and citing residents of the northwestern Minnesota reservation who are not wearing seat belts.

The White Earth Tribal Council has approved a primary seat belt law. The new law does not apply to nonresidents of the White Earth Indian Reservation.

Minnesota has a secondary seat belt law -- meaning police must first stop motorists for another moving violation before citing them for not wearing a seat belt.

The White Earth Police Department says seat belt use on the reservation is 61 percent -- far below the state's compliance rate of 85.5 percent.

Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner Michael Campion says he hopes the Legislature takes up the issue. Previous attempts to pass a primary seat belt law in Minnesota have failed.