The Texas state Senate has approved a bill to give law enforcement officials in Dallas County and along the Texas-Mexico border more authority to take unsafe trucks off the road.

According to The Dallas Morning News, state Sen. Florence Shapiro sponsored the bill, prompted in part by North American Free Trade Agreement rules that will soon see Mexican trucks traveling throughout the state. The measure would allow police departments in Dallas County and sheriff's departments in counties along the border to enforce commercial vehicle regulations.
Currently, the Texas Department of Public Safety and large Texas cities, as well as smaller ones near ports and along the border, may conduct inspections.
The state House has not yet voted on a similar bill, reports the paper. The Houston Chronicle reported that the issue was on the table during a House Public Safety Committee hearing Monday. The House measure allows all cities with populations of 25,000 or more in counties of 450,000 or more to conduct commercial vehicle safety inspections. Sheriff's departments in those large counties and along the border would also be allowed to conduct inspections.
Opponents of the bill fear that small municipalities and county governments will use their new-found ability to generate revenue, rather than focusing on safety.