A bill being considered in a special session of the West Virginia Legislature that would raise weight limits for coal trucks has sparked a firestorm of passionate response from state residents – mostly against it.

According to published reports, delegates say no other issue in recent years has generated as many e-mails, phone calls and letters. Most of these messages are against the bill, thanks in large part to an e-mail campaign by the United Mine Workers and AFL-CIO.
About 1,000 truckers and miners who support the bill did more than send e-mails – they appeared in person in the state Capitol Tuesday. An executive with Worldwide Equipment, the state’s largest seller of commercial trucks, predicted “total devastation” for the economy in the southern part of the state if the bill doesn’t pass.
Some coal truck interests were disappointed that the bill as proposed includes considerably tougher penalties than those recommended by a truck safety panel put together by the governor. The proposed penalties include the power to shut down businesses that ship or knowingly receive overweight coal trucks.
The bill would raise weight limits on designated roads from 80,000 pounds to 120,000 pounds and increase penalties for going over the limits. The state has not enforced the weight limits on coal trucks for decades, with many coal trucks running at twice the legal limit. The issue came to a head earlier this year after a number of traffic fatalities involving overloaded coal trucks.
Legislators want to see the special session conclude by this weekend. If lawmakers are deadlocked on the bill, the issue may be postponed until the 2003 regular legislative session.