BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - It is illegal in North Dakota to idle an unattended vehicle but the law is widely ignored in a state known for its brutal winters.
Republican Rep. Daniel Johnston is sponsoring a bill that would make it legal for residents to routinely warm up their vehicles in the winter without being in them.
The proposed measure would reverse a law on the books since the 1940s that he says goes against the will of the people.
The current law carries a maximum $1,500 fine and 30 days in jail.
Several other states have idling laws in part because running an unattended vehicle wastes fuel.
But even a leading environmental group says it won't oppose idling in North Dakota because it's so popular.
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