Had my car done by optimusrob a few weeks back, I know their business has been decimated by the latest tint laws. Don't know if these petitions do any good but thought I'd pass it on. http://mnwindowfilmassoc.com/
What someone should do is find the ones that get passed around every year and just combine them. Between the tint petition and the front plate petitions that have been going around for the past 10 years, you should have a pretty good list of people. Russ
True... though it's a bit different this time around, when you build your business up around one set of assumptions, and then they change the law... that's pretty rough.
Signed it! I hate this stupid tint law. It's the only reason I haven't tinted my Subaru. I don't see any value in 50% tint, so I won't buy it.
I actually got a response today from my state senator: Scott, Thank you for taking the time to email me on this issue. I really appreciate it! I had actually not heard much about this issue before your email and was wondering if you had any more data on it. Do you know how many people are affected by this issue in Minnesota? Thank you in advance for your response! Senator Parry Anyone have some good numbers for me to toss him?
taken from that site -Adds crash safety from passenger ejection and shattered glass -Reduces the sun's glare, helping prevent accidents due to excess glare -Blocks 99.9% of UV radiation -Keeps vehicles more comfortable by reducing solar heat gain -Adds privacy for drivers, passengers and belongings -Discourages smash and grab theft -Helps protect interiors from fading -Eliminates the need for mounted shades, which can become dangerous projectiles in the case of an accident This law has also been devastating to local shops across the state. Why hurt Minnesotan businesses when customers can just go across the border or to a back alley to get a tint job done? All we want is a 35% limit, which is more in line with 47 other states. 35% is dark enough to allow Minnesotans the full benefits of window film, but light enough that our police officers can feel safe.
Yeah that was already in the email that went to him when I signed the petition.... I don't have any idea how many professional tinters there are or how many cars have tint...
I went ahead and filled it out. And yes, you will get an automated email response most likely. It can't hurt to try and be heard on this issue. I would imagine there are at least a hundred companies, and thousands of car owners that would love for this to happen. 35% would be great. That's what I always used, and still got pulled over for it. It would be great for this to change.
The problem here is, online petitions are NEVER taken seriously. Ever. Even if you have a state senator looking into it, online petitions are usually ignored. The reason being, there are ways to circumvent the number of reported signatures by cookie deletion, multiple sessions, fake names, multiple emails, etc... I don't know of a single web based online petition that ever did anything ever. If you want the laws to change, go door to door with a piece of paper and get names. Or, send emails to your state legislature.
I received the same reply from Senator Perry mentioned above. I replied to that reply with this: "Thanks for the scripted reply Senator Parry. I have heard of several other people receiving this exact email from you." Senator Perry replied with this: "Actually, I've asked everyone the question because everyone has provided more facts that they know of, and have shared their personal stories with me in regard to this issue. I've received thousands of these emails, and I really liked the information I was receiving back from the first reply, so I kept sending it out. I apologize if this has upset you in some way.." So, maybe he is taking this seriously. If you get his reply, instead of dismissing it as an automated script, take the time and reply to him
Got better feedback than I expected... Thank you for your email. I have reviewed this issue and I've actually helped support an effort to change it. However, we ran into a brick wall when the Minnesota Police Chiefs Assoc., the Minnesota Sheriff's Assoc., the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Assoc. all showed up at a hearing to oppose it. They claim that it makes it too difficult to look into vehicles and places their officers at risk when they are walking up beside them. We pointed out the fuel savings and UVA and UVB issues, but with the police all opposed, we couldn't convince committee members to change the law. We have one of the strictest laws in the country now, and I don't believe other states that allow darker tints have more officers shot or injured because of it. Also, there are many vehicles that police can't see into when they pull them over, so that somewhat negates their argument. We may try again to change the law, but it is a difficult issue and I don't expect it to change soon. Sincerely, Claire Robling State Senator District 35 75 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd 226 Capitol Saint Paul, MN 55155 651.296.4123
That's great. (the feedback anyway, not the conclusion...) I just don't get how this argument holds up when half the vehicles on the road are SUVs that can have whatever tint they want.
Claire Robling gets a cookie. It is rare that you see an honest response from these folks. For the record, I have been pulled over once in 5 years for my 35% tint. If you don't drive like a douche, this will (likely) not be an issue, afaik.
I work at the legislature, and as others have said, petitions don't mean ****.... and as Robling said, legislators listen to cops(usually). Only want to get any movement on it is to get both house and senate leadership to support it. After that, best course of action is to get it included in an omnibus bill to see if you can sneak it by the governor, because he will listen to cops and vetoing a single bill is a lot easier than an omnibus. To those wondering about canned responses...yes, it happens, a lot. Would you write an individual reply to 300 different constituents all asking about the same thing? You're lucky if you even get a response from your rep/senator and not one written via proxy by their staff(me lol)
Signed it. I know why cops don't want tint. I guess I would have some issues if I couldn't see what the passengers were doing when I pulled them over, but they should just make it a law that you have to roll down your windows when pulled over. That should help alleviate their concerns.
Rolling down the windows doesn't solve the issue of not being able to see through the rear window. I get it, it's a valid concern. If I tint to 35%, I understand why they have a hand on their weapon while approaching the car.
I can understand it from a cop's point but I still would like to have my windows darker legally.... are that many ppl getting pulled over for this?
I would just like to see equal rights! Safety is an absolute BS excuse when all other MUV's/SUV's/pickup trucks/undercover police units have them. Redneck pickup trucks with rifle racks in the rear window that you can't see because of their "American Flag"/Eagle tint. ....F that! Safety is also nonsense for the fact that if it was the case, it would be taken into consideration nationally! Unless all other cops in states with darker tint laws have less valuable lives than here in MN. Maybe police officers lives are "expendible" in other states? Lmao...what a joke. I've been pulled over and ticketed more for window tint in the past 5yrs than i have for speeding. WTFMNPOLICEFAIL@LIFE.
That is the strangest justification ever. All state safety laws are bs, because if they weren't they'd be federal? Sorry man, that's not a fact, and it's not a persuasive argument.
Maybe instead of petitioning the state to revise the laws, we should try to petition Subaru to tint their vehicles just like any Ford Explorer or Dodge Caravan would be from the factory. Despite the fact that our cars are not huge gas sucking "family carriages", they are in fact cars that many families utilize to transport the little ones about! It's unfair to every MN family that these laws exist for them also. Those stupid suction cup curtains aren't even close to a substitute for children! So, MN guhment must support the big gas companys right(sarcasm)?lol. I for one, suffer from light sensitivity. So i'm in the process of getting my windshield tinted also. Guess i better just make sure i have a tint ticket budget set aside. (That and i'm looking into the prescription stuffz)
Lol, just ranting. I was joking about how the only way we are "allowed" to have dark tint is to buy an SUV or truck=low mpg=moar gas purchased=$$$ for the oil companies(streeeeetch). It was a sarcastic stretch, but i am still just completely dumbfounded about this safety idea of theirs. ALL automobiles(cars,trucks,tractors...lol) should either be allowed, or not allowed <50%tint. Either way, i will NEVER remove my tint, and i couldn't care less about how it makes my car 'look'. It's all about the function.
The internet equivalent of signing a death warrant for the legitimacy of something. Facebook is the new chain email. FW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW FW
I got one of those. I can't say it helps but it gets in the way when I open up the rear window using my window switch up at the driver's seat. It makes an ugly noise when the window is trying to pull it down into the door. That itself distracts me, the Asian driver, even more from my already "driving on the lines with my signal on" driving style.
It's going to stay illegal because it's one more thing for those ****ing jokers to collect money on, just like front plates.
Man you gotta get over that, I run no front plate always. You learn to pick where you park carefully. Most cops on the street don't see it or don't bother you. I think tint law is dumb too but as you said prolly not going to change.
I am over it, I paid the ticket and put the plate on. I didn't at all mention that I had to pay the ticket, I didn't bring up the fact that I got tagged, I didn't say it's stupid because it happened to me, or anything like that. I'm saying that it's a pointless law that exists only as a revenue source. It was brought up because it's the same idea as the tint laws, not because I got tagged for it.
I'm wondering when I will ever find a cop to admit that and not try to give a BS answer as to why it is the way it is
