Welcome to

Legislative friends of the ride sharing app Uber tried to pull a fast one and do in the state budget what they couldn’t do during the regular session…which was to stop the growth of local regulations. But as Mike Vasilinda tells us, alert opponents have so far stopped efforts to give the company a free ride.

 Budget language know as proviso surfaced late Monday to study whether ride services like Uber cut down on DUI’s. It also would have prohibit local governments from enacting new regulations for Uber and others. It originated with State Senator Jeff Brandes.

“It simply provides an allocation to a state agency to do a study. And it says until the study is done, lets not regulate this companies out of existence because they are probably saving lives” says Brandes.

But as lawmaker met to horse trade. State Senator Arthenia Joyner got angry, arguing the budget was no place to enact uber policy that failed in the regular session.

“This totally inconsistent with the way we pass public policy and it should not be done in proviso” says Joyner.

Minutes later after a recess and discussion, the Senate withdrew the language, which disappointed state Representative Jamie Grant “It’s disappointing, but I don’t think it’s dead.”

Indeed, nothing’s really dead just yet. There are still two levels of decision makers who can reinsert the uber dui study language at any time.”

And when it comes to DUI’s Uber driver Kimberly says the NBA and Hockey playoffs have been a boom for drivers.”

“They’ve had their beers or had whatever they’ve had to drink. And they are ready to go home and they certainly not getting in the car and putting the keys in the ignition and I think thats a good thing” says Kimberly, who’s been driving for just two months.

And for now anyway, people can keep calling for a ride home while local governments consider will still be able to consider their options.

During the regular session, Lawmakers couldn’t agree on levels of insurance or background checks for Uber drivers.