This morning, BATC-supported language was introduced in the Senate Bonding Bill to ban the proposed sprinkler mandate. The bill will be heard and voted upon tomorrow afternoon.
The Bonding Bill is the last major bill which will be debated in this year’s session. This is a positive step towards resolving this issue, but there are several steps along the way. We are asking all BATC members to contact their Senator and Representative. We also ask that you forward this request to your employees, friends and family. We need to keep the pressure on our friends in the legislature to stand firm on this issue.
We’ve made it easy to help. Just follow this link to our “Voter Voice” system which has a pre-written comment for you to personalize and will look up and send to your legislators for you.
The Sprinkler Mandate issue has been at the forefront of BATC’s advocacy efforts for the past five years. Embedded in the national model building code, most states have been required to resolve whether or not to mandate sprinkler systems in single-family homes over this time period. In 41 of the 42 the mandate was voted down in favor of consumer choice on this issue. The rationale against the sprinkler mandate is especially strong:
- Newly built homes in Minnesota are among the safest in the nation.
- There have been ZERO civilian and firefighter deaths in single-family homes since interconnected smoke alarms were required. That’s why a state-appointed advisory committee on building codes twice recommended that the state reject the mandate.
- Sprinklers are expensive – ranging from $9,000-$20,000 or more depending on the availability of city services.
- Minnesotans do not want the sprinkler mandate – polls show that 87% of Minnesotans oppose this mandate as unnecessary and costly.
- Pro-mandate forces’ intentions are clear — they eventually want every family buying a new home to pay this added cost, regardless of the size and location of that home.
Stay tuned to the Blog for issue updates.
