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R.I. Lawmaker Proposes Ban On Driving With Dogs

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Our last word in business is about another driving hazard, DWD: driving with dogs.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Mitt Romney has taken a lot of heat this political season over a decades-old story in which his dog was strapped to the roof of his car while going on a family vacation.

MONTAGNE: OK. Well, in Rhode Island, dog owners may not have a cozier option. A state lawmaker has proposed a bill banning driving with your dog on your lap. Drivers caught with lap dogs could face a fine of up to $125. A similar law was passed here in California in 2008, but was vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is apparently also a dog lover.

INSKEEP: Dog lovers aside, a recent survey by the Automobile Association of America found over 30 percent of drivers admitted that pets loose in cars are a distraction.

And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

MONTAGNE: And I'm Renee Montagne. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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