Rep. Favors got her school bus seat belts after all

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – After seven terms in the state legislature, Representative Joanne Favors of Chattanooga is calling it quits, but not before making sure new school buses are equipped with seat belts.

She first introduced her bill to require seat belts on Tennessee school buses, after the tragic Woodmore bus crash that killed six children.

Favors says she was disappointed in the last three sessions, when some drivers, doctors and the other lawmakers did not support it.

But she found a way to do it anyway.

“I had numerous conversations with the governor. And he was supportive of this .The speaker of the house was also supportive of it and many other legislators were, but there was those who were not, so there were not enough votes to get it passed. So, as an alternative to that the Governor placed in what is called his budget amendment, #3-million which would be awarded to the states that applied for it to purchase seat belts of school buses that had seat belts.”

Favors says that law has been passed in several other states.

She says all counties can apply for funding as they buy new buses.