...and my point is, that practically speaking, transportation cannot really be a state issue only. I wish it could. But it can’t due to the nature of transportation. You misapprehend the very nature of what the discussion is about. Certainly shipping and aviation are ludicrous to consider state issues. Are you really going to subdivide modes of transportation?
There are a very few things that are by nature a federal issue. I submit this is one of those very few things.
Local driving laws are NOT a Federal matter, not even close.
Why do you suppose the Feds use the threat of withholding Federal funds (which of course come from residents of the various states) to coerce the states into passing these laws, instead of of simply passing a Federal law banning texting while driving and setting uniform minimum age requirements for drivers?
The reason is, they know the Federal government has no such authority.
It is a devious charade used to erode states rights. The Feds say, “Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming, NO, of course we are not forcing you to change your laws. We’ll simply turn all your residents into tax slaves for the rest of the nation, by withholding Federal funding from your state, if you don’t comply!”
What if the Federal government raised the personal income tax rate to 95%. Then it passed a law saying that anyone who refrains from smoking, conservative activism, bowling and going to church an entitlement equal to 90% of their taxable income? They wouldn’t technically be banning smoking, conservative activism, bowling and church going, but effectively they would be.
This is essentially what the Feds do to the states with laws like this bill that West is supporting.