A Maine legislative committee dealt a blow to an effort to roll back the state’s seat belt law. The Transportation Committee on Friday unanimously rejected Republican state Senator Eric Brakey’s bill to allow people over the age of 17 to not wear their seat belts. Brakey said the seat belt mandate is government overreach, but his effort was fiercely opposed by law enforcement and health care officials. Seeking to compromise, Brakey proposed making the failure to wear a seat belt a secondary offense, which means that police can only write a ticket if they stop a motorist for another traffic violation. (AP)