Washington, DC (RI) — A committee in the US Senate has voted for a bill that would require automakers to keep putting AM radios in vehicles.
Some companies, like Tesla and Ford, have begun leaving AM radios out of electric vehicles, citing interference from electric motors. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is one of many co-sponsors of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act.
Ernst and others say during natural disasters, when electricity and cell phone towers are out, AM stations become a primary source for information. The International Association of Fire Chiefs and other groups that represent emergency responders have urged Congress to pass the bill.
The same bill has been introduced in Congress before. Last year it cleared a Senate committee but was not considered in the US House.
Iowa’s other US Senator, Chuck Grassley, is also co-sponsoring the bill. Grassley says AM radio is the backbone of our emergency alert system, especially in rural areas, and Grassley says Iowans rely on AM radio to catch up on local news, weather, and commodity and livestock markets. The American Farm Bureau, AARP, and several broadcast groups have been lobbying for the bill. If it becomes law, AM radio would have to be standard equipment in every vehicle, at no additional charge. Both of Nebraska’s US Senators and the two senators from Minnesota are backing the bill. Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley are also co-sponsors.
