Iowa Supreme Court Says Mennonite Steel Wheels OK

Matthew Zimmerman got a ticket in February 2010 for driving with steel cleats on his tractor. He drove over newly paved road. He was 13 years old at the time of the citation. His punishment was $500 or 30 days in jail. There was a possibility for both, plus pay for road damages.

Matthew (pictured in Des Moines Register) is 15 now and has had the Iowa Supreme Court weigh in on his case.

Zimmerman is part of the Mennonite community. The Mennonite Weekly explains they do not believe in rubber tires on vehicles. They think tires would lead them closer to being part of the world. Instead, the Mennonites use steel wheels. The steel nubs make a very uncomfortable ride when on paved roads. This is part of the discouragement of using the vehicles to do errands, like shopping.

Mitchell County passed ordinances that would keep the Mennonites' steel wheels from tearing up the roads. There have been 13 other steel wheel citations handed out. Since the Mennonites are breaking a law in order to keep their religious beliefs in tack, the Iowa Supreme Court had to weigh in on the case. This law also kept Mennonite farmers from their fields and markets.

The court found that the Mennonites were being specifically targeted with this road law. Other heavy vehicles, and buses with tire studs and ice grips were not ticketed. The Iowa Supreme Court ruling said that an ordinance/law could not target a specific group like the Mennonites.

Mark Walk, Mitchell County attorney, is not backing down with this ruling. He said that citations will continue to be given. In a Globe Gazette article, Walk said that the ruling only reversed the fine. He didn't seem concerned about future challenges going to higher courts. The county uses a detective to troll roads in an attempt to find people violating the ordinance. So far it has cost $2,400 for this detective. Walk is not done with the Mennonites or their steel wheels. He is thinking about an appeal of the case and sees it all winding up back in the Supreme Court.