Tinted-window bill needs emergency action

Few vehicles on the road today don't provide some sort of protection from the sun. For most auto windows, that means tinted glass. An effort last year by the Missouri Legislature to allow more tinting was poorly written and, in fact, has turned thousands of existing tinted windows into inspection violations.

Until last August, Missouri motorists could put as much tint as they wanted on rear windows. A bill hurriedly passed in May was intended to allow 35 percent tinting on front side windows, but the legislation wound up allowing only 35 percent tinting on rear windows as well.

Efforts are already under way in this year's legislative session to allow the darker tinting in rear windows and the lighter tinting in front windows. Hurry up.

Hundreds of vehicle owners with dark-tinted windows must get their cars inspected this month to renew their license plates. Unless the law is changed and goes into effect immediately, they will be forced to pay to have the dark tinting removed to pass inspection.

That's not what lawmakers intended. It's up to them to undo their mistake quickly.