I know it’s nearly spring – four days to be exact – but we need to visit the bravery of Alaska state Rep. John Harris (R-Valdez).

Alaska, the last great frontier, can be the roughest and tumblest of our 50 states (Sorry Texas, but you’d win if your days were longer and temperatures just a bit lower). But it appears Rep. Harris isn’t quite up to the task of helping his fellow Alaskans understand the value of winter tires.

In February, Rep. Harris introduced a bill that would have mandated the use of real winter tires between Dec. 15 and Mar. 15 each year, beginning in 2011. HB322 even got a hearing before the Alaska House’s Transportation Committee.

According to Rep. Harris, 90% of Alaskans drive on all-season or summer tires in the winter. And in 2007, 63% of all on-road accidents happened during the winter. He had lots of stats, and on the face of it, pretty compelling points.

And then the e-mails and calls and letters and faxes and online posts started – and not just from his home district. Seems Alaskans are better at New Hampshire’s state motto – Live Free or Die – than New Hampshirites. After the uproar – "You’ll get my all-season tires when you pry them from my cold, dead hands" – Rep. Harris turned tail and pulled the bill from further consideration.

Apparently Alaskans are content to rack up trips to the hospital and/or body shop rather than swap out for clearly safer tires.