The speed limit has been in place off and on since 2006 but will expire July 1 if lawmakers don’t act.

The state Senate is set to approve the limit on Thursday. The Assembly has already approved it, so if the Senate agrees it will then go to Gov. Jim Doyle for his consideration.

Supporters say the limit helps reduce the number of crashes and fatalities. Previously, Wisconsin had no speed limit on snowmobiles. As many as three dozen or more people have died in one year in Wisconsin snowmobile crashes.

The Wisconsin Assembly has voted to make the night-time speed limit for snowmobiles permanent. A temporary 55-mile-an-hour limit is due to expire in July. It would stay at 55 under a bill passed yesterday. It now goes to the Senate.

The Assembly also voted to allow the Legislature to meet somewhere else – or even on the Internet – if they cannot get to the State Capitol because of an emergency. But the Assembly brought back a provision struck down by the Senate. It would have leaders of both houses appoint temporary members if a disaster wipes out at least 25-percent of the members of either the Assembly or Senate. Also yesterday, the Senate unanimously okayed a bill to ban health insurers from denying claims from those injured by the use of alcohol or drugs.