Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected.

Senator Bill Nelson (D, FL) wants tougher regulation for the auto industry- and stiffer penalties for industry executives who withhold information about defects.

This after Volkswagen used software in its diesel cars to cheat emissions tests. Nelson has introduced legislation to get rid of the cap on fines for automakers who delay recalls.

“The max fine you can get right now is 35 million dollars per incident,” said Nelson.

That’s peanuts to these guys. The fines have got to go up, but people have got to go to jail,” he said.

The legislation would also hold automakers criminally liable for concealing information about defects from federal investigators.

Nelson is the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee.