Lawmaker targets ‘loopholes in the law that repeat offenders use to continue their irresponsible behavior’
OLYMPIA – A Tacoma lawmaker is prime-sponsoring three legislative proposals to stiffen significantly the punishment for drunken drivers – criminals who he maintains have been getting off too easily in our state and nation.
State Rep. Steve Kirby’s legislative package goes after first-time offenders, as well as repeat DUIs.
“Year after year, we pass laws that dance around the true remedies to this problem,” said Kirby, who is a member of the House Judiciary Committee in which he hopes the bills will soon receive a public hearing. “These bills target loopholes in the laws that offenders use to continue their irresponsible behavior, and provide stronger deterrents to prevent people from becoming repeat offenders.”
His House Bill 1555 would increase the sentencing ranges for DUI-related vehicular-homicide offenses. Sentences would range from 78 months to 102 months for a first DUI-related offense if the bill passes.
His House Bill 1556 would increase the minimum penalties for first-time DUI offenders from:
* One day in jail right now for an offender with a BAC of less than .15 – to three days in jail.
* Two days in jail right now for an offender with a BAC of .15 or more – to seven days in jail.
* And the offender would be charged the daily bed rate in all cases.
His House Bill 1557 would make a third DUI in 10 years a class C felony.
(NOTE: “DUI” stands for “driving under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs.” “BAC” stands for “blood alcohol content.”)
According to this “Stop The Madness!” website – https://www.alcoholalert.com/stop-the-madness.html:
* There were 41,059 traffic fatalities in the U.S. in 2007. An estimated 12,998 of these fatalities (more than 31 percent) were drunken drivers.
* On average in our country, someone is killed by a drunken driver every 40 minutes.
This website, https://www.alcoholalert.com/deathclock.html, is called the “Death Clock.” It is keeping a running total of the number of people in the United States who have been killed in drunken-driving accidents so far this year.
Certainly, most every citizen has lost a loved one, a friend, a co-worker, or an acquaintance to drunken driving – or perhaps at least knows someone who has been either injured or involved in a DUI accident or arrest.
Kirby is no different.
“A very recent story in our local daily newspaper talked about Frank Blair and his wife, a couple who lost their daughter last year to a drunken driver,” said Kirby, a longtime friend of the victim’s father. “I’ve talked with the Blairs about their loss. I can’t imagine going through their sorrow. No one should ever have to experience that kind of grief.”