The passage of a law that puts teeth into the driving-while-intoxicated law for repeat offenders is the kind of legislation that makes sense.

Friday, May 04, 2001

The passage of a law that puts teeth into the driving-while-intoxicated law for repeat offenders is the kind of legislation that makes sense.

Under the proposed law, four or more DWI convictions in a decade is a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, with at least a three-year prison sentence.

While some may argue that the bill may increase prison costs, the fact is while one DWI may be construed as a mistake, more than one shows signs of a problem. Those with more than three DWIs within 10 years are engaging in criminal behavior, and are in many ways just as dangerous to society as those who steal, do drugs or even commit violent crimes. It is a proven fact that one year in jail, fines, and removal of driving privileges simply are not enough to prevent chronic DWI offenders from getting back on the road.

There have been far too many examples of this in Minnesota. Danny Bettcher, a Fergus Falls man who was convicted of his 22nd DWI last year. Tiffany Reynolds, who was over the legal DWI limit – and had been convicted of gross misdemeanor DWI only a year earlier – when she was in a fatal accident that killed former state Trooper Fred Peterson last summer.

It appears the Legislature will not take action on a bill to reduce the legal drinking limit from .10 to .08. The fact is, local law enforcement officials had questioned how effectively they could have enforced a lower standard anyway.

If the Senate and Gov. Jesse Ventura sign on to the House bill and ensure that those who have proven to be a danger to society by failing to avoid drinking and driving are thrown in prison, there is no doubt they have saved future lives.