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A6 U.S. NEWS
Monday 14 January 2019

Criminalizing 1st-time DUIs is a tough sell in Wisconsin

By TODD RICHMOND offenders so they don't of-
Associated Press fend again or don't offend
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — With the first time," Evers said.
a new Democratic ally "Whether that's making it a
in the governor's office, felony or not, I'm not sure."
a handful of Republican The next day, Ott and
lawmakers are pushing for Darling reintroduced their
Wisconsin to join the rest of measure to make a first of-
the country and criminalize fense a misdemeanor. They
first-offense drunken driv- tweaked it so offenders
ing. could seek expungement
On paper it might look like if they avoid a second of-
a can't-miss bipartisan ini- fense for five years.
tiative, but it's not that easy Even with Evers in their cor-
in a state where beer is so ner, the measure appears
much a part of the cul- doomed.
ture that the major league "It would take legislative
baseball team is called the leadership to change their
Brewers. Powerful Repub- mindset on criminalizing
lican opponents are al- first offense," said Frank
ready lining up against the Harris, MADD's director of
idea, calling it impractical state government affairs.
and too expensive. "It depends on if the tavern
"We want to feel like we're league would allow them
really being strict on drunk to do it."
drivers," said Republican Scott Stenger, the league's
state Sen. Van Wang- chief lobbyist, didn't return
gaard, chairman of the messages. Wanggaard,
Senate judiciary commit- In this Jan. 7, 2019 file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers addresses the audience after Evers was chairman of the Senate ju-
tee and an opponent of sworn in during the inauguration ceremony at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. diciary committee, called
criminalizing first offense. Associated Press the bill a non-starter. Crimi-
"But it's not about punish- nalizing a first offense would
ing that person that made Along with all the drink- ing their DUI limit — Utah just ingly passed their 2013 saddle people with a crimi-
that poor choice. It's about ing has come carnage on set its threshold at a nation- proposal to make a first nal record that could af-
directing them to make the roads. The state ranks low of 0.05 percent blood offense a misdemeanor, fect their job prospects for
good choices." 20th in population but has alcohol content — Wiscon- but the Senate did nothing five years, he said.
Wisconsin's love affair with landed among the top 15 sin remains the only state in with it. The powerful Tavern "Do we want to destroy
booze dates to statehood. states for drunken-driving the nation that treats a first League of Wisconsin was people's lives with a nota-
Milwaukee has served arrests every year from offense as a civil violation officially neutral on the bill, tion on their record that's
as home to some of the 2005 through 2017, ac- akin to a speeding ticket but state agencies estimat- going to keep their oppor-
country's biggest brewers, cording to the latest statis- rather than a crime. ed it would cost more than tunities down to nothing
including Pabst, Schlitz, tics compiled by Mothers For years, Republican state $5 million to hire enough because they made one
Miller and Blatz. The Princ- Against Drunk Drivers. From Rep. Jim Ott and Sen. Al- prosecutors and public de- mistake?" Wanggaard, a
eton Review in 2017 rated 2005 through 2009 the state berta Darling have been fenders to handle the influx former police officer, said.
the University of Wisconsin- ranked in the top 10 for DUI proposing legislation aimed of new court cases. Ott acknowledged that
Madison as the school with arrests. at drunken driving. Ott has Enter newly elected Dem- the bill's prospects look dim.
the most beer. And last In 2015 alone, nearly 200 been on a decadelong ocratic Gov. Tony Evers. "We've got to try," he said.
year the U.S. Centers for people were killed and quest after a drunken driv- He made waves during his "We just keeping seeing
Disease Control released an additional 2,900 were er killed constituent Judy campaign when he said these terrible situations (on
a survey in which one in injured in alcohol-related Jenkins' pregnant daugh- he's open to criminalizing the roads).
four Wisconsin respondents crashes in the state, ac- ter and 10-year-old grand- first offenses. He repeated This just keeps going on. All
reported binge-drinking cording to the latest state daughter in 2008. Ott prom- it days before his inaugura- we can do is put the leg-
at least once in the past Department of Transporta- ised her he would do ev- tion. islation out there and do
month, the second-highest tion data. erything he could to crack "We have to find ways the best we can to get it
rate among the states be- At a time when some states down on drunken driving. to make that first offense passed. It at least opens up
hind only North Dakota. have talked about lower- The Assembly overwhelm- more meaningful to the the discussion."q