People convicted of drunk driving charges will face stiffer penalties under a package of six bills approved yesterday by a legislative committee.
If approved by the full legislature, the increased penalties would include changing third- and fourth-offense drunk driving charges from misdemeanors to felonies and imposing a mandatory minimum 3-year sentence on a drunk driver who injures someone seriously. The increased penalties will lead to increased costs for both state courts and the prison system.
Sun Prairie Rep. Gary Hebl (D) tried and failed to add amendments to several of the bills that would track those costs and provide funding to cover them. “Who is responsible for that additional cost?”, he asked, “And if, in fact, we don't provide that, does that mean that our communities become less safe because our DAs are overworked, our public defenders are overworked to the point where they have to pick and choose which crimes they're going to prosecute?” Hebl's amendment was defeated on a party line vote.
Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Ott (R) argued the funding isn't needed now. “I don't know when it may get to the full Assembly floor. I don't know when the Senate will pass it. But I guarantee you that any additional costs are going to be down the road far enough. We're not putting immediate additional costs on the court or the the district attorneys. I think this is something they will be able to adjust to when and if the time comes.”
The bills have strong support from the victims of drunk driving accidents but have faced some opposition from the state attorney general who favors handling more drunk driving cases in treatment courts.
