MADD supports lowering of levels, but wishes it hadn’t been forced
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, November 22, 2000
L’Observateur / November 22, 2000
DEAR EDITOR: Recently, President Clinton signed into law a bill approved by Congress whichrequires that each state lower its legal threshold for drunk driving to .08percent blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). Louisiana, with a legal BAC of 1.0,will have until Oct. 1, 2003, to pass a .08 BAC law that would meet theprovisions of the existing federal incentive grant or face the withholding of 2percent $5.2 million) of our federal highway construction funds on Oct. 1,2004; 4 percent ($10.3 million) of our funds on Oct. 1, 2005; 6 percent($15.5 million) of our funds on Oct. 1, 2006; and 8 percent ($20.7 million) ofour funds on Oct 1, 2007, and every year hereafter, until we pass this life-saving legislation.
The federal mandate is a bittersweet victory for us at Mothers AgainstDrunk Driving (MADD), as we have tried unsuccessfully for nearly 10 years tolower Louisiana’s BAC level to .08. Sweet, because there is no doubt that ourlegislators eventually will comply with the mandate, thus saving 40-50 liveseach year in our state. With the amount of money that is at stake, theysimply can’t afford not to.
Bitter, because it will ultimately be the loss of money, not the loss ofinnocent lives, that causes our lawmakers to finally enact this life-savinglegislation.
Historically, Gov. Mike Foster has supported most of MADD’s legislation,which is designed to stop drunk driving, support victims of this violent crime,and prevent under-age drinking. However, on the issue of .08 BAC, Foster’ssupport has been noticeably and disappointingly absent, despite the fact thatthe Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, MADDand, indeed, his own DWI task force, strongly endorse it.
In response to the recent .08 federal mandate, Foster stated that hebelieves passing a .08 bill in Louisiana will be difficult because “Louisiana’sculture is against it.” I believe that in this case, Foster is dead wrong.
Louisiana’s culture is not defined by the liquor industry or by its legislature.
Louisiana’s culture is defined by its citizens, and Louisiana’s citizenswholeheartedly support .08.
In March 1998, a state-wide poll conducted by Southern Media & OpinionResearch revealed that 79 percent of Louisiana voters want their legislatorsto lower the state’s legal limit of intoxication to .08. Eighty-three percent ofvoters think that a person who has had up to three drinks on an emptystomach in one hour (the liquor industry’s definition of .08) is too drunk todrive. Seventy-seven percent of our citizens fear drunk drivers more thanyoung drivers or speeding drivers as the greatest threat to safety on thehighway and, when asked which group they trust most to represent to thelegislature their interests on highway safety issues, 83 percent of Louisianavoters trust Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
In March 2001, the Louisiana Legislature will once again have the opportunityto pass a .08 bill. Interestingly, until the federal mandate begins in 2003, thefederal incentive grant is still in effect. This means that, should ourlegislature pass .08 in March, Louisiana will receive up to $2.3 million on Oct.
1, 2001, then again on Oct. 1, 2002. Our legislators have the power to gain,in a two-year period, more than $4 million in incentive funds for Louisiana,while saving nearly 100 of its citizens’ lives. It is simply a matter of doingsomething sooner that they will be forced to do later.
On behalf of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and its 23,000 Louisianamembers and supporters, I call on Gov. Foster and our legislature to do theright thing by supporting .08 in 2001.
Catherine M. ChildersExecutive Director, Louisiana MADD
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