Chicago DUI attorney thinks the Gentleman from Kansas has got it right on penalties for DUI

Chicago DUI attorney has posted here and here on legislation in Illinois.  Boy is she surprised to see any state legislator push back against MADD in drafting DUI legislation.

May 10, Topeka, KS

 The Kansas House signed off on a bill that lays out new penalties for driving under the influence but falls short of imposing new restrictions on first-time offenders.

Supporters said Senate Bill 368 was the best they could do with the Senate unwilling to take a tougher stance until the Kansas DUI Commission finalizes recommendations for the 2011 Legislature.

Under the latest version of the bill approved by the House on a 107-11 vote, people convicted of a second DUI would face a one-year suspension of driving privileges. However, after 45 days, they could resume driving to a restricted number of places — school, work and treatment — if they had an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle. They would then face a second year of being restricted to driving only with the interlock device.

 Rep. Bob Grant, one of three House members known to have been cited for a DUI, spoke against tougher restrictions on first-time DUI convictions. In the early 1990s, Grant was ticketed for a DUI after a one-car crash in southeast Kansas.

"I'm telling you, it costs you enough when you get the first one," he said.

Currently, an initial DUI conviction comes with a 330-day restriction limiting offenders to trips to work, school and treatment or the option of installing an ignition interlock, which prevents a car from starting if the driver's blood-alcohol level is half the legal limit of 0.08 percent. It costs about $70 to install the interlock device and $75 a month in fees.

 For once, a legislator uses his personal experience with a DUI to address his colleagues and constituents on the real costs of a DUI.