Apr
15th
Thu
15th
Looming Election Doesn’t Stop Lawmakers From Proposing Bills For Next Session
Check out this post: http://capitolannex.com/2010/04/15/looming-election-doesnt-stop-lawmakers-from-proposing-bills-for-next-session/) Never mind that the November election—some months off—still standing in between now and the first session of the 82nd Texas Legislature, because it isn’t stopping lawmakers from grabbing headlines with new bills they want to introduce. Case in point: State Sen. Jane Nelson, who this week proposed a “two strikes law” for DWI offenders that would result in a second-time DWI offender loosing their driver’s license:
Prompted by the Easter weekend crash in Lewisville that killed an Argyle mother and daughter, a state senator says she will propose legislation that would permanently revoke someone’s driver’s license for a second DWI conviction. State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said Wednesday that she intends to pursue the legislation in the 2011 session. John Patrick Barton was on parole for his third DWI when, police said, he drank again and crashed into the back of a car on Interstate 35E in Lewisville, killing Kandace Hull, 33, and her daughter, Autumn Caudle, 13. Statewide, 78,395 people have three or more DWI convictions, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. “We must stop these serial DWI offenders whose illegal behavior is devastating our communities with the needless loss of precious lives,” Nelson said in a news release. “I intend to pursue a ‘two-strikes-and-you’re-out’ law that will ensure anyone who is convicted of a second DWI offense will lose their driver’s license forever.”Even though it will be months before Nelson can file (or even pre-file) her bill, there is some advantage to being the first out of the gate with a catchy, warm-fuzzy bill like this. Among other things, you have a chance to rally supporters to your cause and make yourself look good in the process. Taking a step back from that however, this begs the question: is this good public policy? It may be good public policy, but the fact is it really won’t make much of a difference. If penalties aren’t stopping people from driving drunk more than once, loosing their license won’t stop them from driving sober or drunk. Clearly, based on the number of 3-time offenders listed in the story, a second conviction didn’t stop many of them.
