COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio lawmakers are looking to toughen the state’s laws on drunk drivers, adding more punishment for first-time offenders.
House Bill 78 was presented before the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee Wednesday morning.
NBC 4's Marcus Thorpe reported with the FAST FACTS.
HB 78 got a serious look and caused a heated debate.
The proposed legislation would require a first-time OVI offender to have an ignition-interlock device installed in the offender’s vehicle.
Basically, the device is a type of breathalyzer that won’t allow a vehicle start if the person behind the wheel is intoxicated.
HB 78 is receiving full support from Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD.
In fact, the group’s national president came to Columbus to testify in favor of the bill.
MADD claims the use of these devices have the potential to save more than 4,000 U.S. lives annually from repeat drunk drivers.
The American Beverage Institute (ABI) is opposed to HB 78 and sent a representative to testify against the change.
It argues the bill denies judicial discretion and unfairly categorizes first-time offenders, who might have been barely over the legal limit, with repeat offenders and those with higher blood-alcohol content.
Laura Dean-Mooney lost her husband to a drunk-driving accident in 1991.
She testified before a state criminal justice committee that the motivation of the ABI is financially motivated, saying profits are winning out over safety.
"We'll push for reduced punishment for just a sip over the legal limit when coroners start classifying dead people as barely dead for drunk-driving crashes," Dean-Mooney said.
ABI representatives said the group is not opposed to the interlock devices, only the way the bill is written.
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