A bipartisan coalition of California lawmakers has introduced what they’re calling the state’s most significant anti-drunk driving legislative package in over two decades, aiming to address a crisis that has seen DUI-related deaths spike by more than 50% over the past decade.
The unprecedented package of 10 bills was unveiled Thursday at a Capitol press conference where lawmakers stood alongside grieving families, law enforcement officials, and advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
“This crisis is an urgent call to action,” said Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat from Irvine, who described the effort as “California’s largest and most significant anti-drunk driving and anti-DUI push in over two decades,” according to CalMatters.
The legislative package aims to strengthen California’s permissive roadway safety laws by addressing several key issues, including making vehicular manslaughter a violent felony, increasing penalties for repeat DUI offenders, and mandating in-car breathalyzers for all DUI offenders.
Rhonda Campbell, victim services manager for MADD California, shared her personal tragedy at the press conference. Her 12-year-old sister was killed by a repeat drunk driver in 1981, leaving a void that has never been filled.
“For our family, 45 years means 45 years of missed birthdays, missed holidays and that empty chair at our table for every holiday gathering. Grief does not fade, it just becomes part of who you are,” Campbell said.
California currently has some of the weakest DUI laws in the country. It takes four DUIs within 10 years to be charged with a felony in California, while many other states allow felony charges after just two or three offenses. The state also has shorter license revocation periods for repeat offenders compared to other states.
One key proposal would require ignition interlock devices (in-car breathalyzers) for all DUI offenders, not just repeat offenders or those whose DUIs result in injury, as current law requires. MADD has been advocating for this change, noting that President Biden’s federal infrastructure bill includes language requiring anti-drunk driving technology in all new cars as soon as 2026.
Another significant bill would add vehicular manslaughter with “gross negligence” to California’s list of violent felonies, ensuring offenders serve more of their sentences. Currently, vehicular manslaughter isn’t considered a violent crime, allowing drivers who kill to serve only a fraction of their sentences.
Anatoly Varfolomeev, whose 19-year-old daughter and her childhood friend were killed by a drunk driver going over 100 mph, held up a picture of the mangled, charred remains of the car and asked, “If this is not a violent crime, what is?”
The legislative package faces potential challenges, including financial concerns and resistance in a legislature focused on criminal justice reforms. A similar measure requiring breathalyzers for all DUI offenders was gutted late in the legislative process last year after the DMV said it lacked the technology and funding to implement the changes.
California has already taken some steps to improve road safety. Recent laws have extended the probation period for DUI-related vehicular manslaughter from two years to three to five years and expanded the state’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law to require drivers to slow down or move over for any vehicle stopped on the roadside.
Lawmakers have about a week before the deadline to introduce new legislation for the session, with several more bills expected to be added to the package.
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