By Sara Quam
Tougher DWI laws could start this year and Rock County is bracing itself for the effects.
Local members of law enforcement, alcohol servers, prosecutors and, of course, drinkers are following developments for a lowered blood-alcohol limit.
A proposal to set the legal standard for drunken driving passed the Senate Crime Prevention Committee last week and now goes to the Senate Finance Committee. A similar measure is being considered by the house.
Under the bill, drivers with blood-alcohol content of .08 and higher would be charged with drunken driving.
Currently, Minnesota’s standard is .10. The new level would mean drivers should have 2 percent less blood-alcohol content than is allowed now and be considered drunk.
Last year, Rock County filed 32 misdemeanors and 16 gross misdemeanors for DWIs. That’s compared with Pipestone County’s 35 misdemeanors and 29 gross misdemeanors. Murray County had 40 misdemeanors and 21 gross misdemeanors filed.
Many of Rock County’s offenders ended up serving time in Nobles County Jail as a part of their sentences or as part of subsequent driving under suspension violations.
Of all crimes committed in the county, DWIs make up most of those who serve jail time.
Bottoms up
The beverage industry has come down on the proposed new law and local establishments seem to agree.
Amy Dispanet VerSteeg, Magnolia Steakhouse manager, said, "It doesn’t combat the problem drinkers. The ones it scares off are the social drinkers."
Dispanet fears that more people will drink at home or feel less easy about drinking with their meals. Having a full steakhouse menu helps her business, but others that rely mostly on beverage serving may be hit harder with a lower limit.
Kathy Johnson of KJ's Korner Bar, Hardwick, said, "It's a big concern for us and we know it's coming."
Johnson said she’s nervous that many of her rural customers will stay home rather than drive into town for a few drinks. "It's not fair to me and it's not fair to them," she said.
"There's a lot of people who can have a couple drinks and could be at .08 and still drive home," Johnson said.
Last call
Johnson said the federal law is in effect forcing Minnesota to change its standard.
"It's either we do it or lose our roads," Johnson said.
Time is a factor in the law. Even if Minnesota doesn’t pass the new .08 standard this year, it must do so by 2004.
In October, the national threshold for drunk driving was set at .08. States that don't adopt the standard by 2004 will lose a portion of their annual federal highway funding.
Minnesota could lose more than $6 million if it doesn't make the 2004 deadline and more than $25 million if the standard still isn’t met by the year 2007.
Rock County's portion of the state money wouldn't amount to much, but law makers are expected to look at the state's needs overall when considering the lost revenue.