Legislators fight drunken driving

State Sen. Tom Wyss, R-Fort Wayne, said he would like to see Indiana's standard for drunken driving lowered.\nHe's filed legislation 10 of the past 11 sessions to affect that change. For the first time, that legislation has gotten its feet off the ground.\nIt's been passed for floor consideration in both House and Senate committees. The House Public Policy Committee passed it 10-3 Tuesday, its Senate counterpart 7-3 Wednesday. \n"This is a measure that Indiana should have passed long ago," Wyss said. "It would be nice to see Indiana become a leader in this effort that will nationally save hundreds of lives and thousands of injuries every year. It's time we lead instead of follow."\nHe said the bill has more momentum this year. \nCongress passed a law last year that denies states federal highway money if they fail to lower the legal blood-alcohol limit to .08 from .10. \nDespite his earlier perseverance, Wyss said the legislation has only reached the floor once before, in 1990, when it died in the House.\nThe District of Columbia and 19 states have already adopted the .08 standard. \n"While many of us resent the federal government dictating to us what we should do, this particular instance serves a very good cause: reducing the numbers of fatal crashes and other risks posed by drunken drivers," said state Rep. Peggy Welch, D-Bloomington, who endorsed the House legislation. "By holding drivers to greater accountability when they drink and drive, we can make great strides forward in keeping our roads safe." \nBoth bills were modified so that county prosecutors can only pursue drunk driving charges under certain conditions.\nIn the House version, a judge can deter prosecution of a first-time offender with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or .09 so long as the person isn't responsible for death or property damage. The offender would also have to go through an alcohol counseling course and a probationary period. \nWelch, who voted for the amendment, said she's willing to make such compromises so long as the bill gets through.\n"The change embodied in this legislation is just one part of an overall state policy aimed at reducing the numbers of people who drink and drive," she said. "In other states that have enacted a blood alcohol content percentage at .08, there has been a demonstrated impact in advising people that there is a point where they will be arrested if they have too many drinks and get behind the wheel of a car."\nWhile Welch and Wyss said they believe it will cut back on drunk driving, others say it will only harm social drinkers. Restaurant and tavern interests strongly oppose the measure.\nJohn Livengood, a spokesman for the Restaurant and Hospitality Association, said bars in states with an .08 level have seen sales drop off 10 to 20 percent.\n"We think it hurts us economically for no good reason," Livengood said. "It's not going to save any lives. It's a feel-good bill"