03-05-2025
Minnesota House of Representatives passes a new bipartisan drunk driving bill in a 123 to 5 vote
Minnesota can expect tuition hikes as state budget looks bleak, and more news headlines
Minnesota can expect tuition hikes as state budget looks bleak, and more news headlines
Minnesota can expect tuition hikes as state budget looks bleak, and more news headlines
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill to reform the state's DWI polices on Thursday, following a tragic drunk driving accident at a St. Louis Park restaurant last September.
During a late summer evening at the Park Tavern, a man plowed through the restaurant patio, killing two people and injuring nine others.
At the time of the accident, the driver had a lengthy record of five prior DWI convictions.
The new bill proposes changes that will strengthen state laws that are currently in place, including lengthening the amount of time repeat offenders are required to use an ignition interlock device.
Under current law, if a person has three DWIs in a decade's time, they are required to use an interlock device for four years. The new proposed changes increase it to 10 years if an individual has three or more convictions in their lifetime.
Prior to the crash at Park Tavern, the driver had an interlock in his vehicle from 2015 to 2020 following his most recent conviction, records show. Advocates of the new bill say that had these changes been in effect at the time, the man would have still had the device in his vehicle until 2025.
The author of the bill, Rep. Larry Kraft, pointed to data from the Center for Disease and Prevention Control that shows having an interlock device reduces repeat offenses by 70% while they are installed.
"Since the tragedy which impacted our community last year, it has been a top priority of mine to try and stop people who have a recurring problem with drinking and driving from killing or injuring Minnesotans," said Kraft. "This bipartisan legislation is focused on improving public safety and is a critical step toward prevention and safer roads for everyone."
The bill was passed on May 2 by a vote of 123 to 5 and has been sent to Senate.
