The Tennessee General Assembly is targeting alcohol related crimes with their newest bills. Sponsored by Representative Gant and Senator Rose, bill HB 0190/SB 0457 present a lowering of alcohol concentration minimum to classify for violent crimes.
Aggravated vehicular assault or aggravated vehicular homicide require that the person has two or more prior convictions for driving under the influence before committing the assault or homicide, or if they have one more prior offense of non-aggravated vehicular assault or homicide.
The bill presented lowers the alcohol concentration minimum from 20% to 15% to be classified as aggravated vehicular assault or aggravated vehicular homicide. This will make it easier to convict someone that was driving under the influence as a repeat offender or as someone that has endangered lives.
White County Sheriff Steve Page believes this law will better safeguard the average Tennessean.
“It’s a good thing,” Page said. “I think anybody driving under influence ought to face those consequences. Sad part is, it won’t slow much down with people doing it, but it’s still a good thing to make sure they can be punished.”
Sheriff Page commented further on the nature of drunk driving, and how it has been a very regular problem across the nation for many years, not just Tennessee. He believes the law is good, and it needs to pass. However, he is also hoping for more to be done in the future to try and prevent and dissuade drunk driving before it happens.
“You see it all the time when somebody goes and drinks and drinks and drinks, then gets into their car,” Page said. “It’s often the innocent, sober one that dies in those wrecks, too. You never want to see an innocent die because of somebody’s negligence.”
The bill has passed in the Senate with a unanimous vote. Meanwhile, for the House, the bill is still being reviewed and placed through committees before being voted upon.
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