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MADD Tennessee opposes bill


Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Tennessee has announced its opposition to bills introduced by Rep. Frank Buck (HB0750) and Senator Charlotte Burks (SB0476).

The proposed legislation would eliminate the mandatory 48-hour jail time for first-time DUI offenders and instead have offenders pick up trash while wearing orange vests that read, “I’m a DRUNK DRIVER.” The legislation also leaves the time and place of punishment at the discretion of county sheriffs, which could leave the door of favoritism wide open. This is not the first time this legislation has been introduced or the first time MADD has opposed it.

“We fought for years to havedrunk driving treated as the serious and violent crime it is, and we will not accept any legislation that treats it differently now,” said MADD Tennessee vice chair, Becky Boone.

Boone’s daughter, Whitney, was killed in 1996 by a drunk driver.

In fact, drunk driving is the most frequently-committed violent crime in the United States. Alcohol-related traffic crashes took the lives of 17, 448 people in 2001. Another half million were injured.

Between 1980, when MADD was founded, and 1999, alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped by nearly 40 percent. However, in 2000, the numbers started to increase again, the result of a growing complacency among those who believe they have a handle on impaired driving.

“Drunk driving is a criminal choice that too often ends in violent death,” said Nancy Denning, state executive director for MADD Tennessee. “I’ve seen people wearing vests and signs as punishment when they shoplifted or wrote bad checks. These are not violent crimes. Shoplifting did not kill 537 Tennesseans last year. Impaired driving should never be treated as the equivalent of a bad check.”

MADD Tennessee believes the proposed legislation is an insult to the thousands of victims of impaired driving in Tennessee and to the many concerned citizens working to eradicate this senseless crime.

MADD Tennessee is calling on its members and concerned citizens to contact their representatives and senators to express opposition to this legislation.

“Obion Countians, please call, write, and e-mail House Representative Phillip Pinion, phone (615) 741-0718; 24 Legislative Plaza, Nashville Tenn, 37243-0177; rep.phillip.pinion@legislature.state.tn.us, and Weakley Countians contact House Representative Mark L. Maddox, phone (615) 741-7847; fax (615) 253-0283; 17 Legislative Plaza, Nashville Tenn. 37243-0176; rep.mark.maddox@legislature.state.tn.us,” urges Carol Mann, coordinator MADD Obion/Weakley.

“Also, concerned citizens in both counties should contact State Senator Roy Herron, phone (615) 741-4576; fax (615) 253-0161; 10A Legislative Plaza, Nashville Tenn. 37243-0024;sen.roy.herron@legislature.state.tn.us.”

“We’re all at risk,” says Mann whose son, Joe Michael, was killed in an alcohol-related traffic crash in 2001. “MADD is working to pass tougher impaired driving laws.

We need tougher laws-not watered-down punishments that confuse the issue,” said Boone. “Impaired driving kills.”

For more information visit the state Web site at www.maddtn.org or the national chapter’s site at www.madd.org.