A crumpled Mustang tells the MADD story

Posted 1/18/01

A crumpled Mustang tells the MADD story

By T.W. Budig
ECM capitol reporter

With a crumpled Mustang at the foot of the Capitol steps ñ a car whose drunk driver was involved in a crash claiming the life of a teenage girl ñ members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) presented their Minnesota 2001 legislative agenda Jan. 8.

MADD-Minnesota supports legislation lowering the stateís blood alcohol standard to .08, legislation pertaining to DWI felony convictions for repeat offenders, and legislation aimed at identifying purchasers of kegs of beer.

Millie Webb, MADD National President, provided powerful testimony to how drunk driving changed her life. She recounted what happened after a driver with a .08 blood alcohol level struck their family vehicle from behind, speaking at Capitol press conference.

Webbís four and a half old daughter Lori along with her 19-month old nephew died from injuries sustained in the crash. Webb, seven-month pregnant, suffered a broken neck and burns on nearly 75 percent of her body.

Kara, the child Webb carried, was born premature and legally blind as the result of the crash.

One of the hardest things for her is knowing that her daughter Lori, burned over 75 percent of her body, lingered for two weeks without the comfort and care of her severely injured parents, said Webb.

ìI urge the Minnesota Legislature swift passage of the .08 law,î said Webb, whom helped form the first MADD chapter in Tennessee in 1982.
ìWe canít help what happened to us but we want to do as much as we can to prevent this from happening to someone else,î said Webb.
Lawmakers spoke in support of the MADD-Minnesota agenda.

Sen. Leo Foley, DFL, Coon Rapids, a leading advocate .08 legislation, spoke of the need for such law ñ he has carried the legislation in the past.

Foley believes not enough is being done to ensure that young DWI offenders do not become repeat offenders, he said.

Another stalwart supporter of .08 legislation, Rep. Matt Entenza, DFL, St. Paul, said ìthe blood will be on the hands of the Legislature if we fail to act this year.î

Sen. David Knutson, R, Burnsville, likewise offered his support.

ìNo one should be operating a motor vehicle with a (blood alcohol) level of .08 or more,î he said.

House Health and Human Service Finance chairman Rep. Kevin Goodno, R, Moorhead, said he believes .08 legislation will have ìan uphill battleî in the House.

But if the bill reaches the House floor, it will pass, said Goodno. What he is asking for is a fair committee process for the legislation, he said.

Some lawmakers see the recent passage of federal .08 legislation, legislation states must adopt or risk losing federal transportation dollars, as an infringement of statesí rights.

President Clinton signed the legislation into law last October.

According to MADD, Minnesota has already lost about $7 million in federal transportation incentive funding over the past two years because the state has not enacted .08 legislation.

Besides pushing for DWI felony convictions, MADD is also lobbying for keg registration.
Designed to lower alcohol consumption of underage drinkers, the keg registration legislation would have retailers recording keg purchasersí name, address, date of birth, and driver license number along with the identification number of the keg being sold.
Some 80 percent of this bookkeeping is already being done, argue proponents.

A goal of the legislation is to better hold adults accountable if they purchase keg of beers and supply it minors.

Some 13 states already have enacted keg registration, according to MADD. Minnesota and three other states are currently considering such legislation.

Massachusetts, which has keg registration, reports a 32 percent decrease in drunk driving and an 18 percent decrease in fatal crashes since keg registration was adopted, according to MADD.

Rep. Connie Bernardy, DFL, Fridley, co-author of keg registration legislation, said she thinks getting the bill passed will be tough. A strong lobby will fight the legislation. And some lawmakers may put the lobbyís concerns before those of children, she said.

Sen. Twyla Ring, DFL, North Branch, said having lost a son in a highway accident she can appreciate the feelings of families whoíve lost family members to drunk drivers. Sheís completely in favor of lowering the stateís blood alcohol standard to .08, said Ring.
In Minnesota in 1999, there were some 47,000 drunk driving arrest, according to MADD.

Eighty percent of those arrested were male.
Some 626 people died on Minnesota highways in 1999. About a third of these deaths were in alcohol-related crashes, according to MADD.