SPRINGFIELD –– Governor George Ryan today signed Secretary of State Jesse White's legislation increasing penalties for repeat DUI offenders, people driving at twice the legal limit and people who drive drunk with a child in the vehicle.
Last week, Ryan signed a companion bill initiated by White that makes jail sentences mandatory for people who habitually drive on suspended and revoked licenses. More than 73,000 people were arrested for driving on suspended and revoked licenses in 1999.
"I want to thank Governor Ryan for signing this bill and commend him for his strong support of laws that remove drunk drivers from our roads," said White. "This is the most comprehensive law passed to combat drunk driving since Governor Ryan spearheaded the move to .08.
"This law will help rid our highways of the most dangerous and irresponsible drivers - people who get behind the wheel at double the legal limit, drive drunk with a child in the car, or continue to drive after their license has been suspended or revoked."
House Bill 2265, signed into law today, increases penalties for anyone caught driving at double the legal limit (.16 Blood Alcohol Content and higher) or driving drunk with a child in the vehicle. The new law sets escalating penalties that include mandatory jail time for repeat offenders and it requires all repeat DUI offenders to have Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices (BAIIDs), which stop drunk drivers from starting a vehicle, installed in their cars.
House Bill 2266, signed last week, targets people who ignore the law and continue to drive after their license has been suspended or revoked. Under the measure, those caught driving repeatedly on suspended and revoked licenses would face jail time. The law also allows judges to order the driver's vehicle immobilized by removing the license plates or installing a boot on the vehicle.
"These are two well thought-out and extremely comprehensive laws aimed at drastically reducing the carnage caused by the hard-core segment of the drunk driving population," said Brad Fralick, Executive Director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) of Illinois. "We believe these laws will have an impact upon alcohol-related traffic fatalities greater than any initiatives that have preceded them."
Both measures were approved in the House and Senate with bipartisan support and have received the backing of an unprecedented coalition of anti-drunk driving advocacy groups, law enforcement officials and the beverage alcohol industry.
Sixty-seven members of the General Assembly sponsored House Bill 2265 including the lead sponsors, State Rep. Jim Brosnahan (D-Evergreen Park) and State Senator Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete). Sixty-two members sponsored House Bill 2266 including the lead sponsors, State Rep. Mary K. O'Brien (D-Coal City) and State Senator Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete).
Proponents of White's plan included Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists (AAIM), the Illinois Sheriffs' Association, the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, the Illinois State Bar Association, Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine, Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard, Chicago Fire Commissioner James Joyce, the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependency Association, the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, the Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois, the Illinois Restaurant Association, Anheuser-Busch Brewing, Miller Brewing, Romano Brothers and United Distillers and Vintners.
