The father of a Schofield girl killed by a drunken driver wants to see even tougher laws.
Steve Meinel says the law passed Wednesday doesn’t go far enough and is disappointed that lawmakers haven’t done more to address the problem.
The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would make fourth offense drunk driving a felony, increases penalties for first time offenders, and expands treatment programs.
One change Meinel says he’d like to see made is legalizing sobriety checkpoints to provide some social fear for offenders. He also wants to see first time offenders punished substantially, in order to change their behavior in the future.
Meinel’s 14-year-old daughter Lacey was killed by a wrong-way drunk driver last January. Her classmates have drafted a petition for lawmakers to pass “Lacey’s Law.” The measure would require a 30-day jail sentence for first-time offenders, a six-month sentence for second offenders and harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
AUDIO: Matt Lehman reports (:40)
