WRN file photo
Several Green Bay area lawmakers are rolling out a “Five Strikes and You’re Out” bill aimed at curbing repeat drunk driving in Wisconsin.
“This behavior will not be tolerated on Wisconsin’s roads,” said state Rep. Eric Genrich (D-Green Bay) during a press conference Tuesday. “For too long in this state, we have tolerated an environment where habitual drunk drivers are jeopardizing the safety of our communities. That ends today.”
Genrich and state Representative Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) are the main Assembly authors of the proposal that would revoke the driver’s license of a repeat offender after their 5th OWI, or 3rd OWI if they’ve been convicted of multiple serious offenses behind the wheel.
“Really the situation in Wisconsin has gotten far beyond what we can tolerate as a society,” Jacque said.
Both Assembly members were flanked at Tuesday’s press conference by Brown County Sheriff John Gossage and Brown County Circuit Court Judge Donald Zuidmulder, both of whom fully support this legislation.
“When you look at the fatalities that are involved, it is not a monetary value that’s impacted, it’s people’s lives,” said Gossage, adding that having a driver’s license is now a right, it’s a privilege.
“We can no longer tolerate these individuals having the right to operate an automobile, it has to end,” Zuidmulder said.
The bill allows for those who have their driver’s licenses revoked to re-apply for them after 10 years, but will only be granted it if they are not convicted of a crime and meets other criteria.
WTAQ