Bills targeting drunk driving in Wisconsin will get a hearing at the Capitol on Thursday. All are from state Representative Jim Ott, a Mequon Republican.
One of the bills the lawmaker is offering sets a minimum five year sentence for drunk driving homicides. There is currently no minimum sentence for drunk driving homicides. A second bill would raise the minimum incarceration period for fifth and sixth offenses from six months to 18 months. The third would prohibit all offenders from driving any vehicle without an ignition interlock device.
In 2015, the most recent year for which numbers have been compiled, there were 190 alcohol-related fatalities in Wisconsin, and nearly 2900 injuries. The hearing before the Assembly Criminal Justice Committee is at 10:00.
UPDATE: Due to a calendar error, the original version of this story listed the date of the hearing as Tuesday.