Published: 01.27.2004
By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
PHOENIX - Hoping that embarrassment works where jail does not, a House panel
voted unanimously Monday to set aside money to pay newspapers to run the names
of drunken drivers.
The provision is part of broader legislation to re-establish and revamp a special
council that divides up money that comes in from a $250 surcharge on all drunken-driving
convictions.
HB 2184 spells out who is on the 12-member council. It also requires that 70
percent of the $1.4 million a year it gets goes to grants to local and tribal
law enforcement agencies, with 20 percent for innovative programs designed to
reduce drunken driving.
The final 10 percent is for administrative purposes - including, if the council
wants, money to buy advertising space in newspapers around the state to list
who has been convicted of driving drunk and their blood-alcohol content.
State lawmakers in the last few years have tightened up drunken-driving laws
in several ways, both in reducing the amount of alcohol motorists can have in
their systems and increasing the penalty for those convicted.
Rep. Linda Gray, R-Glendale, who introduced the legislation, said she thinks
publication of the names may provide some deterrent to people driving drunk.
The idea drew the endorsement of Gary Johnson, a Mesa firefighter whose 41-year-old
wife, Robin, was killed nearly two years ago by a drunken driver.
"The last thing responsible people with responsible jobs are going to want
is to have their names printed in the paper with their blood-alcohol content,"
he said.
Proponents said that an informal survey of those convicted of DUI, done by Mothers
Against Drunk Driving, shows that 50 percent of those who responded said they
would not have gotten behind the wheel if they knew their names would wind up
in the paper. The bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.