The Wisconsin state Assembly voted unanimously Thursday to pass a drunken driving reform bill that increases penalties for those who drive under the influence.
The bill will make a fourth drunken driving offense a felony and includes provisions that direct state funding to the Department of Corrections to prevent driving while intoxicated.
State Rep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis, the author of the bill, commended the Assembly for working together to get the bill passed.
""Too many lives have ended tragically or been forever changed by drunk drivers in Wisconsin, and it's clear that we must all take a stand to curb this problem,"" he said in a statement. ""Today, Assembly members from both sides of the aisle have taken important steps to make our roads safer for all Wisconsinites.""
Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, D-Janesville, said bipartisan support sends a ""strong message"" that Wisconsin is against drunken driving.
""We are getting tough on repeat drunk drivers and we are addressing the root problem, Wisconsin's dangerous drinking culture,"" Sheridan said in a statement.
A first offense will remain a traffic violation except in cases when a person under the age of 16 is in the car.
The bill was one of the main items Assembly Democrats outlined last week in their fall session agenda.
The bill now moves to the state Senate and is expected to pass in the next few weeks.
