Wisconsin could become the last state to criminalize drunk driving.
State Rep. Jon Richards, D-Milwaukee, introduced a bill Monday that would criminalize first-offense drunken driving. Currently, a first-offense is treated equally to a traffic violation.
Under the bill, first-time drunken driving offenders would be fined up to $300 or receive 5 days in jail, according to a statement. Richards said a majority of drunken driving accidents involve drivers who have previous convictions. The increased penalty would cover the cost of enforcing the new law, according to the statement.
Richards has supported multiple bills to improve public safety, all of which tighten intoxication laws, according to the statement. The attorney general candidate said this bill is one of several that needs to pass the state Legislature in order for Wisconsin to “get serious about drunken driving.”
“First offenders are no less dangerous than repeat offenders,” Richards said.
Richards is running in the 2014 attorney general election.
