20 - CAPE , Friday, May 2 - May 8,
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Postive Growth Alliance gathers at Baycenter for first -ever gala
The Positive Growth lllmnee (PGA) entertained those interested in pro- 8posato, of Sposato Landscape and Irrigation.
rooting free enterprise and quality of life during, its First Annual Gala at the Food, drinks, a silent auction, and dancing kept (above right, l-r) Jim
Baycenter Friday, April 25. Pictured above are (l.r) Don Lockwood, of Lock. Bradley, of First Horizon Mortgage Corp, Tracey Shlbea, Nancy Glynn, and
wood Design and Construction; Todd Frichtman, of Enviro Tech4 end Tony Realtor Lou Chrlstaldi entertained at the event.
Bill introduced to lower blood alcohol level to .08
By Bridin Reynolds.Hughes
The Delaware House revived
efforts April 17 to enact a histori-
cally controversial law to more
strictly define the impairment of
individual drivers stopped for
drunken driving.
HB 1 1 1, which would lower the
presumptive level of intoxication
for driving from .10 to .08 blood
alcohol concentration (BAC),
now heads to the Senate.
Coercion by a cogent federal
law calling for a .08 standard as a
measuring stick for each state's el-
igibility to receive its full share of
federal highway funds gives the
bill its best chance of passage.
"Given our current economic
climate, we are not going to have
much alternative to passing it,"
said Sen. George Bunting Jr., D-
Bethany Beach. "I am not op-
posed to the law myself, but I do
have a problem with the federal
government essentially blackmail-
ing the states with the threat to
federal funds."
The law must be passed this ses-
sion to comply with the federal
mandate, passed in 2000, de-
signed to promote a national legal
limit of .08. States have until Oc-
tober 1, 2003, to pass a .08 BAC
law that would meet the provi-
sions of an existing federal incen-
tive grant or face the withholding
of two percent of their federal
highway construction funds, esti-
mated at $1.6 million next year
for Delaware. The penalty in-
creases by two percent for each
year. For example, a state without
.08 BAC law by October 2005,
will lose six percent of their feder-
al highway construction funds. If
a state passes .08 BAC by 2007,
they get the money back. If any
state goes beyond 2007, the eight
percent sanction stays every year.
"As badly as I need highway
funds down here, I'll be voting for
it. Not implementing it could cost
us up to $49 million in the future,"
said Bunting. The Senate is likely
to take that vote soon after re, con-
vening from a two week spring •
break Tuesday, May 6. The pre-
dicted swift action is a stark
change from past years when the
House has sent the Senate similar
legislation. Former Senate Pro
Tern Tom Sharp, D-Pinecrest, was
often unapologetic about keeping
the bill buried in committee.
Although current Senate Pro
Tom Thurman Adams Jr., D-
Bridgeville, has not yet assigned
the bill to a committee, he is not
expected to hold it up. "There are
a lot of people who have strong
feelings for this and against this,
so there will be a good debate,"
said Adams. In the debate, critics
of the law include hospitality and
tourism groups who maintain that
there is little statistical evidence
to prove that lowering the BAC
levels to .08 saves lives. They be-
lieve there are more effective
ways to address the problem, such
as steeper penalties for repeat
drunk-driving offenders, to/agher
enforcement, license revocation
and zero tolerance for minors.
Some legislators agree, saying the
lower limit will create an "unde-
serving class of new criminals."
"If they stuck to .08 all the time it
would be OK. But sometimes
they pull people over for .05/'
said Adams.
On the other side, the bill has
the backing of the Delaware State
Police and advocacy groups such
as Mothers Against Drunk Dri-
ving. Both offer reports by The
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration that .08 BAC laws
were associated with significant
reductions in alcohol-related fa-
talities 'Who public has grown
complacent on drunk driving is-
sues and the legislators think the
problem has gotten better, but
• drunk driving still happens," said
Terry Rogers, president of MADD
Delaware. MADD's expectation
is that the publicity surrounding
.08 BAC legislation serves to re-
mind the public about the dangers
of drinking and driving and may
catalyze the enforcement, judicial,
and licensing communities to re-
focus its efforts on DUI enforce-
ment. Delaware Congressman
Michael Castle, a long-time pro-
ponent of lowering the DUI na-
tional standard from .10 to .08,
has also supported their lobbying
efforts and does not believe the
federal government is engaging in
blacknmil.
Bruce Uliss and
Steve Malcom
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