Sacramento – After witnessing the devastation caused by drunk drivers firsthand, former CHP Sergeant Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) is partnering with Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) and Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) to protect victims, and hold repeat DUI offenders accountable.
“As a CHP officer, I have stood on the side of the road with families who have just lost loved ones to drunk drivers. Those scenes will never leave me,” Assemblyman Lackey said. “When you have seen what I have seen, you understand that one weak law can cost a life. We owe it to the victims to do better.”
“After losing my eldest grandchild Samantha to a drunk driver, this fight is deeply personal to me,” said Senator Archuleta. “It is clear to me from my time with the Montebello Police Department that these are completely preventable tragedies. California must finally step up and make real change. This isn’t a partisan issue. We owe it to every family to prevent these heartbreaking losses and save lives.”
Despite the devastating and permanent consequences of drunk driving, California’s laws fail to protect the public from repeat offenders and those who kill while driving intoxicated. Victims and survivors are ignored by a system that fails to address the magnitude of their loss.
Assemblyman Lackey, Senator Archuleta, and Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris have each introduced their own bills targeting impaired driving, working together on a coordinated package to protect California drivers and hold repeat offenders accountable.
- AB 1685: increases the points assessment for a conviction of vehicular manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated from two points to three, bringing repeat offenders closer to license suspension or revocation
- AB 1686: will allow for a felony or misdemeanor charge for a second offense of a DUI within 10 years
- AB 1687: changes the timeframe for how long the Department of Motor Vehicles can revoke a person’s license after they have been convicted of their third DUI from three years to eight years
“This legislation isn’t about retribution,” Lackey said. “It’s about saving lives. Every DUI death is preventable, and we owe it to families to stop repeat offenders before anyone else suffers this unimaginable loss.”