DENVER – After years of failed attempts, on Wednesday Colorado lawmakers finally passed a measure that would create a felony crime for repeat drunken-driving offenders.
The bill passed on the last day of the legislative session with widespread support. The Senate backed the bill by a vote of 34-1, with only Sen. Owen Hill, R-Colorado Springs, opposing the bill. It now heads to the governor for his signature.
House Bill 1043 would allow for a felony charge in DUI cases on a fourth offense over a lifetime. Gov. John Hickenlooper has indicated support for the measure.
“It’s time to say enough is enough,” said Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, a sponsor of the bill. “We are not going to tolerate people continuing to drive while they are intoxicated.”
In its original form, the bill would have created a felony charge after three DUI convictions. But lawmakers amended the bill after that proposal appeared unlikely to pass.
As the bill made its way through the legislative process this year, lawmakers heard emotional testimony from victims of drunken-driving incidents, who spoke of how their lives were profoundly changed as a result of horrific accidents involving inebriated drivers.
Opponents, however, raised concerns that the measure focused too much on punishment instead of treatment.
But lawmakers were compelled by a need to adjust a gap in law, pointing out that Colorado is among only five states where drunken drivers face only misdemeanor charges punishable by up to a year in jail, even after repeated convictions.
pmarcus@durangoherald.com