Fighting DUIs is now top priority

This is the first joint initiative of this legislative session, which lawmakers said demonstrates the importance of this issue. Both the House and the Senate were scheduled to debate the bills in their chambers today.

"If you are a drunk driver, we are coming after you," Senate President Al Mansell, R-Sandy, said. "We will continue to tighten the restrictions on drunk driving until we have our numbers reduced."

Tyler has worked diligently to strengthen DUI laws for several years and has served on Leavitt's task force to solve the state's DUI problems.

"I am really looking forward to presenting these bills this morning," Tyler said. "I think they will go a long way toward the goals we have."

Statistically, Utah does have fewer drinkers than many other states, and each year Utah has the lowest rate of deaths caused by alcohol-related crashes. But this number of fatal accidents caused by impaired drinkers has increased every year, and several high-profile deaths caused by drunken drivers with numerous DUI convictions have brought the issue to the fore again.

Leavitt has had a task force to address these issues, which it has done, but the governor disbanded the council, effective this spring. Ray, a new legislator who last year fought unsuccessfully for more jail time for first-time DUI offenders, said it's too early to disband the council.

"I would encourage the governor to renew that council for another year," Ray said. "The state of Utah is not where it could be on DUI."

Several people attended the press conference who had lost family members to drunken drivers.

"It's just incredible to have the body behind this," said Mary Phillips, president of the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. But let's continue to watch lawmakers, she said.

"Let's be watchful. Let's wait and see if they do take a look at Sen. Waddoups' SB30," she said. "Let's see if they provide some funding for these issues."

Most of the bills in the DUI initiative announced today have small price tags attached. One bill, SB30, would guarantee more money for drunken-driving prevention through the disbursement of money collected from the state's beer tax, but it wasn't included in the package.

Waddoups will run his bill outside of the package and is committed to getting more funding for this issue.

While legislative leaders support the idea of Waddoups' bill, they simply can't afford it this year, Stephens said. "This is just a difficult year for funding."

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