Sober Second Thoughts

A legislative reversal pumps life into a Virginia DUI bill that had been left for dead.

AFTER inexplicably killing a reasonable, significant bill dealing with underage drinking and driving, a Virginia Senate committee came to its senses with a swift sleight of hand that produced a welcome legislative resurrection. For blurred reasons best known to certain members of the Democrat-controlled Committee for Courts of Justice, the proposal -- which had been passed 96 to 3 by the House of Delegates -- met sudden death in the committee. The House bill's sponsor, Del. William R. Janis (R-Henrico), watched as the committee skirted debate on any merit of his measure, which would strengthen penalties for convicted juvenile drunk drivers. When word of the callous action spread, angered supporters of the bill whipped up a quick attempt to overturn the outcome.

The committee met again, tinkered with a few provisions and zinged the bill through final passage by the full Senate on a 40 to 0 vote last Tuesday. The next day, the House approved the Senate version and sent it on to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who is said to support it. An elated Mr. Janis observed that the measure "wasn't dead, it was just mostly dead." Supporters give special credit for the deft legislative revival in the Senate to two Fairfax Democrats, Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw and Janet D. Howell.

The proposal makes important changes in laws dealing with a growing menace on Virginia's roads. It removes some inconsistencies in current laws dealing with teen possession and consumption of alcohol and doubles the current driver's license suspension to one year for teens convicted of driving with virtually any amount of alcohol in their systems. In addition, convicted teenagers could work off fines by doing 50 hours of community service. Kurt Gregory Erickson, president of the Washington Regional Alcohol Program, notes that, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, 46 teenagers died in alcohol-related car crashes in 2006, dramatically up from 32 in 2005. Virginia should have toughened the laws years ago, but at least now the lawmakers have served new notice to teenagers that driving is considered a strictly non-alcoholic privilege.