Lawmakers Pass Harsher Penalties for Drunk Drivers

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Legislators are sending Gov. Phil Bryant a bill designed to strengthen the law against drunken driving.

House Bill 481 passed the House and Senate on Tuesday.

It says when someone is convicted for a first offense DUI, the person’s driver’s license could be suspended for 90 days. Or, a judge could order a 30-day license suspension and require the person to use an ignition interlock device for six months. The device prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver has alcohol on his or her breath. One DUI conviction could be wiped off the record of a driver who completes six months with the interlock device with no problems.

The bill also says that a fourth offense DUI would automatically be a felony, carrying two to 10 years in prison.