The House of Representatives in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Feb. 27, 2024. Photo by Arden Barnes. Photo courtesy of Kentucky Lantern.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
A Kentucky House Bill that seeks to toughen driving under the influence penalties is making its way through the legislature.
Republican Representative Rebecca Raymer is joined by five other Republicans and three Democrats in sponsoring House Bill 220, which would make the third DUI offence a class D felony.
Currently, a third offense within a ten-year period results in a fine between $500 and $1,000 and a minimum sentence of 30 days in the county jail and the fourth offense is the class D felony, which is the lowest felony class in Kentucky.
As amended, the bill replaces the third offense punishment with the fourth offense felony charge.
On Feb. 26, the bill had a unanimous 91-0 reading in the Kentucky House and it was received in the Senate the next day with one subcommittee amendment, which provides for “enhanced penalties for a person under the age of 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more, allows a violation by a person under the age of 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more to be included as a prior offense for enhancement purposes, and creates enhanced periods of license suspension for a person under the age of 21 who operates a motor vehicle with an alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more.”
The bill now resides in the Senate Committee on Committees.
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