Iowa – Help Save a Life by Contacting Your Representative. Urge Them to Support SF 444 & HF 519

Update 3/9/17
Iowa Senate Leadership decided to bypass the Senate Ways and Means Committee and send the SF 444 to the full Senate, where it passed bill unanimously.

In the House, the bill has been assigned to a Ways and Means Subcommittee, but the House leadership does have the same option as the Senate leadership, to move the bill directly to the floor. The Ways and Means Subcommittee will meet at 4 pm, Monday, March 13th.

Ask your legislator to support Iowa SF 444 and HF 519.

We ask residents of Iowa to contact their representatives to voice their support for this bill.

We Save Lives sent a letter of support for the bill:

Dear Representative Garrett:

We Save Lives is a partner organization with thousands of members from all the world. We focus on the 3D’s, drunk, drugged and distracted driving. We would like to encourage your support and passage of SF 444 and HF 519 that would toughen penalties against distracted driving, mandate twice a day breath testing for convicted drunk drivers, and require participants in the sobriety monitoring program to install Ignition Interlocks (IID’s) in their vehicles. Impaired driving is a multi-faceted problem that requires multi-faceted solutions. IID’s hold the drivers accountable and the 24/7 program goes one step beyond in attacking the problem of addiction.

Drunk driving is preventable and lives can be saved by enacting SF 444 and HF 519. Research has shown that both the 24/7 program and IID’s do save lives so we urge you to protect your constituents by passing these bills. If the offenders can afford to drink to excess, they can afford to pay for these programs. These initiatives can save their lives, too.

We also applaud and support Iowa’s efforts to expand Iowa’s homicide-by-vehicle statute and include the use of electronic devices while driving. “Drivers who are using a device such as a cell phone and cause a fatality could face a felony charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.” We will encourage all states to follow your example and enact similar legislation. These bills were proposed by Gov. Terry Branstad’s office and deserve your consideration and support. Please vote yes on these lifesaving bills. Thank you for caring.

Sincerely,

Candace Lightner
Founder and President, We Save Lives
Founder MADD

This letter was also sent to the following:

Jack Whitver, Senate President
jack.whitver@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 281-3371

Jerry Behn, President Pro Tempore
jerry.behn@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 432-7327

Charles Schneider, Majority Whip
charles.schneider@legis.iowa.gov
(515)281-3371

Bill Dix, Majority Leader
bill.dix@legis.iowa.gov
(319) 885-6790

Linda L. Upmeyer, House Speaker
linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov
(515)281-3221

Matt W. Windschitl, Speaker Pro Tempore
Legislative E-mail: matt.windschitl@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 281-3221

Chris Hagenow, Majority Leader
matt.windschitl@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 281-3221

The members of the House Judiciary Subcommittee are:

1. Zach Nunn, Des Moines, District 30, Republican Whip
zach.nunn@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 868-2046

2. Jim Carlin, Sioux City, District 6
jim.carlin@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 281-3221

3. Mary Wolfe, Clinton, District 98, ranking member
mary.wolfe@legis.state.ia.us
(563) 243-4652

The members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee are:

1. Nate Bolton, Des Moines, District 16
nate.boulton@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 288-414

2. Julian Garrett, Indianola, District 13
julian.garrett@legis.iowa.gov
(515) 971-0883

3. Dan Dawson, Council Bluffs, District 8, Vice Chair of Judiciary
dan.dawson@legis.iowa.go
(712) 256-1199

From The Des Moines Register:

Drivers arrested or convicted of being impaired while behind the wheel in Iowa could be required to participate in a twice-daily sobriety monitoring program under identical study bills introduced in the Iowa House and Senate this week.

The proposed program, similar to ones in South Dakota and four other states, would require impaired-driving offenders to travel twice a day to a monitoring center for a breath test. Other testing such as remote monitoring and patches also could be used.

Offenders who pass the test can go about their daily routines. Those who fail would be jailed for up to 24 hours.

House Study Bill 109 and Senate Study Bill 1101, proposed by Gov. Terry Branstad’s office, would also require participants in the sobriety monitoring program to install ignition interlock devices in their vehicles.

Read the rest of the story here