Senate panel OKs tougher standard for drunk driving

SPRINGFIELD Secretary of State George H. Ryan's proposal to lowerthe threshold for drunk driving cleared its first obstacle Tuesday,winning the 10-4 endorsement of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Under the legislation by Sen. David N. Barkhausen (R-Lake Bluff),a driver would be legally intoxicated if his blood alcohol level was.08 percent or higher.

Ryan told the panel the standard of .10 percent is "arbitrary,"contending that a person is "medically and scientifically drunk" at.08 percent.

A 160-pound person would have to consume four alcoholic drinks inone hour to reach .08 percent, Ryan said.

"People who drink that much, that quickly, should not get behindthe wheel of a car," he added.

Ryan, who unsuccessfully proposed a .08 percent standard lastyear, formed a coalition of traffic safety, health care, insuranceand law enforcement groups to testify.

"We are not after the occasional drinker. We are not concernedabout the social drinker," said George Murphy, spokesman for MothersAgainst Drunk Driving. "Our problem is with people at .08 or higherwho are killing or injuring other people."

However, a spokesman for the Illinois Wholesale LiquorDistributors contended the bill would shift law enforcement resourcesaway from hard core drunk drivers to man roadblocks to catch socialdrinkers.

The Senate committee unanimously supported two other Ryan-backedproposals, one to allow drunk drivers court supervision only once in10 years, rather than every five years, and another to impose harsherpenalties on drunk drivers transporting children.

Meanwhile, the House Transportation Committee sent to the Housefloor Ryan's proposal to require all adult drivers to secure childrenunder age 4. At present, adults are exempt from the provision if thechild's parent or legal guardian does not provide a car seat.

Abortion dodge: Hoping to sidestep the potentially explosiveabortion controversy, the House Rules Committee refused to clearthree abortion-related measures for consideration this spring.

The panel's green light is needed in election-year sessions, whichare supposed to be limited to budget matters and emergencylegislation.

One proposal would have guaranteed a woman's right to anabortion, while the other two sought to limit abortions.

AIDS tests: Parents would have to be notified if a child under18 is tested for AIDS under legislation advanced by the House HumanServices Committee, 6-0.

Its sponsor, Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), said notifyingparents would help ensure that a child who tested positive receivedproper treatment.

Michelle Gentry, a Public Health Department lobbyist, argued thebill could deter teens who are sexually active or intravenous drugusers from being tested for AIDS.

Radar detector ban: A proposal by Rep. Alfred G. Ronan(D-Chicago) that would make radar detectors illegal in commercialtrucks zipped through the House Transportation Committee 30-0.

Truckers caught using detectors would face a $50 minimum fine fora first offense and $250 minimum fine for repeat offenses.

School funding: Two business groups announced their oppositionto a constitutional amendment to require the state to pay at leasthalf the cost of elementary and secondary education.

The proposal, scheduled for a House vote later this week, wouldrequire a hefty increase in state income tax rates withoutguaranteeing either property tax relief or better schools, saidofficials of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association and the IllinoisRetail Merchants Association.