District 37 Rep. Gary Chism’s, R-Columbus, push to make those convicted of multiple driving under the influence charges display a special license plate may be over this legislative term, but the representative said he’ll continue the fight in the future.
Chism’s Scarlet Letter Driving Under the Influence License Plate Act died in committee Tuesday.
The bill called for those convicted of a second- and third-offense DUI to display a restricted yellow tag with bold red letters and numbers to denote their multiple infractions to other drivers.
Chism previously told The Dispatch he didn’t think the bill would pass this term. After it died in committee, he pledged to bring the legislation back for consideration next year.
“Often times, a bill has to be filed three or four years in a row to gain enough traction. I’m going to keep bringing it forward. We have to keep talking about DUIs and figure out a way to lower the numbers,” he said.
Chism introduced HB 548 in January after studying DUI arrest data over the Christmas holiday season. The representative said he was frustrated since it seems state advertising campaigns do little to curb intoxicated driving.
Under the proposal, a second-offense DUI — a misdemeanor — would require the tag for at least a year, while a third offense — a felony — would carry with it a three-year mandate for the tag display.
Drivers required to display the tag would have been required to cover its cost, and those proceeds would have gone to the state treasury’s interlock device fund.
“You have a drinking problem if you’ve been caught twice. If everyone knows by you having that tag, it may make you realize what your problem is,” Chism said earlier this month. “If you haven’t learned your lesson after two DUIs, I think a little shaming might help before we send you to the pen.”
Opponents of the bill, including the ACLU of Mississippi, said Chism’s legislation humiliates drivers and could lead to unfair targeting by law enforcement officers.
“The mandatory fine, incarceration and community services serve as a sufficient and much more rational deterrent. Five days in jail often leads to loss of employment, and this tag provides another barrier to employment,” said Zakiya Summers, ACLU of Mississippi’s director of communications. “Criminal justice penalties often have dual goals of deterrence and punishment, but an overarching goal is to keep someone from repeating behavior that threatens public safety. This bill does little to increase deterrence, while significantly decreasing the fair opportunity to re-enter the community as a responsible contributor to society.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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