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California senator gets tough on BUI
Bill would take away offenders’ licenses
By David Bell
Sunday, June 28, 2009 9:35 PM MST
A California state senator wants drunken boaters to lose their license to drive their automobiles.
Sen. John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, introduced SB 154, which would reinstate the suspension of California driver’s license for individuals convicted of boating under the influence.
“Havasu spent eight years in DUI enforcement, making over 1,000 arrests. I have witnessed how the bad choices made under the influence of alcohol have created countless tragedies. My legislation reflects the seriousness of BUI offenses, protecting the safety of travelers on California’s streets, highways and waterways,” Benoit said in a press release.
Starting the in the mid-1990s, the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended licenses for BUI convictions, but that procedure was ordered stopped by the California Court of Appeals in 2008, citing the lack of statutory authority.
The bill calls for the DMV to suspend the license of anyone convicted with a prior DUI or BUI conviction. It would also require that anyone convicted of boating under the influence attend and complete an alcohol education course.
According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways, about 25 percent of all deaths on California waterways are attributed to impaired vessel operators. And of the 55 boating fatalities in 2007, that number of alcohol-related deaths climbed to just under half.
Benoit was a 31-year veteran of law enforcement before moving into politics. He worked with the Corona Police Department before joining California Highway Patrol in 1971. His district includes Riverside County, which borders the Colorado River.
The California State Sheriff’s Association, District Attorneys Association, Boating Safety Officers Association and other water-based organizations have formally supported the bill.
Although the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office has not taken a formal position on the bill, SBCSO Sgt. Tim Smith, who heads the marine division for the Needles station, said, “We’ll support it. It’s a win-win,” in reducing the number of impaired boaters.
The bill was passed by the state Senate on May 26 and received unanimous support in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on June 23. It now awaits action by the full Assembly.
Bill would take away offenders’ licenses
By David Bell
Sunday, June 28, 2009 9:35 PM MST
A California state senator wants drunken boaters to lose their license to drive their automobiles.
Sen. John J. Benoit, R-Bermuda Dunes, introduced SB 154, which would reinstate the suspension of California driver’s license for individuals convicted of boating under the influence.
“Havasu spent eight years in DUI enforcement, making over 1,000 arrests. I have witnessed how the bad choices made under the influence of alcohol have created countless tragedies. My legislation reflects the seriousness of BUI offenses, protecting the safety of travelers on California’s streets, highways and waterways,” Benoit said in a press release.
Starting the in the mid-1990s, the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended licenses for BUI convictions, but that procedure was ordered stopped by the California Court of Appeals in 2008, citing the lack of statutory authority.
The bill calls for the DMV to suspend the license of anyone convicted with a prior DUI or BUI conviction. It would also require that anyone convicted of boating under the influence attend and complete an alcohol education course.
According to the California Department of Boating and Waterways, about 25 percent of all deaths on California waterways are attributed to impaired vessel operators. And of the 55 boating fatalities in 2007, that number of alcohol-related deaths climbed to just under half.
Benoit was a 31-year veteran of law enforcement before moving into politics. He worked with the Corona Police Department before joining California Highway Patrol in 1971. His district includes Riverside County, which borders the Colorado River.
The California State Sheriff’s Association, District Attorneys Association, Boating Safety Officers Association and other water-based organizations have formally supported the bill.
Although the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office has not taken a formal position on the bill, SBCSO Sgt. Tim Smith, who heads the marine division for the Needles station, said, “We’ll support it. It’s a win-win,” in reducing the number of impaired boaters.
The bill was passed by the state Senate on May 26 and received unanimous support in the Assembly Committee on Public Safety on June 23. It now awaits action by the full Assembly.
