Milestone reached for bill that would close Wisconsin's OWI loophole
by WBAY
MADISON, Wis. (WBAY) - A bill that would make significant changes to Wisconsin's OWI laws has reached a milestone: a public hearing in the state legislature.
The bill was written in response to our Target 2 Investigates reports on residents who take advantage of a loophole in the law.
Target 2: Drunk drivers could lose snowmobile, boat privileges
Target 2 Investigates: Are drunk boating laws watered down?
Current Wisconsin law fails to lump together OWI offenses on boats, ATVs, UTVs, snowmobiles, and cars. That means operators get different OWI totals for each vehicle.
"I think that every time we can draw attention to this, it's going to force lawmakers to come to the reality that we need to do more," says
Rep. Andre Jacque (R - De Pere).
On Feb. 7, Rep. Jacque went before his colleagues on the Assembly's Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee to ask them to consider a bill that would close the loophole.
Target 2 found nearly 30 percent of people arrested for drunk boating in Northeast Wisconsin in the last two years had also been arrested for drunk driving.
More than half had third and fourth OWI offenses on his or her record.
Rep. Jacque shared reporting by Target 2 Investigates during the hearing.
"I think that the attention that you've given to this issue is very helpful in terms of making sure that lawmakers see the public interest in this," Jacque says.
Jacque's bill makes the law more consistent. It treats every OWI in the past five years the same, regardless of what you're operating.
Jacque has introduced a similar bill in the past, but it was met with strong opposition from the public. It received little support from lawmakers.
This marks the first time a proposal on closing the OWI looping has received a public hearing.
Jacque says it has bi-partisan support.
"I've been approached by the leadership of the Wisconsin ATV and UTV Association, and they're very much in support of this proposal," Jacque says.
The legislative session is short on time. Jacque is unsure if his bill will reach a vote. That's why he's planning to meet with police, the Tavern League, and recreational vehicle associations in hopes of forging an agreement.