News
Editorial: Changes need to be made
Scott Wagar
04/02/2013
On March 29, the North Dakota House killed Senate Bill 2240 which would have strengthened penalties for DUIs in North Dakota.
This measure would have raised the fine for first time offenders of DUIs from $250 to $500. The measure would have also made it mandatory to be part of a 24/7 sobriety program, which is a program that forces individuals who are convicted of driving while intoxicated to go to a law enforcement agency twice a day for sobriety tests.
Those who couldn’t travel to an agency would be forced to wear an ankle bracelet, which would keep track of their sobriety.
Remarkably, this measure was soundly defeated 63 to 28, which surprised me for three reasons. First, the North Dakota Senate endorsed this measure.
Second, I would think that if legislators had the opportunity to make stronger penalties concerning DUIs they would have made a real effort to pass it into law. And third, and most important, these two bills were introduced into the legislation in honor of Cyrus and Alarius Ruiz, the two young boys from Newburg which lost their lives this past summer at Lake Metigoshe due to a drunk driver who drove through their tent at a campsite, killing the two children.
According a KXMC news segment out of Bismarck, it stated the reasoning behind the bill being voted down was because the House has already passed a bill increasing penalties on DUIs.
Rep. Robin Weisz, R-Hurdsfield, added that there was no reason to pass two similar bills. (At the present moment, House Bill 1320 is being worked on by the Senate, but it has not been voted upon as of yet.)
In the same news segment, Rep. Ed Gruchalla, D-Fargo, stated that he was disappointed to see how both bills have been “watered down” concerning their penalties, and added that DUI laws need to be stronger. Gruchalla is in favor of first time DUI offenders seeing jail time and larger fines.
Gruchalla added that the reason for not passing SB2240 in the House was because representatives felt it would cost too much money to implement the bill.
As I read through all the information on this legislative news item this week, my mind keep drifting back to Juan and Sandy Ruiz of Newburg, the parents of Cyrus (who was nine years old) and Alarius (who was five). Juan and Sandy have spent a great deal of time in Bismarck this legislative session lobbying for stronger DUI laws in honor of their two children; and they are the primary reason these DUIs bills have been introduced to the legislators.
I remember sitting in the courtroom during the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty in these cases, and hearing Sandy tell those in the courtroom that Cyrus was their “miracle child” and Alarius their “blessing” as she cried so mournfully over the lost of her child. There was hardly a dry eye in the courtroom as individuals listened to her speak.
And yet, the bills they have lobbied for in honor of their children are being watered down and defeated because of anomalous reasons like similarity and cost.
To me, it doesn’t matter that there is similarity in the bills. The more similarity the better because that means all the bases are being covered in new DUI laws.
As for the cost, considering that all we hear in our state now about how wealthy North Dakota is, certainly the expense of SB2240 isn’t going to make a dent in our budgets to control drunk driving better in our state.
Since the death of Ruizs’ children, DUI incidents have continued in our state. The AP this past week released statistics on DUI arrests in North Dakota, which revealed a 53 percent increase in the last 10 years. The AP also showed that in 2012, there were 6,600 arrests made in the state due to DUIs.
I agree with Gruchalla and his ideology on DUIs. Through the statistics that are out there concerning DUIs in our state, we need to make laws and penalties much stronger. To me, it is the only way to stop those who decide to drink and drive irresponsibly.
Of course, none of us are perfect in this world and we all make mistakes in life. We are human, but when it comes to creating laws on DUIs, or, drinking and driving in a careless way, individuals need to give Juan and Sandy Ruiz some serious thought before making any decisions.