Senator Fuschillo seeks tougher DWI Laws

New York State Sen. Charles Fuschillo Jr. and Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice recently announced a new legislative proposal to require mandatory jail time for those who repeatedly drink and drive.

The proposal would require drunk drivers to serve a minimum of 30 days in jail for their second DWI offense in 10 years, and a minimum of 90 days if they are convicted of three or more DWI offenses within 10 years. In both cases, the sentences would also be subject to any other penalties imposed by the courts.

Fuschillo, a Republican from Merrick, and Rice are currently writing the legislation. In January, Fuschillo said he plans to introduce the law to the Senate. After that, according to Fuschillo, the legislation will go to the Senate Transportation Committee and the State Assembly. Once out of committee, it would then be subject to a vote by the full Legislature.

“Time and time again,” Fuschillo said, “we’ve seen drunk drivers destroy lives and families because of their recklessness. Targeting those who continually disregard the law by drinking and driving over and over again is a commonsense solution to a very real problem. The message is strong and simple: If you repeatedly drink and drive in New York state, then you are going to jail.”

According to Fuschillo, he and Rice began working on the legislation last month.

“I have made fighting drunk driving one of the cornerstones of my administration,” Rice said, “and I am extremely fortunate to have such a strong ally in that fight in Senator Fuschillo. In the wake of the recent wrong-way crashes on our roadways, I called for mandatory jail sentences for repeat offenders, and Senator Fuschillo responded immediately.”

Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, a Democrat from Long Beach, said that while his staff has been working with Fuschillo’s staff on the legislation, the two sides still need to ensure they are on the same page before it is introduced. "We're trying to accomplish the same goal,” he said, “but we have to do it together.”

"We're working together to get something done -- to get people off the road who are habitual violators of this law,” Weinsenberg said.