The penalties for continuing to drive drunk in Wisconsin are getting tougher.
Gov. Tony Evers has signed two new laws to crack down on repeat drunk drivers.
The first new law, based on Senate Bill 6, requires an 18-month prison sentence for anyone convicted of their fifth or sixth Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) charge.
“Too many Wisconsinites have experienced the consequences of drunk driving firsthand and it continues to be a concerning issue across our state,” Evers said. “It’s an important issue and we have work to do to combat drunk driving so we can keep our communities safe.”
The old required sentence was six months in prison.
Evers also signed Assembly Bill 222 into law. That requires the state of Wisconsin to suspend someone’s driver’s license after their fourth OWI. The governor says the new law will allow the state’s “four strikes and you’re out” law to fully take effect.
Wisconsin lawmakers have seen a mixed bag of success when it comes to anti-drunk driving laws this year.
Rep. Jim Ott, R-Mequon, pushed hard for tougher sentences for repeat drunk drivers this spring. He sponsored Senate Bill 6. He also is pushing for a new law to allow prosecutors more time to look for other OWIs for first- and second-time offenders. That legislation is still waiting for a vote in the state senate.
Ott said in February that the point of the new, tougher approach to repeat drunk drivers is not to lock more people up, but rather to get people to stay sober when behind the wheel.
