In a wide-ranging article by the Associated Press comes this little gem.
Evers told WISC-TV that he’s open to criminalizing first-offense drunken driving, something he also said during the campaign. Wisconsin is the only state where a first offense is a traffic infraction and not a crime.
“We have to find ways to make that first offense more meaningful to the offenders so they don’t offend again or don’t offend the first time,” Evers said. “Whether that’s making it a felony or not, I’m not sure.”
There are a lot of folks who think that Wisconsin should criminalize a 1st time drunk driving offense, but I haven’t heard anyone suggest that it should be a felony. So Evers would put someone in prison, deprive them of their vote, and make them marginally employable for the rest of their lives for a first time drunk driving offense? That’s pretty harsh.
Of course, if you read the whole article, you will realize that Evers says a lot of wacky stuff with little thought behind it. His statements reveal that he has little grasp of how state government actually works and has not invested much thought in many issues. Does he know the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor? How does he reconcile criminalizing 1st time drunk driving offenses with reducing the prison population?
No. I suspect he just says stuff without the burdensome process of thinking.
Speaking as someone who never drinks and drives, I am fine with increasing the punishment big time on 1st offense.
k:
I agree with you. Amazing that a “liberal” like me could ever find common ground with a “conservative” like you. Absolutely amazing !!
Nord,
If you listen to me more, you can have that feeling all the time!
Thank goodness I only have to read your fact-averse ideological prattling. If I had to actually listen to you I’d probably scratch my ears off.
There you go, ruining a good thing.
Nope, I never had a thing for you. Wouldn’t be prudent.
I tried to celebrate our agreement on this.
Looks like your inner Nancy Pelosi has come out.
But it’s mostly to disarm more Wisconsinites.
k:
I’ve never been a Nancy fan. Another false assumption on your part. While do you have to make false statements all the time? Does that make you feel like something special??
Disarm Wisconsinites? You mean to take away their drive-able weapon? Or that gun owners tend to drink and drive?
Ding DING DINNGGG!! Steve wins the prize for perspicacity which will never be an attribute of Foustie.
However, the proposal from Jim Ott (R-Mequon) includes a 5-year “lookback” which erases the criminal conviction if good behavior….yada. That presents an interesting question, ain’a?
OK, Dad29, I’ll bite:
How much weed or crack need someone to possess before you want to hand them a felony?
Which felonies should let you keep your guns?
Your guns! They’re coming for your guns!
It’s almost like Dad29 and Stevegg are tuned to the same radio station or something. Uncanny!
Oh, wait… a bill like this comes from two Republicans… Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). First offense becomes a misdemeanor.