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player ready...The Illinois House passed legislation Tuesday allowing police to seize vehicles from people driving with a license that was suspended or revoked on drug or alcohol charges.
“We will have, if not the toughest law, one of the toughest laws in the country,” said Sen. Kathleen Parker (R-Northbrook), the bill’s Senate sponsor and chair of the Senate’s Transportation Committee.
The measure, which now goes to Gov. George Ryan, would change state law to let a suspended driver’s vehicle be taken away after the first offense.
Under current law, authorities may immobilize an offender’s vehicle or seize its license plates only after three previous violations of driving with a suspended license. A judge decides how long the vehicle is to be kept.
Proponents of the bill said it’s too easy for drunken drivers to continue driving after losing their licenses, leading to some fatal accidents.
“We’re targeting a group of motorists who ignore the law and choose to drive after their licenses have been suspended,” said Rep. Elizabeth Coulson (R-Glenview), who championed the measure in the House.
Last November, five people in Chicago were killed because of accidents with people driving with suspended licenses, Parker said.
The bill passed on a 74-22 vote, with 19 legislators voting “present.”
Some House members expressed concern the bill could unjustly deprive families of their only means of transportation, especially if two members co-owned a vehicle and one had done nothing wrong.
“It’s a dangerous piece of legislation,” said Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago). “It is dangerous because it puts at risk those who were not driving under the influence.”
To address such concerns, the bill allows for an offender to surrender title of a vehicle to a spouse if that is a family’s sole means of transportation. If there is a second offense, the car can be taken away.
In addition to targeting those who drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the measure would apply to those suspended for reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident involving injury.
A spokesman for Ryan offered general support but said the measure had yet to be analyzed.
“It’s the type of issue we have always supported in the past,” Ryan spokesman Dennis Culloton said. “But we’ll have to take a close look at the legislation now that it’s heading for the governor’s desk.”