DWI checkpoints in Texas
MADD pushes for sobriety checkpoints
2/8/2005 7:06 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff
The Texas chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving are putting more pressure on the Legislature this session.
The group rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to back MADD's top priority: sobriety checkpoints on Texas roads.
Bills before the House and Senate are asking to allow Texas law officers to conduct the checkpoints if they choose to.
Texas is one of the few states in the Nation that doesn't have these checkpoints. What do they do? Basically, they allow the police to put up roadblocks and do sobriety checks on everyone. The Texas Ledg attempted to pass this bill in 2003 but failed to do so, here's hoping that it fails again. Now I am no proponent of driving drunk, but the expansion of police powers and the lessening of civil liberties is always worrisome and even more so with the current political climate. The Patriot Act has eaten away at civil liberties, as has the Rehnquist Court, and the next court only promises to have an even more activist bent when it comes to destroying those liberties that we hold dear. The last thing we need is the State of Texas increasing police power right now.
I wonder if State Representative Scott Campbell, currently looking at his 2nd DWI charge, is going to vote for this bill?
2/8/2005 7:06 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff
The Texas chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving are putting more pressure on the Legislature this session.
The group rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to back MADD's top priority: sobriety checkpoints on Texas roads.
Bills before the House and Senate are asking to allow Texas law officers to conduct the checkpoints if they choose to.
Texas is one of the few states in the Nation that doesn't have these checkpoints. What do they do? Basically, they allow the police to put up roadblocks and do sobriety checks on everyone. The Texas Ledg attempted to pass this bill in 2003 but failed to do so, here's hoping that it fails again. Now I am no proponent of driving drunk, but the expansion of police powers and the lessening of civil liberties is always worrisome and even more so with the current political climate. The Patriot Act has eaten away at civil liberties, as has the Rehnquist Court, and the next court only promises to have an even more activist bent when it comes to destroying those liberties that we hold dear. The last thing we need is the State of Texas increasing police power right now.
I wonder if State Representative Scott Campbell, currently looking at his 2nd DWI charge, is going to vote for this bill?
posted by Rugo at 6:10 AM
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