Public Media from Michigan State University

State House Panel Moves To Keep Legal Blood Alcohol Limit At .08

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State lawmakers say letting Michigan’s drunken driving limit increase to .10% would be a mistake.

A state House panel Wednesday unanimously approved keeping it at .08%.

The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher has more.

The law that sets the state’s blood alcohol limit for drivers is set to expire in October. If that happens, the state could lose up to 50 million dollars a year in federal highway funding.

But Representative Andrea LaFontaine says her bill to keep the limit at .08% is not about the money.

   “We all know drivers,"  she says.  "You have family, you have friends, you have everybody that’s on the road, and what this bill does is it puts their safety at the forefront of everything.”

No one testified against the legislation during two public hearings this month.

The measure now goes to the floor of the state House.

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Jake Neher is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He covers the State Legislature and other political events in Lansing.