Response: Abdallah's Law

My colleague George Aguillon recently posted a commentary about Abdallah's Law, which is one bill that will be debated in the upcoming 82nd legislature. Abdallah's Law would allow DWI convictions from other states to be applied to sentencing in Texas. If a driver has a DWI conviction in another state that was ruled a misdemeanor, instead the ruling would be considered a felony in Texas and would affect the sentencing in a DWI case here (a DWI is a felony in Texas). Thus drivers with multiple DWIs in other states classified as misdemeanors would be facing their second, third, or fourth felony charge if convicted in Texas, rather than their first, and would be facing much more severe penalties. Furthermore, the law would set stricter punishments for more damaging DWI accidents; a driver that breaks another driver's leg in an accident would not receive as severe a sentence as a driver that outs another driver in a coma. The law would take a more serious stance against drunk driving in Texas.

I completely agree with George on the topic of Abdallah's Law. Drunk driving is an irresponsible and shameful act, especially when it results in damage to another person. It shouldn't matter where past infractions occurred; instead, the fact that an infraction has occurred at all should be enough to increase the severity of punishment. At the very least, the fact that a driver has been convicted of DWI in the past should be taken into consideration by the jury when deciding on sentencing. Driving a car anywhere is a dangerous act, but drivers with multiple DWI convictions (multiple can even be 10 or more) roaming the streets make it even more dangerous. As someone who has had friends involved in drunk driving accidents (as victims), I know how terrible and devastating accidents can be. People who drive drunk should have to learn from their mistakes. Letting them run to a different state with no past history of their offenses is just not right, and Abdallah's Law will hopefully be passed in the upcoming legislative session.