MADD Honors State Representative for .08 BAC Legislation

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has honored State Rep. Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township), who represents a portion of West Bloomfield Township, as one of its 2013 Legislative Champions.

The organization also honored Rep. Andrea LaFontaine (R-Columbus Township) with the award, which recognizes their legislative leadership to stop drunk driving, according to a MADD press release. 

The lawmakers authored legislation renewing Michigan’s .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) per se law.

"The .08 per se law is proven to save lives and stop drunk driving,” said MADD National President Jan Withers.

“My goal is to keep Michigan families safe, and to keep them here in our state. We are out there working hard in the legislature to keep them safe,” Kesto said.

LaFontaine authored HB 4093 and Kesto authored HB 4131, legislation that extended Michigan’s 2013 sunset clause of the .08 BAC law from 2013 to 2018. Without the move, the state of Michigan would have lost $50 million a year in federal funding.

Since August 2005, all states have enacted a .08 BAC law, which contributed to a significant decline in drunk driving deaths across the country.

For more information, visit madd.org/laws/08-per-se.html.