Bill increases DUII penalty
Oregon lawmakers hope
to deter drunken driving
with Senate Bill 421
By A. Sho Ikeda
Senior News Reporter
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski
signed several bills last week that
will penalize Oregon drunken driv
ers more harshly.
The most notable of the drunk
en driving bills was Senate Bill
421, which would double the
prison penalty for criminally neg
ligent homicide and manslaughter
in the second degree from 18 to
36 months. These two charges
could be placed on a driver in
volved in a fatal accident while
driving under the influence.
Representative Jeff Barker, D-Alo
ha, was one of the lawmakers who
played a major role in getting the
bills passed.
"Driving under the influence of
intoxicants is a reckless behavior
that results in thousands of deaths
in this country every year," Barker
said in a press release. "By passing
this legislation, we are showing Ore
gonians that we are serious about
preventing habitual offenders from
getting behind the wheel."
Senate Bill 421, also known as
"Brian's Bill," was named after 23
year-old Brian Hood, who was
killed in 1998 when his drunken
roommate rolled the car while driv
ing wildly in a Bend park. Hood's
parents, Anne and Bruce Pratt of
Springfield, were behind the move
ment to change Oregon's drunk
driving laws.
Sandy Nelson, state vice chair
woman of Mothers Against Drunk
Driving, said the organization
worked closely with Anne Pratt to
push several of the bills forward.
"We did everything we could to
support her," Nelson said. "MADD's
mission is to assist victims to stop
drunk driving."
Nelson said it was important to
get SB 421 through the Oregon Leg
islature because the current laws for
causing a death while driving under
the influence were too lenient.
"A dmnken driver could kill some
one and get 18 months in jail," Nel
son said. "But you could hit someone
with a baseball bat and get five years."
Kulongoski signed many other
bills related to drunken driving in
addition to SB 421. Senate Bill 302
requires defendants to enter a
guilty plea to a drunken driving
charge if they do not pass a diver
sion program, and House Bill
2900 imposes a fine of $500 to
$ 1,000 for suspects who refuse to
take a Breathalyzer test, in addition
to any other fees prescribed by lo
cal law enforcement. Senate Bill
2885 revokes a defendant's drivers
license for life if the driver is con
victed of DUII for a third time, and
Senate Bill 348 raises the maxi
mum fine to $10,000 for driving
under the influence with children
in the vehicle.
Nelson said the state chapter of
MADD was in great support of
SB 348.
"We will support child endanger
ment issues at any possible turn,"
Nelson said. "Children shouldn't
lose life and limb because of an
adult's poor decision."
According to the Eugene Police De
partment, there were 566 DUII arrests
in 2002, down from 657 in 2001.
There were 88 incidents in which
drivers refused breathalyzer tests.
In Oregon, 179 deaths were attrib
uted to driving under the influence in
2002, according to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administra
tion. Approximately 41 percent of all
traffic deaths in Oregon involved al
cohol or other intoxicants.
Contact the city/state politics reporter
at shoikeda@daiiyemerald.com.
I
H Freshman Siena Ranuio
Nunes attends her
W^m freshman interest group
on Wednesday. “I see all the
same people in other
classes so it’s really
1 familiar,” she said.
1_Adam Amato Photo Editor
FIGs supply students
with familiar faces
Freshman Interest Groups
help freshmen become
academically and socially
involved at the University
By Chelsea Duncan
News Reporter
When freshman Siena Ranuio
Nunes first learned she had been ac
cepted to the University, she was a lit
tle overwhelmed. After originally
searching for a campus of 5,000 stu
dents or fewer, the University's popu
lation of more than 20,000 students
seemed intimidating. Then she
learned about Freshman Interest
Groups and signed up.
"I think the FIG kind of helps," she
said. "It makes it feel like a smaller
setting."
In the FIG program, which is avail
able each fall term, freshmen take a
group of classes comprised of two
general education courses and one
College Connections course, said
Amy Hughes Giard, education pro
gram assistant for first-year programs.
Students can choose from different
classes, which set the theme for the
FIG. The College Connection course
allows freshmen to meet faculty
members, get adjusted to academic
and social life at the University and
Turn to FIG, page 5
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Eugene & Springfield (541) 344-5208
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