Top DUI legislation falls prey to funding constraints

The signature piece of legislation cracking down on DUI offenders fell victim to the state’s slumping financial situation today.

Gov. Phil Bredesen had proposed in his budget to fund a DUI bill called “Administrative License Revocation,” which would effectively take a suspected drunk driver’s license immediately as opposed to waiting weeks or months for their court appearance.

Tennessee is one of just nine states that do not have such a law.

But administrative license revocation costs $2.8 million, and Bredesen says he can’t afford it as he’s trying to trim as much as $585 million from next year’s budget.

“Unfortunately, it is not possible to add dozens of new positions to administer this measure at the same time we are planning workforce reductions across government,” Bredesen wrote in a letter to Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge), the bill’s sponsor.

According to a legislative fiscal note, the administrative license revocation bill would add 75 positions in state government.

Bredesen has said he will be administering layoffs across departments in state government to help with the budget crunch. Announcements of those plans are expected today.

Bredesen said he was “disheartened” to not be able to fund administrative license revocation this year but said he planned to “reintroduce this measure at the earliest possible date.”