Assemblymember Tom Lackey said on Mar. 24 that politics prevailed over victims after the Assembly Public Safety Committee failed to advance AB 1686, a bill he authored to change how repeat DUI offenses are prosecuted.
The proposed legislation would have allowed individuals who receive a second driving under the influence conviction within ten years to be charged with either a felony or misdemeanor. Lackey, who served nearly thirty years with the California Highway Patrol, issued an emotional statement following the committee’s decision.
“Today, politics won and victims lost,” Lackey said. He reflected on his experience as an officer, stating: “For nearly three decades, I wore the uniform and lived the consequences of this committee in real time. I’ve stood on highways covered in shattered glass, with the sounds of sirens and sobbing family members – watching as families were torn apart in a single heartbreaking moment.”
Lackey continued: “I remember the faces. I remember the devastation. Those are the realities this committee chose to ignore.”
He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to advocating for victims of DUI incidents: “I cannot accept turning our backs on victims. I will not stop fighting – because no family should have to face that tragedy.”
The defeat of AB 1686 means current laws regarding penalties for repeat DUI offenses remain unchanged unless further legislative action is taken.
