03/22/2007 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

              SB  92-LIMITED LICENSE IGNITION INTERLOCK                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:03:04 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of SB 92.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN  moved to adopt  the Committee Substitute  (CS) for                                                               
SB 92, labeled  25-LS0439\M, Luckhaupt, as a  work draft. Hearing                                                               
no objections, Version M was before the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH said  the CS  addresses the  previously discussed                                                               
issue of remote  locations where it is impractical  to require an                                                               
interlock system. He  described a person who may live  in a small                                                               
village but gets  a DWI in Anchorage or vice  versa. The solution                                                               
roughly  parallels  the  requirements for  automobile  insurance;                                                               
whereby some parts  of the state are exempt. He  adopted the same                                                               
geographic divisions for SB 92.  There will be no differentiation                                                               
based  on who  gets  the  DWI, but  the  requirement  to have  an                                                               
interlocking device is based only on geography, he explained.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:06:03 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FRENCH said  there is a new subsection on  pages 6 and 7,                                                               
which says: not  withstanding all the requirements  that you must                                                               
have   the  ignition   interlock,  the   court  will   waive  the                                                               
requirement when operating a vehicle  in certain communities. The                                                               
communities are listed on a separate handout, he said.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS said  it's convoluted, and he  asked about rental                                                               
cars.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH  said  there  is  a  mark  on  driver's  licenses                                                               
indicating  if a  person needs  an interlock  device. He  said he                                                               
doesn't know if  the rental car company would notice  it, but the                                                               
onus is  on the individual. He  or she would be  breaking the law                                                               
by driving a rental car without the device.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE  said the list of  where one could get  a waiver is                                                               
substantial. He thought  it was based on the  connection to state                                                               
highways. He noted that Iliamna has many roads.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:09:01 AM                                                                                                                    
DUANE  BANNOCK,  Alaska  Division  of  Motor  Vehicles,  said  AS                                                               
28.10.011 says  vehicle registration and mandatory  insurance are                                                               
exempted for a vehicle driven or moved  in an area that is off of                                                               
the highway system and has a traffic count of less than 500.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE asked  how  often the  traffic  counts are  taken,                                                               
because Iliamna, Fort Yukon, and Kotzebue have a lot of traffic.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BANNOCK  said he  relies  on  data  from the  Department  of                                                               
Transportation.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:11:00 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MCGUIRE said  agreed that those three  communities do stand                                                               
out. She noted  that Senator French worked with  the committee to                                                               
strike a  balance. It is  now an  issue of educating  people, but                                                               
there will always be those who try to skirt the law, she stated.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. BANNOCK said the bill is pretty darn good.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:12:01 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BUNDE said  the intent is to protect  the innocent driver                                                               
from the habitual  drunk, and people in rural  Alaska should have                                                               
the same kind of protection  as urban Alaskans. He suggested that                                                               
adjustments need  to be made  to the list of  exempt communities,                                                               
but that is beyond the scope of this discussion.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS moved  the CS  for SB  92, labeled  25-LS0439\M,                                                               
from  committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached                                                               
fiscal  note(s). There  being no  objection, CSSB  92(STA) passed                                                               
from committee.