December 30, 2011
NEW YEAR TO BRING SAFER ROADS, BACK TAX COLLECTIONS
By State Reps. Peggy Sayers and David Baram
As we ring in the new year, two new laws will take effect that we wanted to share with you. One will improve public safety on our roads, and the second will help increase the collection of overdue back taxes.
Beginning January 1, Connecticut’s drunken driving laws will be strengthened by requiring mandatory ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders. Specifically, the new law requires all repeat DWI offenders to have ignition interlocks installed in their automobiles once their automatic driver’s license suspension period ends.
This law has the support of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which advocates shorter license suspensions followed by lengthy, mandatory ignition interlock device (IID) periods. Extensive research shows that license suspensions do little to reduce repeat drunken driving because most offenders drive anyway.
An IID is an electronic breathalyzer connected to the ignition of a vehicle that measures breath alcohol concentration and prevents a driver from starting the vehicle if the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds .08 percent. A random retest is intermittently required while the car is in operation. Mandatory IIDs have the potential to save more lives than anything the state has done to address drunk driving to date.
“This is a real win for public safety and reducing drunk driving,” said MADD Connecticut Executive Director Janice Heggie Margolis. “It allows people to continue doing what they need to do, whether it is going to work, taking their children to school or getting their groceries - but they just can't do it drinking and driving.”
Connecticut already utilizes the technology, though it is only mandatory for a very small number of the most chronic offenders. About 450 offenders are in the program today, while there are 3,000-4,000 repeat offenders every year. Numerous studies on IID use for repeat offenders show a reduction of recidivism between 50-95%.
In 2009, 44 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state were alcohol-related, ranking Connecticut as the nation’s second worst offender. IID use in New Mexico has resulted in a 38% reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and in Arizona, a 33% reduction.
A second new law requires the state’s lottery agency to deduct delinquent taxes and penalties before distributing lottery prizes beginning this New Year’s Eve.
Lottery prizes of $5,000 or more from tickets redeemed after December 30, 2011 are affected. With about $400 million in state taxes currently delinquent, the law will serve as an avenue to garner uncollected past due revenue.
This is not just about collecting taxes owed the state, but also about fairness and confidence in our tax system. If someone is lucky enough to win a lottery prize and they also owe back taxes, it is reasonable to collect those taxes at that time.
The lottery received added attention recently when a $254 million Powerball jackpot was won from a ticket purchased in Connecticut. Though the three winners were not affected by the new law, it does raise the importance of needing to accurately identify winners before distributing lottery prizes.
Current state statute already requires the Connecticut Lottery Corp. to check winning tickets valued at $5,000 or more against a list of individuals delinquent on child support payments. The lottery child support collection program, begun in 2004, has brought in about $1.5 million in delinquent payments.