OMBUDSMAN ALERT: WILL NEW YORK BE THE SECOND STATE IN THE NATION TO TIGHTEN THE DWI BLOOD ALCOHOL LIMIT FROM .08 TO .05%?

BY DR. LOUIS ALPERT

Ombudsman

On January 10 Ombudsman Alert published an article encouraging our state legislators, Senator David Carlucci and Assemblypersons Ellen Jaffee and Ken Zebrowski to sponsor or co-sponsor bills in the Senate amd Assembly to enable New York State to follow in the footsteps of the state of Utah to become the second state in the US to adopt  this critical legislation which was strongly endorsed by none other than the ‘National Academies of Science, Engineering and medicine’ when they stated that “”This is one of the most effective strategies to curb these tragic and completely preventable fatalities.”

This very week Assemblyman Felix Ortiz re-introduced his bill A3208 which, as promised, was co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaffee as well as at least eight other Assemblypersons, including D’urso, Simon, Englebright, Colton, Gottfried, Pichardo, Davila and Williams.

Upon speaking to Assemblyman Ortiz’s office this Tuesday,they expected our own Senator David Carlucci(as suggested by this Ombudsman in a previous column) to sponsor the parallel bill in the Senate.

Ombudsman Alert looks forward to the prompt action of New York state to become both the nation’s second state to adopt this potentially life-saving legislation as well as the ‘East Coast Anchor State’ to encourage our neighboring states such as New Jersey and Connecticut to follow in OUR footsteps!

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