A prominent mother’s activist group, known as Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is fighting alongside other organizations at the Texas Capitol building this week. The organization, informally known as MADD, is present to fight for changes to laws in the state relating to drunk driving. Specifically, they are advocating for reform of the current driving while intoxicated, or DWI, laws that are in place in the state. MADD is a group that advocates for drunk driving reform around the country. They often hold events to raise awareness on the severity of the issue, especially amongst the youth of the country.

Several bills sit in Texas legislature that MADD hope go through.

One key bill being discussed in Texas legislation is House Bill 2984. The bill, called the Sgt. Ramon Gutierrez bill, earned its name after a sergeant from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office died in an accident caused by a drunk driver. This bill is aiming to specifically reform blood alcohol concentration rules. It would clarify that having a blood alcohol concentration, BAC, of .08 or higher makes you intoxicated. Under the bill, if you drive with a BAC at that level, you can expect a DWI.

A second bill that MADD is advocating for has to do with roadside memorials. This bill, House Bill 1398, would extend the length of time roadside memorials can be up for. Currently in Texas, these memorials can only be up for two years. This bill would extend that time period to ten years. These memorials consist most often of signs and placards marking the location of someone who died in a driving accident, often involving a drunk driver.

There are also bills targeting the sentencing for drunk driving.

Two bills are targeting this part of a DWI. The two bills in question are House Bill 764 and House Bill 1760. Both of these bills work together to ensure convictions of intoxicated manslaughter involve sentences of at least five years.

The Executive Board Director from the Texas branch of MADD, Erin Bowers, shared her story recently. She shared how she personally connects to this fight with local reporters outside of the capitol. She spoke about a tragic accident she was in with her parents. In this accident, both of her parents died as a result of a drunk driving. Bowers revealed that the drunk driver only had to serve three weeks in a Texas jail.

She and other women from MADD have been outspoken on the fact that Texas has many loopholes allowing drunk drivers to have short sentences and little repercussions from their actions. They hope that these bills see the light of day in Texas law and make effective changes in the way the state handles drunk drivers.