Several legislators are proposing making drunk driving laws tougher.
Rep.resentative Ed Gruchalla (D-Fargo) says his DUI bill is ready to be introduced.
Under his bill, the first offense would carry a $5000fine. Gruchalla says half of that would be refunded – if the driver puts in an ignition interlock device in the car. That device would prevent the car from starting – if the driver is drunk.
Gruchalla says his original proposal was to have a first-time offender serve two weeks in jail – but he’s reconsidering that. He says he does want some jail time in the bill -- as a deterrent.
"If you look at Germany and the Scandinavian countries, if you had that high up-front penalty, where society says, 'We're mad as hell and we're not going to take this anymore" -- if you put that up there high enough, you're not going to have DUIs," said Gruchalla. "So you're not going to have anybody in jail."
Meanwhile, Rep. Kim Koppelman (R-West Fargo) has a proposal to create a mandatory four days in jail for a first DUI offense.
Some prosecutors and local law enforcement officials have raised questions – because local jails are already overcrowded, and they worry this may add to that problem.
"That's an argument, I guess, that it could in the short term," said Koppelman. "My hope is that in the long run, it will decrease jail population because the whole intent of this is to be a deterrent, and to really help change our culture, so not so many people are drinking and driving, which will keep more people out of jail."