April 04, 2011 05:01 AM UTC

At Least He Isn't Your State Representative

• 6 Comments
• by: droll

(It’s the Colonel Sanders tie, obviously – promoted by Colorado Pols)

Unless you’re with us from Montana’s HD77. Rep. Alan Hale, Tea Partier, recently spoke on the floor of Montana’s House against tougher drunk driving laws.

Was it the possibility of harming the rest of the family by punishments such as impounding the only car? The possibility of taking away someone’s livelihood? There are debates to certain punishment laws that do have merit, sure.

Regrettably, none of these things seemed to be going through poor Rep. Hale’s mind. Why vote no on the bill? DUI laws, in general, are killing (wait for it) small business and the Montana way of life.

These irresponsible people don’t need to look after themselves! This is their way of life; meet in taverns, the center of the community, and drink too much! It’s either hitchhike or drive drunk. Those are the only options. Right?

Should it be mentioned that Rep. Hale is a bar owner?

Oh well, Montana isn’t horribly touched by drunk driving accidents anyway:

In 2008, Montana had 229 drunk driving deaths. That doesn’t sound like much, but for that year it was actually “more alcohol-related deaths per miles traveled than any other state,” according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, after leading the nation in per capita traffic fatalities related to alcohol for many years, Montana began enacting harsher penalties for DUIs. Steve Bullock, Montana’s attorney general, said in 2010 that the increased enforcement is helping the problem: “drunk driving deaths in Montana are down 40 percent so far this year.”

Emphasis mine. Stupidity Hale’s.