В Монтане обсудили реформу законодательства о вождении в нетрезвом виде к 2027 году

MONTANA — State leaders, advocates and lawmakers gathered for the Montana DUI Reform Summit as they worked on possible legal changes for the 2027 legislative session. The summit was held at Flathead Valley Community College, but organizers and speakers made clear the issue reached highways, small towns and cities across Montana. They said the state continued to rank among the worst in the country for impaired driving deaths and argued that change needed to start with gaps in the criminal justice system. Beth McBride spoke about turning personal loss into statewide advocacy after her son Bobby was killed by an impaired driver in 2023. She helped start the Montana Bar Fairies, a group that rewards drivers who leave their cars overnight, and said the idea came from her daughter. "She called and she said, mom, gosh, I just wish there was a way that we could thank these people, like these people stayed home or had left their car. And why couldn't the guy that killed Bobby have left his car? And I'm like, why not," McBride said. Rep. Steve Kelly of House District 9 said the effort also needed a broader cultural shift around drinking and driving in Montana. "The point is changing the attitude about what drinking and driving is all about. I equate it to you put on a blindfold, grab a gun and stand in your backyard and just start shooting. And most of your bullets won't hit anything, but all it takes is one. And that's what DUI is like. All it takes is one, and it becomes imperative, and we need to fix that," Kelly said. Speakers at the summit also focused on repeat DUI offenders moving through Montana courts. During a panel, District Judge Heidi Ulbricht shared one recent case to show how serious the problem remained. "Today I did have a defendant charged with DUI number eight. And I sentenced him to 25 years to the Montana State Prison," Ulbricht said. Panelists discussed ideas for 2027 that included making a third DUI a felony and expanding high-visibility patrols. McBride said the goal was not only changing penalties but making sure the people lost in these cases continued to drive change. "If we can make a difference and change one person's behavior, then... Bobby... Aaron... Brooke.. Wyatt didn't die in vain. And that means the world. And they're also never forgotten, which, as a mother, you want to make sure that they're never forgotten," McBride said. Lawmakers said they planned to take public feedback and expert data from the summit to Helena as they drafted policy concepts for 2027.