Senator Perry of Vermilion Parish honored by MADD

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) today announced its “Legislative Champions” and recognized Senator Jonathan Perry (R-Kaplan) for his leadership within the Louisiana State Legislature to stop drunk driving.
“MADD thanks Senator Perry for his dedication and commitment to advancing MADD’s mission in Louisiana. We appreciate his unwavering commitment to improving Louisiana’s drunk driving law,” said MADD National President Jan Withers.
In 2012, Sen. Jonathan Perry successfully authored multiple pieces of DWI reform legislation improving the state’s ignition interlock law including a measure that prohibited law enforcement from being subpoenaed to a driver’s license hearing, making the hearing a paper review only. Also, he authored legislation that required DWI offender to serve entire driver’s license suspension upon arrest, if arrest occurred within ten years of a previous conviction, even if current arrest did not result in conviction (Act 663).
“I am honored by this special recognition and I will continue to do whatever I can do as a public official and concerned citizen of Louisiana to try to make our highways and byways safer. We cannot rest until the reckless, senseless act of driving impaired is fully addressed. One life lost, one innocent person injured is too many,” said Senator Perry.
“MADD applauds and is grateful to Senator Perry for his leadership in authoring legislation improving our DWI law. Through the legislation he authored, Louisiana’s law enforcement is better equipped to enforce laws and more convicted drunk drivers will be put on an ignition interlock,” said MADD Louisiana Executive Director Floyd Johnson.

A major portion of MADD’s advocacy efforts in states originates from the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® that was launched in 2006. A key component of the Campaign calls for states to enact laws requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. In 2007, Louisiana was one of the first states to enact such a law. Today, 20 states require or highly incentivize the use of ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers.

Ignition interlocks are proven to reduce repeat DUI offenses by 67 percent compared to license suspension alone. In Louisiana, in part due to their 2007 all offender ignition interlock law, drunk driving deaths have decreased by 35 percent.

For more information on ignition interlocks, please visit madd.org/interlock.

About Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Founded in 1980 by a mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver, Mothers Against Drunk Driving® (MADD) is the nation’s largest nonprofit working to protect families from drunk driving and underage drinking. With the help of those who want a safer future, MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® will end this danger on America’s roads. And as one of the largest victim services organizations in the U.S., MADD also supports drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors at no charge, serving one person every 8.6 minutes through local MADD victim advocates and at 1-877-MADD-HELP. Learn more at www.madd.org or by calling 1-877-ASK-MADD.