Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead: Abbott Finishes Off Texas' Hated Driver Responsibility Program
Texas' Driver Responsibility Program, perhaps the most loathed program administered by the state, is no more. Friday afternoon, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill putting the program to the sword Sept. 1, clearing the path for about 1.5 million Texans to regain their driver's licenses.
The program imposed surcharges on Texas drivers who did things like driving without a license or driving under the influence. The surcharges were imposed on top of standard fines and ranged from $250 per year for three years for driving with an invalid license to $2,000 per year for three years for a DWI in which the driver is caught with a blood alcohol level of 0.16 — twice the legal limit — or higher. Drivers who accumulated too many points on their licenses for moving violations or moving violations resulting in a crash were also subject to surcharges.
While the surcharges were nuisances to everyone who had to pay them, they amounted to financial quicksand for Texas' most vulnerable residents. People would get a ticket and then keep accumulating fines, keeping their license suspended and making them vulnerable to additional tickets and fines.
"The Driver Responsibility Program has forced thousands of Texans to pay for their liberty, which is no justice at all. Suspending someone’s license only further removes them from the workforce, leaving them without money to pay additional fees," said Terri Burke, the executive director for the ACLU of Texas. "With partners across the state, the ACLU of Texas has worked for years to end this program. This is a major step in our quest to create a criminal justice system for Texas that is not only smarter but more just, particularly for those most affected by systemic hardship."
Read more: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-kills-hated-driver-responsibility-program-11688059
