Jerry EstesNASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam says he’s open to trying to address concerns raised by Tennessee’s district attorneys general that a funding provision in the governor’s IMPROVE Act for roads will cost them $6.5 million in federal dollars now used for special DUI prosecutors and training and police overtime.
Haslam acknowledged the concern last week. The money is part of an estimated $18 million Tennessee can’t now use for highways and bridges because the state lacks an “Open Container Law” barring open alcoholic beverages in vehicles.
“We’re aware of that,” the governor said last week. “We fund some DUI [enforcement], DAs through that. We’re willing to look at other ways to make sure that function gets paid for. We realize that’s critical.”
In Tennessee, drivers can’t consume alcohol while driving, but passengers can. That puts the state out of compliance with federal rules, so it must spend that $18 million in areas related to highway safety, including prosecutions, DUI roadblocks, associated police overtime and public advertising campaigns to deter intoxicated drivers.
Efforts over at least 20 years to enact an open container law have failed in the General Assembly.