KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A bill now working its way through the Kansas Legislature would make it illegal for a driver to refuse to take a breathalyzer test, but some are worried that the consequences could affect more than just the person behind the wheel.
Under current Kansas law, refusing a breathalyzer test is a civil penalty that could lead to the loss of your drivers license for a year. Under the proposal now under consideration, refusing a breathalyzer test could lead to jail time.
While law enforcement and prosecutors support tough drunk driving laws, some cash-strapped cities are worried about a new influx of potential inmates. Attorney Paul Burmaster says that the change would affect more than just accused drunk drivers.
“That means that instead of just affecting the driver, it affects all of us because we’ve got to pay for additional jail space, and additional prosecution,” said Burmaster.
The amendment would change how cities are able to use state funding. Currently, the state gives county community correctional services money to supervise repeat offenders who are no longer supervised by the state. Municipal courts across the state had been holding on to that money, but the amendment would require them to start giving it back.
