Minnesota lawmakers are moving to strengthen the state’s laws on people who repeatedly drink and drive in the wake of a crash last year that killed two people and injured many others at a bar in St. Louis Park.
The hope is that future tragedies will be prevented by making more repeat drunken drivers use ignition interlock devices. The devices require drivers to blow air into a tube to verify whether they are under the legal blood-alcohol limit before starting a vehicle.
On Labor Day weekend in 2024, a man with a history of convictions for drinking and driving drove his vehicle into the patio of Park Tavern, leading to multiple deaths and injuries.
Steven Frane Bailey, 56, of St. Louis Park, who pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree murder and three counts of criminal vehicular operation causing great bodily harm on Wednesday, said he had been drinking vodka at home before the crash.
He said he drove to the Park Tavern but attempted to flee the parking lot after crashing into two cars. Instead, he accelerated and went through a fence onto the patio while going around 40 mph, crashing into occupied tables.
Charges said Bailey had a blood-alcohol content of 0.335% — more than four times the legal limit of .08%. Under the terms of his plea agreement, he faces 25 to 30 years in prison.
Ignition interlock
If a widely supported proposal moving through the state Legislature this year becomes law, Bailey would have been required to have an ignition interlock device in his vehicle, which could have stopped him from driving, backers say.
Minnesota law currently requires people to get one of the devices if their driving privileges are revoked for a second alcohol or drug offense within ten years. The state also requires an ignition interlock if someone has had their third offense, if one or two of the offenses are over ten years old.
Bailey had a valid driver’s license, but he also had five convictions for driving under the influence between 1985 and 2015. Since his record spanned more than three decades before the fatal crash last year, he wasn’t required to have a device installed in his car, bill backers said.
“It spurred us, those of us who represent St. Louis Park in the Legislature, to look for appropriate improvements to the DWI laws so that this could be prevented in the future,” said bill sponsor Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park. “Unfortunately, not everyone who should use the ignition interlock is on it.”
Increases lookback period
Latz said his bill could reduce the likelihood of fatal crashes like the one at Park Tavern.
It increases the lookback period for driving while intoxicated convictions from 10 to 20 years. It also ties the time requirement for interlock devices to the number of DWIs over a lifetime.
Right now, the time requirement maxes out at six years when someone has four or more DWIs over a lifetime. Under the new bill, an interlock device would be required for 10 years if someone had 3 or more convictions.
The bill also aims to get more people to participate in the interlock program by removing financial barriers. It allows people to pay off the $680 license reinstatement fee while participating in the interlock program rather than upfront.
It also increases criminal penalties for driving without an interlock if you’re required to have one. And there would also be a requirement that someone completes treatment for addiction before graduating from the interlock program, rather than just beginning treatment.
Senate passes version of bill
The Senate took up the House version last week but unanimously passed a slightly different version of the bill.
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An amendment backed by Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, and adopted by the Senate creates protections for people in the interlock program who lose their vehicles for financial reasons. If someone loses their vehicle or if it becomes inoperable, they’d be able to remain in the interlock program.
The House also overwhelmingly passed its version of the bill, backed by Rep. Larry Kraft, DFL-St. Louis Park.
The chambers will have to reconcile out the small differences between their bills and pass them again before a final version can head to the desk of Gov. Tim Walz to be signed into law.
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