Beer sellers still fight 0.08 DUI level

Wednesday, March 21, 2001 | 9:43 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Assemblyman Mark Manendo said opposition to his bill that would lower the drunken driving limit is fading.

Manendo, D-Las Vegas, said Tuesday that only the Nevada Beer Wholesalers appeared before the Assembly Judiciary Committee to testify against Assembly Bill 166. None of the restaurants "which were always hammering us" showed up, he said.

The federal government requires the state to lower the level to 0.08 by 2003 or suffer a reduction of highway construction money. The current standard used in Nevada to prove drunken driving is 0.10.

If Nevada adopts the law early, however, there is a pot of $200 million to be divided among the states that comply, Manendo said. He suggested Nevada could get an extra $4 million to $5 million a year for passing the legislation this time.

"This is a way of raising money without raising taxes," Manendo said.

Harvey Whittemore, lobbyist for the beer wholesalers, suggested there was no guarantee that the incentive fund would continue.

"You can't count on the federal government grant being there in perpetuity," he said.

Whittemore, saying the legislation will "not do what is promised," said other states that have lowered the blood alcohol level have not reduced their traffic fatalities.

He said the problem should be addressed by concentrating on the chronic drinking and not lowering the blood alcohol level.

While the Nevada Beer Wholesalers oppose the bill, Manendo produced correspondence from the Coors Brewing Co. stating: "Coors has joined with the Beer Institute's position of not opposing adoption of 0.08 legislation at the state level. Coors will continue to support legislation that places the focus on increased penalties for high BAC repeat offenders, zero tolerance for underage drinking and getting new drivers off to the right start.'