MADD honors Kesto and Schuitmaker

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has announced its “2016 Legislators of the Year” and recognized Senator Tonya Schuitmaker and Representative Klint Kesto for their leadership in the Michigan Legislature to stop drunk driving.

Representative Kesto, a Wayne Law School alum, authored HB 5456, which would require all-drunk drivers to install an ignition interlock on their vehicles in order to drive during a license suspension period.

Senator Schuitmaker, an alumna of Detroit College of Law, authored SB 808, which would allow the Secretary of State to create a MADD fundraising license plate and assign all proceeds from the sales of these plates to assist MADD in carrying out its mission.

“MADD is proud to work with Representative Kesto and Senator Schuitmaker once again this year. They have championed legislation that will save lives, and we are grateful for their unwavering dedication to preventing drunk driving tragedies in Michigan,” said MADD National President Colleen Sheehey-Church.

MADD’s advocacy efforts originate from the Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving that was launched in 2006. A key component of the Campaign calls for the passage of all-offender interlock laws, which requires the use of an interlock device for any convicted drunk driver. Prior to the Campaign, only one state — New Mexico — had an all-offender interlock law. Today, 28 states and Washington D.C. have passed all-offender interlock laws.