Stronger DUI Laws

A Montana Senate committee has revived a bill to strengthen DUI laws by including it in a budget companion bill.

The DUI bill, requested by Attorney General Tim Fox, was tabled Friday by a House committee.

Republican Sen. Keith Regier on Saturday proposed including the DUI language in the companion bill and requiring it to pass in order for the state to hire a missing persons specialist to help local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement better investigate such cases.

Several lawmakers criticized leveraging support for the missing persons bill to garner support for the DUI measure. That provision was removed.

The DUI bill includes conditions that allow trained officers to draw blood if a person refuses a breath test.

Fox, a Republican, is running for governor in 2020.