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Senate would let judges reduce misnamed 'driver responsibility' fees

It's not nearly a far as I'd like to see them go, but the Texas Senate passed legislation this week to knock off some of the rough edges on Texas' so-called "driver responsibility fee," which has been a complete public policy bust. Reports the Dallas News ("Texas Senate votes to ease surcharges on DWI, other driving violations," April 18):The Senate voted Friday to revamp the troubled Texas Driver Responsibility Program, under which more than 1 million Texans have been unable or unwilling to pay stiff surcharges on top of their regular fines for driving violations.Compromise legislation sent to the House would give judges discretion to lower the surcharges ? which can run as high as $3,000 for a single driving-while-intoxicated conviction ? and also bar the state from assessing surcharges against students and the indigent...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on April 19, 2009 (boomark / email).