Fed’s could force state to lower drunken driving limit

Iowa stands to lose lots of federal highway money if the state’s drunken driving law isn’t changed. Congress is set to require a point-oh-eight blood alcohol standard for judging drunken drivers. States, which fail to enact the tougher standard, would lose a portion of the federal money set aside for highway construction.Representative Chuck Larson of Cedar Rapids has been chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, a panel which enacts and reviews Iowa’s drunken driving laws. He supports the change, and Larson says the loss of federal highway funds is a big incentive for the state to take action.Just 18 of the 50 states have the point-oh-eight drunken driving standard.A bill to establish point-oh-eight in Iowa cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee last spring but the full Senate never acted on it. Larson says there were not enough “yes” votes on the House Judiciary Committee to pass the bill.