State Sen. Charles Fuschillo wants stiffer penalties for those boating under the influence of alcohol. Do you agree?
It's been a bad summer for area waters.
Three children were killed on July 4 when their boat sunk near Oyster Bay. The cause is still under investigation.
Last month, a West Islip man was killed by a drunk boater in the Great South Bay, according to police. Here in Massapequa, a man was after police said he slammed into a dock outside a home on Ocean Avenue.
On Thursday State Sen. Charles Fuschillo, R-Merrick, held a press conference to call for tougher penalties for boating accidents that involve alcohol.
Fuschillo, who is chairman of the State Senate’s Transportation Committee says he will introduce a bill that would:
Allow intoxicated boaters to face Class E felony charges if they had a child on the boat, just as they would if they were driving a car.
Create the charge of aggravated BUI for boaters with a blood alcohol level of .18 or higher, just as currently exists for driving under the influence offenses.
Create mandatory boating privilege suspensions for BUI offenders
Require s mandatory driver license suspension for BUI offenders
Ensure that DUI, BUI and snowmobiling under the influence (SUI) offenses are linked together when determining whether an individual is a repeat alcohol offender.
We want to know what you think of this proposal. Take our poll below and weigh in with your comments.
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