May 21, 2017      6:46 PM

Lawmakers may be close to the partial repeal of the Driver Responsibility Program

“Unfortunately, the most likely vehicle for the repeal of the DRP is looking like its solution could be worse than the disease.”

A bill to repeal the Driver Responsibility Program could hit the floor of the Senate tonight, but even those most supportive of the concept consider House Bill 2068 to be far from ideal.

But, as sponsor Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, told his colleagues on the House floor, it’s the best plan the state has got right now to reduce the footprint of the program and still fund trauma care. That’s the up side. The down side is that everyone getting a ticket in Texas soon could pay an additional $20 charge to fund trauma care, until other funding is found.

Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, is carrying HB 2068 in the Senate. In a post shared on the Grits for Breakfast criminal justice blog last Thursday, Attorney Emily Gerrick of the Texas Fair Defense Project said the bill will have limited impact without additional floor amendments.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright May 21, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved