Oops, he did it again! State Rep. Jeff Wood, I-Chippewa Falls, wound up in a situation he knew all too well: Stumbling feet, a set of car keys, an unsympathetic police officer and a blood alcohol content well over .08 percent. No, he wasn't tripping through the stands, jingling his keys while the stadium police were in hot pursuit at the Ohio State game; instead he was being issued a fourth OWI in a squad car ride to the Marathon County police station.
Wood's history of driving while intoxicated doesn't end with this recent late night jaunt. Three additional incidents also scar his permanent record—two of which occurred while Wood held office, with the first in his teenage years. This fourth offense clearly demonstrates Wood hasn't learned his lesson. While circuit courts rule in OWI cases quite often, it is rare for public figures to engage in this type of behavior.
But through the years, Wood has managed keep his title of assemblyman by making half-hearted apologies to publications. In a 2008 Wisconsin Journal Sentinel article he claimed, ""This is not typical behavior for me, but unfortunately I drank too much and exercised very poor judgment.""
If by ""not typical,"" Wood meant to say ""on a yearly basis,"" then his statement is credible. Unfortunately, Wood's fourth offense received only meager punishments. On top of his 60-day jail sentence and 30-month license suspension, the state representative finally agreed not to run for his seat in the next election. Whether Wood felt this decision deserved an inspiring slow clap or not, the question of why it took four OWI's to stimulate his pronouncement remains a concern.
As far as I know, state representatives represent the state and last time I checked Wisconsin doesn't support drunk driving. While we may be the only state where first-offense drunk driving is considered a civil offense rather than a criminal one, the recent passage of legislation making a fourth offense OWI a felony portrays feeble efforts to push Wisconsin in sobriety's direction.
According to the State Department of Transportation, Wisconsin has the highest drunken driving rate in the country, with 238 people killed in drunk driving-related accidents in 2009—45 percent of Wisconsin's fatal traffic accidents. It is obvious that there is substantial need for more effective reform that advocates stronger penal measures for just one drunk driving offense.
And rather than act as a role model to younger generations, Wood's behavior perfectly exemplifies this necessity. Driving drunk is not an accident. Whether you are in a proper state of mind or not, it is still a conscious decision that risks the lives of others. Offenders should be subject to harsh penalties regardless of the OWI arrests clipped off their punch card.
The severity of the matter justifiably spotlights Wood's ability to maintain office through all four of his misdemeanors. The fact that he avoided expulsion with his previous two offenses shows constituents Wisconsin isn't serious about reforming drunk driving legislation. And because Wood's charges took place before the state passed its legislation to make a fourth OWI a felony, Wood only faces a few slaps on the wrist.
Sam Witthuhn is a junior majoring in political science and journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.Wisconsin's failure to effectively punish Wood for his repeated behavior along with his ability to remain a Wisconsin State Representative shows that stronger and more serious efforts to prevent drunk driving need to stay on the House agenda. The fact that Wood held office seems like a crime on its own, but with Wisconsin's currently weak legal ramifications, it's anything but surprising.
