As they contemplate legislation that would hold drunk drivers financially liable for the children of crash victims, Mississippi lawmakers face a critical deadline.
The House and Senate members must approve the legislation, also referred to as “Bentley’s Law,” out of committee by February 4 in order for them to succeed.
In order to provide financial support to those who have lost a parent in a drunk driving accident, the law would require convicted drunk drivers to pay child support to the surviving children of victims until they turn 18.
The law bears Bentley Mize’s name, a little child whose family was tragically slain in an accident brought on by an intoxicated motorist.
The necessity for legislation that guarantee intoxicated drivers are held responsible for the long-term effects of their acts, particularly on defenseless children who lose their parents in such collisions, has been highlighted by Bentley’s tragedy.
The purpose of the statute was to give some financial assistance to children who lose their parents as a result of the carelessness of an intoxicated motorist.
The measure has the strong support of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), an organization that has long pushed for harsher penalties for driving while intoxicated.
In the hopes that it will bring justice and safety to children left behind following a drunk driving death, the group has been working nonstop to see that this law is passed.
“The past three years this has been introduced. The bill has been introduced. So, we are pleading that year four will make a difference. 2025 legislative session, let’s make a difference,” MADD National Ambassador Prisca Osunsan stated.
State Representative William Arnold introduced House Bill 618, and Senator Angela Burks Hill is supporting Senate Bill 2487. Both proposals are being sponsored in the Mississippi Legislature.
Many people find personal meaning in the campaign for Bentley’s Law, such as Osunsan, a Clinton, Mississippi lady who lost her brother, John Michael Patrick Jr., in a drunk driving accident over eighteen years ago.
Three years before to John Jr.’s passing, Osunsan’s mother had joined MADD following his learner’s permit.
Her commitment to achieving justice for families impacted by drunk driving has been strengthened by the death of her brother.
Similar versions of Bentley’s Law have already been passed in six other states, but Mississippi’s measures will not stand a chance.
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“She wanted to be a proactive parent, and so when our crash happened in 2007, MADD was already there. We had the support,” Osunsan stated. “So MADD was there the week my brother was killed. They were at our house. They were with us every step of the way, even through the court process”.
The legislative process will end if they are not voted out of committee by February 4.
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The children who stand to gain from the bill if it becomes law, as well as the families who have been supporting it, have a lot on the line.
The law is viewed as a step toward holding intoxicated drivers accountable for their acts in the long run, especially with regard to the financial security of the children left behind after a disaster.
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