Fullerton GOP Lawmaker Votes To Limit DUI Checkpoint 'Fishing Expeditions'
SACRAMENTO (CBS/AP) — A Fullerton lawmaker crossed partisan lines on Friday to throw his support behind a Democratic bill to regulate drunken driving checkpoints.
Assemblyman Chris Norby, a Republican from Fullerton, said he voted for AB1389 because checkpoints are nothing more than "fishing expeditions" that target drivers without licenses.
The legislation, which was approved by the state Assembly on a 51-19 vote, was introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Michael Allen of Santa Rosa to ensure cities hold the checkpoints on streets where drunken driving is a problem.
Norby says cities make money by impounding vehicles that often belong to illegal immigrants who can't get licenses and end up stranded.
The bill would prohibit impoundments if someone picks up the unlicensed driver and the car.
Other Republicans opposed the bill, which now goes to the Senate, saying it restricts law enforcement.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
