An Arkansas state legislator wants a bill that would require repeat convicted DWI offenders to have pink license plates on their vehicle. The special plates would be emblazoned with the letters ‘DWI’.

The actual wording of the bill says, "The DWI license plate shall be a bright pink color that is easily distinguishable from other license plates issued in the state."

Such ‘shame laws’ seem to be in vogue now, though their effectiveness in diminishing drunk driving is debated. Rep. Pam Adcock says however, "I think the only one that would be offended would be the drunk driver and I’m not worried about his feelings. If someone contacts me and says that they need help then I’ll try to help them, try to get them in some kind of treatment, but as far as them being embarrassed that is the furthest from my mind.”

Adcock’s bill would also require ignition interlock devices be installed in vehicles owned by someone convicted of three or more Arkansas DWI cases. Such a device disables a car’s ignition when alcohol is detected. The pink license plate would have to remain on a car as long as the interlock device is required.

The House Transportation Committee of the Arkansas Legislature has scheduled debate on the bill this week.

Ray Liotta was arrested for California DUI Saturday after crashing his SUV into two parked cars near his home in Pacific Palisades.

Los Angeles Police said that Liotta was taken into custody around 8:30 pm, booked for misdemeanor driving under the influence and released after posting bond. Liotta was alone in his car, and no one was injured.

The 52-year old actor starred in ‘Smoking Aces’, and he appears in the soon to be released comedy ‘Wild Hogs’. Liotta is best known for his role as a gangster in the movie ‘Goodfellas.’

Brutal honesty in Ohio – After being alerted by motorists, police officers caught up with Carl Hobbs, of Lorain, Ohio, around 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon as he was backing his pickup truck down a road to a driveway he had missed. Hobbs, 54, who was wearing surgical scrubs and latex gloves, refused a breath test and was unable to recite the alphabet beyond the letter ‘C’. When asked when he started drinking, Hobbs told police, “Saturday night”. When asked when he stopped drinking he replied, “I haven’t.” Hobbs was charged with his 11th Ohio DUI.

Making a political statement in Texas? – A security officer at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas alerted police to a woman who kept losing her balance while urinating in the parking lot of the Bush Library. Police stopped the 22-year old female nearby and a voluntary breath test showed a blood alcohol content more than twice the legal limit. She was charged with misdemeanor Texas driving while intoxicated.

A striking example of stupidity from Massachusetts – Paul Watson, 50, decided to steal a car. But he was drunk and he sideswiped several parked cars in his get away. In fact, he was so drunk that when Framingham police opened the car door, Watson fell out onto the street. He then proceeded to punch, kick and yell during his DWI arrest.

Beyond description in California – A routine speeding stop turned into a high-speed chase with a twist for an ending. California Highway Patrol says that, while being stopped for speeding, Scott Stack, of Davis, used his pickup truck to cause injury to an officer and he then fled the scene. During a chase at speeds up to 100 mph, a second police cruiser lost sight of Stack’s vehicle. The officer then saw a huge explosion from a nearby electric transformer. Arriving on the scene, the officer saw that the suspect’s truck had run off the road and sheared through a telephone pole, leaving live wires strewn everywhere. Stack was located by a CHP helicopter, as he had been ejected from his truck during the wreck. The accident site was strewn with pornographic materials, personal lubricant and panty hose that were thought to have come from Stack’s vehicle. Stack was booked on felony California DUI, felony assault and felony evading arrest.

Tracy Morgan pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor New York DWI charge. The 38-year old comedian entered the plea in Manhattan Criminal Court in exchange for a conditional discharge. That means if he meets all conditions of an agreement wit the court, his case will be dismissed.

Morgan was ordered to enter an alcohol awareness and rehabilitation program, perform community service and avoid arrest for six months. He was also required to pay a $1,000 fine and his driver’s license was suspended for six months.

Morgan was stopped by police at 4:30 am late last November and charged with DWI after failing a Breathalyzer test. At the time of that arrest, the actor was on probation for California drunk driving charge.

Morgan appeared on the NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live, and currently co-stars in the sitcom 30 Rock.

The lure of Savannah, Georgia, with its late night bars and dance clubs, meant potential trouble for the soldiers at Fort Stewart. An evening of fun the 45 mile return drive to the base could lead to a Georgia DUI or a drunk driving fatality. Commanders at the US Army post recognized the problem and decided to pursue a novel solution. They opened an on-base club.

$300,000 was spent converting a closed sports bar into Rocky’s, a bar and nightclub meant to compete with the party scene of Savannah. A DJ keeps the dance floor full with a loud sound system and synchronized lights. The main bar area has 18 flat-screen TVs and 10 video-game kiosks. There is also a mini-theater where patrons can watch DVDs on a 120-inch screen with surround-sound speakers.

Besides offering alcohol and dance, the commanders knew there was another necessary ingredient for the club’s success. They eased base access restrictions so civilians, especially women, could party at Rocky’s.

“We never want to glamorize alcohol, but we’ve got to be realistic about this,” said Garrison Commander Col. Todd Buchs, “If we know they’re going to drink, let’s provide a safe place for them to drink so we know they’re going to be alive the next morning.”

That concern is well founded, as traffic deaths among soldiers nationwide has risen 28 percent since soldiers began returning from the war in Iraq. Alcohol was involved in the deaths of at least seven of the 13 Fort Stewart soldiers killed in traffic accidents in 2006, Buchs said.

It has been nearly five months since Fort Stewart, home of the 19,000-soldier 3rd Infantry Division, has recorded a traffic death. Many consider Rocky’s, which opened last November, to be a contributing factor.

A daughter of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was charged with Illinois DUI earlier this week. Ann S. Banaszewski was stopped in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, Illinois Monday night around 7:30 pm after someone at a McDonald’s restaurant reported a possible drunk driver.

Banaszewski, 45, had three of her children in her 1996 Ford Econoline van, which lead to additional charges of child endangerment. Banaszewski reportedly submitted to field sobriety tests though Wheaton Deputy Police Chief Thomas Meloni did not disclose her blood alcohol level. He did indicate, however, that “probable cause was established to arrest and charge the driver with DUI.”

Banaszewski was booked at the Wheaton Police Station and later released on a personal recognizance bond. In keeping with standard procedure, her children were taken by a police officer to the home of a family friend.

The Oxford, Mississippi Police Department and the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office have initiated a new policy requiring Mississippi DUI suspects to be held in jail for four hours before being released on bond.

Previously, a person arrested for drunk driving would be released to a sober person, older than 21, who would assume responsibility for the offender. That included agreeing to make sure the intoxicated person did not get behind the wheel of a car before sobering up.

Oxford Assistant Police Chief Mike Martin says that safety and liability were the two prime reasons for the change in policy. If a DUI offender remained legally drunk and happened to injure someone after being released, the police department might be liable. Police records indicate that officers have often had to arrest a person twice in one night for DUI. The four hour delay before release minimizes the threat posed to public safety by the offender.

The mandatory jail time will be applied to anyone stopped for driving under the influence, whether it be from alcohol or drugs.

The Santa Fe, New Mexico city council recently adopted an ordinance that allows police to confiscate and sell vehicles owned by motorists charged with DWI. The ordinance goes into effect when someone is accused of a third New Mexico DWI or if a motorist is found operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license.

Intended to be the ultimate deterrent, it is a controversial move because it allows a vehicle to be seized even if the driver is not convicted of the DWI charge. The New Mexico chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is considering filing suit against the ordinance, claiming it takes property without due process. The Santa Fe plan calls for a city employee to conduct an administrative hearing and decide whether to confiscate a vehicle.

The Santa Fe City Council expects to create $300,000 in annual revenue with the seizure ordinance.

Denise Laurenson is scheduled to conduct a press conference today in front of the Caddo Parish Courthouse in Shreveport to announce the formation of a new Louisiana DWI advocacy group.

The Louisiana DWI Resource Center will be a non-profit organization aimed at reducing the number of DWI incidents and alcohol related injuries in the state. The Center will maintain a database of DWI information and victim’s rights. It will utilize public awareness campaigns, alcohol abuse education, drunk driving prevention efforts and research in its mission to reduce Louisiana DWI.

Laurenson is the mother of a high school student killed by a speeding drunk driver in 2004. She says the Louisiana DWI Resource Center will be an ongoing effort to stress that “drinking and driving kills.”

Virginia state legislators have reached a compromise on a bill that would levy ‘abuser’ fees on certain drivers. The bill that was agreed upon by the Commonwealth Transportation Board calls for the state’s worst drivers, including those charged with Virginia DUI, to pay a civil penalty for three consecutive years.

In the case of a DUI, the fine would be $750 each year. Other driving offenses would be subject to similar fines, especially if drivers accrue eight demerits on their driving record.

The legislation is now up for a vote in the House and Senate.