The West Virginia Legislature has passed a bill that intends to crack down on drivers who are under the influence of drugs but is weaker than a previous version.
The bill passed Saturday would not revoke a driver's license if a person refuses to take a blood test.
Currently, if a driver refuses a breath test, the state can revoke their driver's license. Breath tests are useless for detecting drugs, so Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and the House of Delegates proposed instituting the same punishment for refusing a blood test.
But the Senate removed the punishment, citing concerns that blood tests are very intrusive.
The final bill gives police more time after an arrest to seek a search warrant that would allow them to do a blood test.
Currently, if a driver refuses a breath test, the state can revoke their driver's license. Breath tests are useless for detecting drugs, so Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and the House of Delegates proposed instituting the same punishment for refusing a blood test.
But the Senate removed the punishment, citing concerns that blood tests are very intrusive.
The final bill gives police more time after an arrest to seek a search warrant that would allow them to do a blood test.
