A bill that would have strengthened drunk-driving laws in South Carolina, has officially been killed for this legislative session. The most notable opposition to the bill came from the self-serving interests of Rep. Todd Rutherford (D-Richland) and other defense attorneys. Amazingly, those interests were able to overcome nearly 80 backers and a strong push by Gov. Mark Sanford.

“We’re holding out hope we can get it across the finish line next year, and we will be making a very strong push for it,” said Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said when contacted last week.

South Carolina in recent years has consistently ranked near the top nationally in drunken-driving fatality rates.

The bill would rewrite existing DUI laws by tying penalties to a driver’s blood-alcohol level – the higher the level, the stiffer the punishment.

It also would close what supporters contend are loopholes that make it easier for cases to get dismissed. [RICK BRUNDRETT, McClatchy Newspapers]

There was no justifiable reason for this bill to receive anything other than overwhelming bipartisan support. Yet it failed because of blatant conflicts of interest by a handful of trial lawyers who stand to gain more financially from its death, regardless of how many innocent lives it endangers.

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, who chairs a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that will consider the bill, said last week no Senate meetings are planned before the end of the session this week.

“The practicality was that we couldn’t get something as voluminous as that to do something on it [this session],” he said.

He added, though, his subcommittee plans to hold hearings this summer or fall “so we can try to get it ready by January.”

Laura Hudson, spokeswoman for the S.C. Victim Assistance Network, is skeptical about Hutto, a criminal defense lawyer who handles DUI cases.

“Hutto is totally against it,” she said. “I think he is speaking with forked tongue.” [RICK BRUNDRETT, McClatchy Newspapers]