Bill Lightening Penalty For Underage Drinking Moves Ahead

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - Michigan lawmakers are moving to lighten the penalty for underage drinking, making a first offense a civil infraction instead of a misdemeanor crime.

The House on Tuesday voted for the change 105-1. The Senate, which passed the legislation previously, is expected to move it to Gov. Rick Snyder soon.

Under the legislation, minors would be fined $100 on the first offense. The second offense is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days and a $200 fine. The third offense would suspend drivers' licenses for minors caught with alcohol, which already is the case. Penalties would increase to up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine for subsequent violations. At each offense, the judge would be able to order substance abuse treatment or community service.

The bill sponsor, Republican Sen. Rick Jones, says the minor-in-possession law is clogging up the courts and hurting young people's ability to get into college or work.

"During my time as a sheriff, I saw the terrible and often tragic effects of underage drinking," Jones said in a statement. "My bill is about smarter justice. It balances the need to deter young people from drinking with the understanding that students who make mistakes shouldn't end up with criminal records that follow them for the rest of their lives."

In 2014, there were about 9,300 first-offense convictions for underage drinking.

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