Berman Backs Repeal of Driver Responsibility Program

AUSTIN — An East Texan’s on board as the Legislature next month is poised to repeal the Driver Responsibility Program. It was supposed to punish bad drivers and raise money for the state, but State Representative Leo Berman of Tyler says it never accomplished either one. The idea was to slap surcharges of as much as $2,000 a year on motorists who were convicted of traffic offenses. Berman says, “I think it’s double, triple, and quadruple jeopardy, and I’ve been offered help in the Senate…by a Democrat who wants to help with that bill.” Most motorists either can’t afford to pay the surcharges or simply ignore them, meaning they are driving without a license or insurance — and that means the roads are even more dangerous. It’s estimated that one in six Texas drivers owe a total of more than a billion dollars in surcharges.