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Colorado Finally Has A Felony DUI Law After Many Failed Attempts

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) - It's a measure that's been defeated year after year in the Colorado state Legislature, but not this time. On Monday Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill making four DUIs in a lifetime a felony.

The law also includes stiffer penalties for second and third DUIs as well.

On a second DUI, long before hitting the felony point, offenders are required to have a device that is installed on vehicles to prohibit individuals from starting and operating a vehicle while under the influence. A judge could order the interlock installed for five years.

On a third DUI, offenders face community corrections. If that doesn't stop somebody from driving drunk, the offender now faces a felony.

Colorado has now joined the 45 other states that have made repeat drunk driving a felony.

"We couldn't get it done last year. It was very frustrating. So we put it in the State of the State speech just to put everyone on record that this was going to be a priority this year," Hickenlooper said.

Families that have seen loved ones injured or killed by drunk drivers also made it a priority. Gary and Deb Grenske showed up for every hearing for three years.

"It's the least we could do because we're the lucky ones. Our son is still alive," Gary Grenske said.

RELATED: Gov. Hickenlooper Signs Bill Making 4th DUI A Felony

"If we had passed this last year maybe we could have avoided a couple of deaths this year," said Mark Waller, a former state representative. "But at the end of the day I am happy to see it become law."

Waller was among the first to carry the bill. Others picked up where he left off.

"I think people said, 'How many more of these do we have to mourn?' " said Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver.

Johnston says it's families like Frank Martinez's family that lost a father and two sons to a habitual drunk driver that got it passed.

"I had to really lean on my faith just to really overcome some of my own feelings and to be able to put my family first and other families in this state," Martinez said.

John Hickenlooper DUI Bill
Gov. John Hickenlooper signs a bill into law on June 1, 2015, that makes it so repeat DUI offenders will face tougher penalties. (credit: CBS)

"Some people just languish with their losses and some people really lead from their losses," Johnston said. "These families made it their cause to say, 'We will make sure that our family members did not die in vain.' "

One of the big oppositions to the bill has been the cost -- $4 million next year because presumably more people will go to prison. Up to 1,800 people are convicted of four or more DUIs every year.

The law takes effect Aug. 5.

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