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By Emmy Martin, correspondent News & Observer

Lawmakers are working across the aisle to advocate for a bill introduced earlier this year to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration limit for operating vehicles from 0.08 to 0.05.

Democratic Rep. Eric Ager will lead a press conference on Tuesday at noon about the bill with the WNC Regional DWI Task Force president Ellen Pitt, law enforcement officials and family members of victims affected by drunken driving.

Ager is a primary sponsor of the bill alongside Republican Rep. Mike Clampitt, who introduced House Bill 108 in February. Republican Reps. Keith Kidwell and Brian Echevarria are also primary sponsors on the bill.

This isn’t Clampitt’s first attempt. He filed a bill that would lower the legal limit in 2023, The News & Observer reported at the time.

HB 108 also strengthens penalties for adults who enable underage alcohol purchases involved in serious injury and creates a pathway for repeat offenders to regain limited driving privileges by proving sobriety.

It also requires the recording of district court proceedings and public reporting on impaired-driving cases.

Utah lowered its limit in 2017 when it passed a bill changing the limit to 0.05%. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study that found a nearly 20% reduction in car crashes in Utah between 2016 and 2019.

In a statement, Clampitt called the bill “the most comprehensive and potentially the most lifesaving legislation” in nearly two decades.