The bill's sponsor, Republican Sen. Jim Waring of Phoenix, said he supported Schapira's addition to his bill - one of several DUI measure's he's sponsoring this year - as long as it doesn't jeopardize passage of the original measure.

"There are a lot of victims rooting for this bill," Waring said of the stricter sentencing provisions that he said are aimed at experienced hard-core drinkers who repeatedly drink drive.

Schapira, whose amendment drew bipartisan support during Thursday's floor session, said the ignition interlock requirement would augment tougher sentences, partly by taking the decision of whether somebody is fit to drive out of their hands.

"We need some further deterrent," he said. "We've got to think outside the box."

Cost for the devices, typically $120 for installation and $60-$70 a month for monitoring, would be borne by offenders, Schapira added.

Advocates voiced support during interviews Monday.

"Anything that's going to make it more difficult for people to get behind the wheel when they've been drinking just makes sense," said Dale Norris, a retired Phoenix police officer who is executive director for the Arizona Police Association.

The father of Rob Targosz, a Gilbert police officer killed in a crash involving a man accused of drunken driving, said the state needs to try whatever technological means are available to combat drunken driving.

"Most of these accidents occur with the repeat offenders so we' trying to do what we can to lessen the number that are lost every year," said Gene Targosz of Phoenix.

The New Mexico Legislature this year expanded that state's requirement to require people who moved to New Mexico with a drunken driving conviction to install an ignition interlock in their vehicle.

New Mexico's 2005 law requires interlocks for all New Mexicans convicted of drunken driving - one year of the device for a first offense, two years for a second offense, three years for a third offense and lifetime for four offenses or more.

This information is courtesy of http://www.zwire.com/

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COMMENT BY ATTORNEY LOSS:

"Anything that's going to make it more difficult for people to get behind the wheel when they've been drinking just makes sense,' said Dale Norris, a retired Phoenix police officer who is executive director for the Arizona Police Association."

OF COURSE IT MAKES SENSE IF YOU ARE TARGETING "DRINKING" DRIVERS RATHER THAN "DRUNK" DRIVERS. THIS LEGISLATION BELIES THE PERVERSE, PROHIBITIONIST MENTALITY THAT UNDERGIRDS THIS MOST RECENT FEEDING FRENZY OF "FEEL-GOOD" DUI LAWS. THESE LAWS PANDER TO MADD AND THE LEGISLSATIVE AND MEDIA WHORES THAT ABET THEM! IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO DRINK AND DRIVE IN ARIZONA OR ANY OTHER STATE! THESE IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICES DO NOT TARGET DRIVERS WHO ARE OVER THE LEGAL LIMIT. THEY TARGET DRIVERS WITH ANY ALCOHOL IN THEIR SYSTEM.

REMEMBER, THESE MOST RECENT IDIOTIC LAWS ONLY APPLY IF YOU ARE CONVICTED OF THE DUI CHARGES. THE GOVERNMENT IS EVEN RUNNING T.V. ADS TELLING YOU THAT YOU CAN'T WIN YOUR CASE. THAT'S BULLSHIT! WE CAN AND DO WIN THESE CASES. THEY JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO FIGHT THE CHARGES!