When you hear the word "vehicle," you most likely think of a car. And most of us would agree that a boat is a vehicle as well. In Alabama, if you kill someone while drinking and driving you will be sentenced from one to 10 years in prison. But if you kill someone while operating a boat under the influence, the maximum sentence is only five years. Your victim is still just as dead, but the punishment is only half as harsh. Doesn't seem to make much sense, does it? Currently, a small handful of state lawmakers and District Attorneys are working to do something about it. They want to change homicide by boat from an unclassified felony to a Class C felony with the same sentence as killing someone while drinking and driving. We're blessed to have an abundance of rivers and lakes in the Valley and now is the time of year when families and friends spend their weekends fishing, skiing or just relaxing on the water. They should be able to do so safely. Contact your state representatives and urge them to change the law. I'm Vanessa Oubre and that's my take. What's yours?
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