“Emma’s Law” Moves to the House floor

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “Emma would want us to stick this out. She would want us to save other little girls and other little boys,” says Karen Longstreet, Emma Longstreet’s mother. David and Karen Longstreet were emotional Tuesday afternoon after a unanimous vote to move the bill, named after their six year old daughter, to the house floor. “We weren’t doing anything wrong, we were wearing our seatbelts. We were on our way to church,” says Karen Longstreet when talking about the day Emma was killed by a now convicted drunk driver. If passed, “Emma’s Law,” will require someone convicted of a DUI to have an ignition interlock device placed on their car. While the bill is moving forward, it did meet a bit of drama in a SC House Judiciary Committee. Democratic Representative Todd Rutherford proposed this change: “Someone that has been charged with a DUI first offense, can then, depending on what they blow, voluntarily plead guilty into an interlock program. Once in that interlock program and you successfully complete it, either 6 months if you blow below a .15 or 1 year if you blow above a .15. After 3 years good behavior, you can apply for your record, as it relates to your employer, to be expunged,” says Rutherford, D-Richland But it failed in an 11-11 vote. Meanwhile, Senator Lourie is happy with today’s outcome. “We’re moving, I’m much more optimistic than I was a few weeks ago, that we would get this bill to the finish line,” says Senator Joel Lourie, D-Richland As are the Longstreets. “I miss Emma so much, every day, every night in between,” says Karen Longstreet. “I just pray that something good can come out of this tragedy,” says Karen Longstreet