New Tennessee bill: Drunk drivers who kill a parent will pay child support to that person’s children – By Allah Pundit (Hot Air) / April 22, 2022
Whenever I hear of a new law passing (or on the verge of passing) somewhere, my libertarian reflex activates. Do we really need this? Will it do more good than harm? It’s a rebuttable presumption that whatever the new statute might be, it’s probably unnecessary in a culture that already overpenalizes behavior.
That said, I like this one.
The strongest criticism I can think of is that it’s unlikely to deter anyone. If you’re willing to risk killing someone and doing a long stretch in prison because you insist on driving when you’re wasted, the prospect of also having to pay child support to the victim’s family won’t make you think twice.
But so what? The law aims to do justice. Forcing a reckless killer to make restitution to their victim’s children is just, whatever its deterrent potential.
