OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The third time could be the charm for a lower blood alcohol content (BAC) limit in Washington state.

State senators brought SB 5067 to an executive session on Tuesday, Feb. 25. If passed, the bill would lower the state’s legal BAC limit from the current 0.08% to 0.05%.

Similar bills did not make it through the past two legislative sessions, despite strong bipartisan support.

Some prosecutors argue that lowering the BAC threshold would strain an already-backlogged judicial system in the state. But lawmakers emphasize a staggering increase in DUI crashes since 2019 as a reason to move the bill forward.