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Missouri could lose highway construction funding for lack of drunk driving laws

JEFFERSON CITY _ Missouri will lose 12 million dollars of federal highway construction funding if an open container law is not passed. Farrah Fite has the story from Jefferson City.

Federal guidelines mandate that a repeat offender law along with an open container law that prohibits any open container or comsumption of alcohol in a car must be passed by the state or federal funding will be redirected.

Senator Morris Westfall filed an open container law to keep construction dollars from being used for highway safety education.

Westfall anticipates the bill will pass this coming legislative session, beating the federal deadline of October 1st, 2000. Farrah Fite from Jefferson City.