KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers Kansas City, Missouri. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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If you have thought about driving while intoxicated, a bill recently passed in Missouri may make you think twice.
Missouri House Bill 1740, also known as Melanie's Law, includes tougher penalties for driving while intoxicated.
The legislation is named after Melanie Wankum, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2022 in Jefferson City.
KSHB 41 Kansas City reporter Alyssa Jackson connected with another mother whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver in Independence, Missouri.
Lyla Lane has made a home for dozens of people through her recovery program, Saving Others by Being Responsible (SOBBR). Her own home hasn’t been the same since 2021.
"My daughter dying was astronomically difficult for me," Lane said. "I can’t even put into words some days how much it’s changed my life."
Her daughter, 17-year-old Skyelar Kelly, was killed by a drunk driver on Feb. 10, 2021.
Kelly was taking her friends home when a driver going the wrong way on Little Blue Parkway at 100 mph killed her and another passenger in the car, according to Lane.
Lane said the driver had 96 ounces of alcohol in his system, and he was recently off probation for a DUI.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but that prison time could have been longer if HB 1740 existed.
"You could’ve waited on that ride and my daughter would possibly still be here," Lane said.
The bill, if signed into law by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, makes impaired driving a class A felony, carrying a maximum of 30 years or life in prison if an offender causes the death of a person.
"You killed two, severely injured two — those people’s lives are worthwhile. Absolutely, I think the bill is going to make some huge ground. We’re slowly gaining ground," Lane said.
Lane, an advocate for Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD), started the Skyelar Kelly Memorial Scholarship for graduating seniors in the Oak Grove School District.
Current law mandates an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) for a second or subsequent offense for a blood alcohol content (BAC) over 0.08%. A vehicle interlock device for first-time offenders is based on a judge's discretion.
HB 1740 adds another stipulation. If a first-time offender's intoxication level is 0.15%, nearly double the legal limit, they will have to install a breathalyzer or IID in their vehicle.
One of the bill’s sponsors, State Rep. Mark Sharp, D-District 37, has been trying to pass the vehicle interlock portion of the legislation for five years.
"People need to be more responsible. If you have a friend visibly impaired, call them an Uber. Let them crash on the couch or in an extra bedroom," Rep. Sharp said. "We have to protect our friends and family members from making bad mistakes, even if they don’t want to."
The Missouri Department of Transportation supervises the IID program.
The bill includes provisions that allow affordable options for lower-income offenders. It requires the device to be installed for at least six months — a judge will determine the mandated length of time.
"The whole point is to try to reduce the amount of impaired driving on our roadways in Missouri, particularly in Kansas City," Rep. Sharp said. "If we have to increase the penalties, that’s what we have to do."
The bill also requires a convicted driver to pay restitution if an offender causes the death of a parent.
Ahead of Memorial Day, Missouri State Highway Patrol shared state troopers arrested 81 individuals for driving while intoxicated over the holiday weekend last year.
According to Rep. Sharp, if this bill were signed into law in 2025, over 7,000 breathalyzer devices would have been installed.
If Gov. Kehoe signs the bill into law, it would take effect on Aug. 28.
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