MADDvocate - Winter 2009 - (Page 7)

Advocacy in Action Progress in the Golden State by Janie Bryan Loveless, B.A., MLA, MADD National Communications Manager M Matthew Klotzbach, pictured here at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, was killed in a drunk driving crash on July 27, 2001. ADD California volunteer Mary Klotzbach should be cloned. Her tireless efforts were instrumental in getting bill AB 91 passed in California—an enormous opportunity to demonstrate how ignition interlocks can effectively reduce DUI collisions, injuries and fatalities. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law on October 11, 2009. AB 91, also called Matthew’s Law, creates a pilot program in four California counties—Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Tulare—requiring interlocks in the vehicles of all convicted DUI offenders during the six-year pilot period, January 2010 to January 2016. If offenders complete a mandatory suspension period with interlocks installed in their vehicles for a prescribed time period, they can receive restricted drivers’ licenses. They must also participate in a county alcohol and drug assessment program. As a volunteer and MADD California’s public policy chair, Klotzbach teamed up with MADD volunteer Paul Broyles to visit legislators and show how AB 91 and interlocks can help MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving. “We kept each other centered,” Klotzbach says. “We had each other’s back.” MADD volunteer Kathy McKaskey also contributed signi cantly to this grassroots effort. Making It Personal Klotzbach, Broyles and McKaskey share another bond. They’ve all experienced the death of a child to drunk driving—Broyles’ daughter, Michelle Broyles Benjamin, 29; McKaskey’s son, Matthew, 22; and Klotzbach’s son, Matthew, 22. Klotzbach herself was physically and emotionally injured in Matt’s fatal crash July 29, 2001, unable to work as a nurse for 15 months or drive for 11 months. A passionate MADD supporter, Klotzbach speaks frequently at “Every 15 Minutes” school presentations and promotes California’s Walk Like MADD 5K events. Her testimony before legislators in 2005 helped ensure the continuation of memorial signs along California roads, helping to spread the message about drunk driving while honoring loved ones killed in alcohol-related crashes. With the memory of Matthew keeping her strong, Klotzbach primarily focuses on her husband, Tom, and three grown children: Katie, Roy Michael and Kerry Anne. Mary Klotzbach’s efforts to pass Matthew’s Law honor Matt’s memory. She gained an impressive list of Have you been involved in effecting supporters, including medical eld change in your state or community? organizations. “It’s a matter of buildWe want to hear your story! Visit ing a coalition,” she says. “It’s also a www.madd.org/maddvocate labor of love and the desire to prevent or e-mail Debbie Weir at another mother, father, sister or brother from experiencing the same pain from debbie.weir@madd.org. such a preventable tragedy.” Send Us Your Story Winter 2009 | MADDvocate http://www.madd.org/maddvocate

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MADDvocate - Winter 2009

MADDvocate - Winter 2009
Contents
Across the Nation
Court Reporting
Advocacy in Action
Insurance Crash Course
Stuck in Grief
Prepping for Surgeries
It’s Contagious
Legally Speaking
Healing Journey

MADDvocate - Winter 2009

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