A group of law enforcement officers, elected officials and concerned citizens is renewing its years-long effort to get a series of new laws through the General Assembly this year. 

The day before Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as “Blackout Wednesday,” a nod to the fact that it is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, a day when old friends and family are back in town with a holiday ahead to recover. 

Western North Carolina’s regional DWI taskforce has renewed its push to pass several new drunk-driving bills into law during next year’s long session in Raleigh. 

As the May 4 deadline for crossover approaches in the North Carolina General Assembly, a last-minute push has begun to get a series of bills to crack down on drunk driving to the House floor.