PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE

Saturday, November 4, 2000

Bush retained a Texas driver's license while his Maine one was suspended

By BETSY BLANEY
Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) — If George W. Bush were convicted now of driving while intoxicated in another state, his Texas license might be suspended for 3 months, officials said Friday.

Current rules for how alcohol-related incidents are handled in Texas for an offense in another state are different from those that were in place in 1976, when Bush was arrested and convicted of the misdemeanor DUI in Maine, said Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger.

Had the incident occurred in 2000, officials in Texas would be notified of the conviction by Maine officials.

Bush would have been given the option of either requesting an administrative hearing before a Texas judge or having his Texas license suspended for 90 days.

If Bush chose the former, the judge would determine what action would be taken, Vinger said. “The judge could do nothing ... or he could do it for longer or anywhere in between,” Vinger said.

In 1976, if Texas officials had been notified, an administrative hearing would have been held and a judge would have determined whether to suspend a person's license, Vinger said. The suspension would fall off a record in 10 years, he said.

Bush had his driving privileges suspended for almost two years after the DUI conviction. He did not have a Maine driver's license at the time.

His driving privileges were reinstated on July 25, 1978, after an administrative hearing which was conducted by phone, records show.

His Texas driver's license was not suspended as a result of the conviction, Vinger said.

Bush filled out his application for a driver's license in 1961. He received a different identification number after he became governor. The DPS offered Bush a new number, Vinger said.

Typically, unless there is evidence of theft or misuse, an individual cannot get another number.

“Periodically, as low numbers come up, we have offered them to various officials,” Vinger said. “It's kind of a courtesy type thing that we offer. It's not a special number. It's not a new number.”

When someone renews an existing driver's license, they do not have to answer questions pertaining to arrests or convictions involving intoxication or other criminal activity, Vinger said.

“It's all medical,” Vinger said.