State Senator Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) and the state Legislature have passed a bill Tuesday designed to keep repeat drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.

If approved by the governor, Fuschillo says the new laws will be some of the toughest in the nation. He says they include doubling jail time, increasing fines and even requiring breathalyzer-controlled ignition switches in cars of drivers convicted of having a blood-alcohol level over .18. Nassau District Attorney Kathleen Rice says she hopes the legislation is the beginning of real discussions and real reforms on the issue.

Governor Pataki (R-NY) is expected to sign the bill into law in the next few weeks.