Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney continued his two-day rally in Albany today calling on lawmakers, with the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY), to pass a bill that would close the loopholes in the drugged driving law that make it unworkable.

Gov. Kathy Hochul ended 2023 by vetoing the Grieving Families Act for a second time, which ignited frustration among area families who have lost a loved one in a wrongful death incident and have advocated for years for the bill to be passed. 

Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed — for the second consecutive year — the Grieving Families act, which had widespread support in both parties and chambers in Albany.

The news was a blow to families living with staggering loss — efforts to have the Grieving Families Act signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul had, once again, been vetoed.

Those advocating for the Grieving Families Act bill said would bring equity to those who have lost loved ones in wrongful death cases.

Families who have lost loved ones in car accidents and other tragedies are ramping up the pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul.

They want her to update New York’s more than 150-year-old law governing civil lawsuits — saying this is about more than money

Alisa McMorris smiles when she talks about her son Andrew, who, in his 12 years, found several passions in life.

"My son Andrew was what we call a renaissance man...we believed him to be an old soul," she says. "He lived far beyond his years at 12 years old, he was a painter, artist, musician."

The day before Thanksgiving is known as "Blackout Wednesday," and law enforcement agencies are warning people who consume drugs or alcohol at gatherings not to drive impaired. 

Grieving parents joined the effort Monday on Long Island to push for stricter laws. 

Grieving parents stand with community leaders, the police, and local dignitaries to encourage drivers to be safe this holiday season.

Grieving parents who lost their children to drunk and drugged driving stood with law enforcement to beg people not to get behind the wheel impaired this holiday week.

They say while they encourage people to enjoy their Thanksgiving week, they should always have a plan for a sober ride home. Police say they will be stepping up patrols island-wide this week.

It’s so familiar that most people know it very well: if you drink and drive, the penalties are stiff. If a person who drinks and drives causes a crash, the consequences are severe. However, when it comes to driving while impaired by a substance other than alcohol, the consequences are not as clear in New York State as they are for alcohol DWI.

A group of families that have been directly affected by this situation joined on Monday with law enforcement leaders and others to call for proposed legislation that addresses this situation to be adopted as law.

Parents whose kids were killed by drunk or drugged-up drivers joined Long Island law enforcement Monday to push for a state law that would allow cops to crack down on dangerous, impaired motorists.

Members of the media joined the Carpenter family, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney and others as they viewed the two vehicles at the barracks involved in the crash: Guzman's Chevrolet Silverado and Carpenter's Ford Escape, both of which sustained significant damage.

Tierney said state laws allowing prosecutors to bring charges against drugged drivers have dangerous loopholes that endanger the public.

While on a boy scout hike, in Sep. 2018, 12-year-old Andrew McMorris was struck and killed by a drunk driver. Friday at an Assembly committee hearing on impaired driving, the McMorris family traveled to Albany to tell lawmakers Andrew's story.

A heartbroken Long Island mother is pushing for the passage of a new state law that would lower the legal blood alcohol content limit for charging someone with driving while intoxicated.

On the day that marked 1,591 long days since Alisa and John McMorris of Wading River lost their son, Andrew — Andrew was killed by a drunk driver while out hiking with his Boy Scout troop in Manorville in 2018 — the heartbroken parents traveled with others to Albany to advocate for lowering the legal blood alcohol limit in New York from .08 to .05.

Alisa & Arianna McMorris represented MADD and AMF at a NYC Press Conference for a safer holiday, joining The New York City Police Department (NYPD), the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH).

The McMorris family of Wading River recently joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving to honor Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-Brooklyn) for his efforts last year to help advance legislation to increase drunk driving prevention technology.

The Andrew McMorris Foundation was honored to present MADD’s Legislative Hero award to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his leadership in making drunk driving prevention technology part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Andrew McMorris Foundation will be helping MADD present U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader, with its “Legislative Hero” award for his commitment to saving lives by advancing automotive safety technology on Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. The award will be presented at West Hills County Park by AMF’s Alisa McMorris and MADD volunteer Sheila Lockwood, whose 23-year-old son Austin was killed by a drunk driver in 2018.

New York State residents: MADD and AMF need your help to pass three bills that will help stop impaired driving in our state. Drunk driving increased during the pandemic: from 2019 to 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk driving deaths increased from 256 to 283—an 11% increase! Lawmakers must advance DWI reforms to ensure New York roadways are safe for all residents.