St. Louis Congressman Jim Talent denies he avoided a vote on establishing .08 as the blood alcohol content standard for drunk driving. Democrats are being critical of Talent’s absence in Washington when the House approved a transportation bill containing the .08 provision State Democratic Party executive director Roy Temple points out Talent has made transportation safety a big part of his campaign for governor. Talent says he knew the bill would pass easily and he skipped the vote to make an engagement in Kansas City. He says there’s no reason for him to avoid a vote on the matter.
