Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome back to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
I'm Kyle Malynn, editor of the Murders Newsletter. One of
the items that the state legislature is working on right
now is a different way to allow police officers to
test folks suspected of being intoxicated while driving. The State
(00:27):
House passed a measure that is now in the state
Senate that allows for a different type of testing strip
to be used to test folks with suspected of driving
with THHC or marijuana in their system. And somebody who
is in support of this legislation has joined us on
the line right now, Brian Swift, as a very tragic
(00:47):
story in relation to this, and Brian, we appreciate you
joining us on the show to talk about this.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you, Kyle, I appreciate you having me on so real.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Quickly explain these bills that we're talking about. This is
a different testing technique that you are supporting to make
sure that the police are able to get intoxicated people properly.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Charged, right, And it's really not new. This is not
a new way. My parents were killed in twenty thirteen
by a drug driver in the up Escanaba. I'm from Escanaba,
and so I've been working now over ten years. And
(01:31):
actually Michigan was the first state. We did a pilot,
a two year pilot in twenty fifteen and twenty sixteen
and proved that this technology is very viable and works,
and it detects things like opioids, Benzo's, cocaine, masts and
so it's just a quick swab test. You put it
(01:54):
in your mouth, you put it in the handheld device
that's carried by officers, and it can tell you in
five minutes, yes or no. Does somebody have a system
or a substance in their system they're not supposed to
have when they're driving. And so these things are used
all over the country. Again, Michigan used to be the
(02:16):
first state in the country. Now we're way behind. We
have thirty two other states right now that are doing this,
and around the world this tool has been used for years.
In fact, they just got off the call a week
ago and talked with people from Spain and all over
the world. They've done fifty million or fifty one million
(02:40):
tests alone this year and it's viable. It works and
gets people off the road before they kill people. Like
my parents or your loved ones, and we've got to
start using this technology.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
This technology, it's like you said, it's a saliva test,
but you're basically running something along the inside of people's cheeks.
And I think the concern has always been of privacy
and invasion of privacy concerns. But why do you think
that doesn't hold water?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, it doesn't because the courts have ruled it doesn't
hold water. So a swab test is totally illegal to do.
And again we've done it in Michigan. We should get
back to leading the country. You know, the National Transportation
Safety Board under the Biden administration, recommended that Michigan and
(03:34):
twenty eight other states start using this tool to screen
and detect for drugged drivers. Minnesota, for example, just finished
the pilot, and I think your listeners would be very
frightened to know just how bad things are on the road.
(03:57):
For example, Minnesota just finished their test in March of
twenty five. It showed that eighty three percent or eighty
seven percent, i should say, of the test that they
did on their roads came back positive for drugs in
people's systems. And among these positive tests, multiple substances were
(04:22):
found in sixty percent of the cases, and the most
common were cannabis mest amphetamine. And this device is also
going to be able to start testing for fentanyl. So
as everybody knows, we have a huge drug problem in
this country and it is scary. You know, Michigan is
(04:46):
a dangerous place right now to be traveling on our roads.
The twenty twenty four Traffic Safety Report just got issued
in Michigan and the numbers are very gary. You know,
bicyclists getting killed, people that are working on our roads.
(05:06):
I know, Michigan just passed a big bill that is
going to put a lot of money in our roads.
You know, the people that work on those roads. You
got work zone fatalities in twenty twenty four, they climbed
seventeen percent. We've got bike crashes, you know, just people
riding along the side of the road. Everything is up
(05:29):
in Michigan and we really need to get back to
what we were doing in twenty fifteen and twenty sixteen,
and that is leading the country when it comes to
this technology.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Brian Swift is joining us on the other end of
the line. You're listening to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael
Patrick shields if you missed it earlier. His parents were
killed in a car crash in twenty or March twenty
twenty thirteen up in the Up when a logging truck
ran a red light. And the idea here is to
give police officers more tools to arrest people when they
(06:06):
suspect that somebody is driving drunk or drug The alcohol tests,
you do a breathalyzer right there on the side of
the road, but drugs are a little different. And there's
this new technology that allows it, and we had it
for a little bit of time here in Michigan and
then they just the pilot ran out and it just
hasn't been approved and legalized yet for widespread use in
(06:29):
the state. We had the legislature at the state House
passed something in July, but it is sitting in the
house right now. Any final thoughts on the subject, your Brian.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, I would say anybody that's been affected, and even
if you have not been affected yet, trust me, you
do not want to lose your loved ones to somebody
that made the irresponsible decision to get enough vehicle and
kill your loved one or maim your loved one. Our
bills are each Beu forty three ninety and each Bou
(07:04):
forty three ninety one. They both passed the House, and
we are now moving on to the Senate. So please
lob in those calls to your senators and make them
aware that we need this technology back in Michigan.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Thank you very much. Brian Swift. He's on Michigan's Big
Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
Welcome back to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
I'm Kyle Malynn, editor of the Murders Newsletter. One of
the items that the state legislature is working on right
now is a different way to allow police officers to
test folks suspected of being intoxicated while driving. The State
(00:27):
House passed a measure that is now in the state
Senate that allows for a different type of testing strip
to be used to test folks with suspected of driving
with THHC or marijuana in their system. And somebody who
is in support of this legislation has joined us on
the line right now, Brian Swift, as a very tragic
(00:47):
story in relation to this, and Brian, we appreciate you
joining us on the show to talk about this.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you, Kyle, I appreciate you having me on so real.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Quickly explain these bills that we're talking about. This is
a different testing technique that you are supporting to make
sure that the police are able to get intoxicated people properly.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Charged, right, And it's really not new. This is not
a new way. My parents were killed in twenty thirteen
by a drug driver in the up Escanaba. I'm from Escanaba,
and so I've been working now over ten years. And
(01:31):
actually Michigan was the first state. We did a pilot,
a two year pilot in twenty fifteen and twenty sixteen
and proved that this technology is very viable and works,
and it detects things like opioids, Benzo's, cocaine, masts and
so it's just a quick swab test. You put it
(01:54):
in your mouth, you put it in the handheld device
that's carried by officers, and it can tell you in
five minutes, yes or no. Does somebody have a system
or a substance in their system they're not supposed to
have when they're driving. And so these things are used
all over the country. Again, Michigan used to be the
(02:16):
first state in the country. Now we're way behind. We
have thirty two other states right now that are doing this,
and around the world this tool has been used for years.
In fact, they just got off the call a week
ago and talked with people from Spain and all over
the world. They've done fifty million or fifty one million
(02:40):
tests alone this year and it's viable. It works and
gets people off the road before they kill people. Like
my parents or your loved ones, and we've got to
start using this technology.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
This technology, it's like you said, it's a saliva test,
but you're basically running something along the inside of people's cheeks.
And I think the concern has always been of privacy
and invasion of privacy concerns. But why do you think
that doesn't hold water?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, it doesn't because the courts have ruled it doesn't
hold water. So a swab test is totally illegal to do.
And again we've done it in Michigan. We should get
back to leading the country. You know, the National Transportation
Safety Board under the Biden administration, recommended that Michigan and
(03:34):
twenty eight other states start using this tool to screen
and detect for drugged drivers. Minnesota, for example, just finished
the pilot, and I think your listeners would be very
frightened to know just how bad things are on the road.
(03:57):
For example, Minnesota just finished their test in March of
twenty five. It showed that eighty three percent or eighty
seven percent, i should say, of the test that they
did on their roads came back positive for drugs in
people's systems. And among these positive tests, multiple substances were
(04:22):
found in sixty percent of the cases, and the most
common were cannabis mest amphetamine. And this device is also
going to be able to start testing for fentanyl. So
as everybody knows, we have a huge drug problem in
this country and it is scary. You know, Michigan is
(04:46):
a dangerous place right now to be traveling on our roads.
The twenty twenty four Traffic Safety Report just got issued
in Michigan and the numbers are very gary. You know,
bicyclists getting killed, people that are working on our roads.
(05:06):
I know, Michigan just passed a big bill that is
going to put a lot of money in our roads.
You know, the people that work on those roads. You
got work zone fatalities in twenty twenty four, they climbed
seventeen percent. We've got bike crashes, you know, just people
riding along the side of the road. Everything is up
(05:29):
in Michigan and we really need to get back to
what we were doing in twenty fifteen and twenty sixteen,
and that is leading the country when it comes to
this technology.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Brian Swift is joining us on the other end of
the line. You're listening to Michigan's Big Show starring Michael
Patrick shields if you missed it earlier. His parents were
killed in a car crash in twenty or March twenty
twenty thirteen up in the Up when a logging truck
ran a red light. And the idea here is to
give police officers more tools to arrest people when they
(06:06):
suspect that somebody is driving drunk or drug The alcohol tests,
you do a breathalyzer right there on the side of
the road, but drugs are a little different. And there's
this new technology that allows it, and we had it
for a little bit of time here in Michigan and
then they just the pilot ran out and it just
hasn't been approved and legalized yet for widespread use in
(06:29):
the state. We had the legislature at the state House
passed something in July, but it is sitting in the
house right now. Any final thoughts on the subject, your Brian.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Yeah, I would say anybody that's been affected, and even
if you have not been affected yet, trust me, you
do not want to lose your loved ones to somebody
that made the irresponsible decision to get enough vehicle and
kill your loved one or maim your loved one. Our
bills are each Beu forty three ninety and each Bou
(07:04):
forty three ninety one. They both passed the House, and
we are now moving on to the Senate. So please
lob in those calls to your senators and make them
aware that we need this technology back in Michigan.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Thank you very much. Brian Swift. He's on Michigan's Big
Show starring Michael Patrick Shields.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.