A Colorado lawmaker is sponsoring legislation that would reduce the state's blood-alcohol content for drunken driving to preserve millions in federal highway dollars.

HB1343, introduced recently by Rep. Bob Briggs, R-Westminster, would lower the state's drunken driving threshold from 0.10 percent to 0.08.

Briggs told The Durango Herald he introduced the measure because he's expecting a similar bill in the Senate to be killed.

SB125, introduced by Sen. Ken Arnold, R-Westminster, would lower the level to 0.08 and make failure to wear a seat belt a primary offense.

Arnold told the newspaper those initiatives are needed to prevent the federal government from denying the state millions in highway funding.

For Colorado, that means a total of $50 million through 2007 if it fails to pass a 0.08 law and $1 million a year if it doesn't pass stricter seat-belt enforcement.