Fear no longer, social drinkers — that glass of wine with dinner won’t land you in jail for the night.

Today the D.C. City Council passed emergency legislation establishing .05 as the blood alcohol content level below which a driver is presumed not to be intoxicated. The measure, sponsored by Carol Schwartz (R-At Large), passed on a 9-3 vote. Only Sharon Ambrose (D-Ward 6), Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3), and Phil Mendelson opposed the legislation, while Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) was not present for the vote. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams opposed the legislation, writing:

Let me assure you that the Metropolitan Police Department is not unfairly targeting drivers who have a drink at dinner. During 2004, MPD arrested less than 100 people with a blood alcohol content (“BAC”) of less than 0.08% and the vast majority of that small number was in the 0.05% to 0.07% BAC range.

Never a known issue, the District’s zero tolerance policy was exposed when a Post report described Debra Bolton’s ordeal, which started with a glass of wine and ended with a night in jail and $2,000 in court fees fighting a DUI charge. Though she ultimately prevailed, District social types recoiled in horror at the prospect of having to sip on non-alcoholic alternatives at after-work functions, flooding members of the City Council with angry emails and calls.

Upon passage of the legislation, Schwartz declared, “D.C. is once again open for business,” winning her the “Most Dramatic Statement After a Legislative Victory” prize for the day.