Distracted-driving legislation could be up for Minnesota Senate floor vote 'in the next month, maybe earlier'

Feb 06, 20190

Jim Gehrz - Star Tribune file count

A driver texted on her cellphone while waiting for a traffic light to change in Eagan in 2016. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia now have hands-free laws on the books.

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said Tuesday that legislation aimed at curbing distracted driving could be among the first measures passed in the Senate this session.

Two proposals - one requiring hands-free devices while using a cellphone and another that would enhance penalties for texting while driving - continued a swift passage through the Senate on Tuesday, advancing after two days of hearings in the Judiciary and Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee and closer to a floor vote.

http://www.startribune.com/distracted-driving-legislation-could-be-up-for-minnesota-floor-vote-in-the-next-month-maybe-earlier/505389702/