texas

Bill to Ban Texting and Driving Stalled in Senate Committee

An effort to ban texting and driving in Texas has stalled in the state legislature again. It's a bill that many Texas drivers say they want, but with six weeks left in the session it has not been heard in the Senate.

Last month, the Texas House Approved House Bill 80 by a vote of 104 to 39. From there, the bill went over to the Senate, and for now, it is sitting in the State Affairs Committee. There has not been a hearing, and one must be set to vote whether or not the bill will make it to the Senate floor.

"It's time for Texas to get serious about distracted driving and join the 44 other states that already prohibit texting while driving. The Texas House of Representatives already has passed the Alex Brown Memorial Act overwhelmingly, and it's time for the Texas Senate to do the same. The bill passed by the House has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee, and I am optimistic that it will receive a hearing soon,” said State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who sponsored the bill in the Senate.

This is the third time there has been this type of bill in front of the Texas Legislature. In 2011, a bill got all the way to the governor’s desk, but Gov. Rick Perry vetoed it, calling it an overreach and an effort to micromanage adult behavior.

Gov. Greg Abbott told NBC 5 this should run through the legislative process, and then he'll make a decision at that time whether he would sign it.

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