Gov. to sign bill banning texting while driving
Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he plans to sign a bill that would prohibit texting while driving.
Drivers would be prohibited from writing, reading or sending electronic messages. A violation would be a petty misdemeanor.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFl-Minneapolis, said Minnesota will be the third state to ban texting while driving. He said the practice is a safety hazard.
"And we have a statistic that is especially concerning to me that one out of every three teen drivers regularly texts while they drive, and for that reason, I think it's very important that we move forward with legislation like this."
The texting ban is part of a transportation measure that also creates new restrictions on teen drivers.
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