A measure that would have banned surfing the Web while driving won’t become law this year.
Its backer, Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, said she will continue to work the issue during the interim and reintroduce it next legislative session.
Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, said the measure didn’t have the support it needed in the House.
Senate Bill 5656 would have expanded the state’s current ban on texting or talking while driving to include holding, reading, or entering information into a wireless device, including doing so while stopped at traffic signals or stop signs.
In addition to checking social media, glancing at a phone’s navigation system would have resulted in a $209 ticket for the second offense, accompanied with a possible hike in insurance rates.
In an earlier interview with The Columbian, Rivers likened driving while texting to driving while well over the legal limit for alcohol consumption.
“I’ve had people say, ‘you’re impacting my personal liberties’ and I understand that,” Rivers said. “But at what point do we allow the personal liberties and the safeties (that) others enjoy be impacted because there is a text that just can’t wait or because there is something happening on Facebook that we just can’t tear our eyes away from.”
Budget talks to begin
Several bills have been declared dead this week due to the Legislature’s self-imposed deadlines, including controversial measures to revamp the state’s lending system and to raise the minimum wage.
Lawmakers are still considering a proposal to boost safety regulations surrounding oil-by-rail transport. And budget negotiations are expected to start in earnest this week.
Lawmakers are nearing the end of their 105-day legislative session. They are scheduled to adjourn on April 26.
