Sen. George L. Barker, D-39th, said he’s not going to give up on making tougher laws against texting while driving.
Barker’s Senate Bill 219, which would have authorized police officers to stop and cite people for texting or sending e-mails while driving as a primary offense, passed the state senate but died in Subcommittee 2 of the Committee on Militia, Police and Public Safety in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Police currently need another reason to stop drivers before they can cite them for texting or emailing while driving.
Barker said a couple of points held the bill up in committee, but he believes he can get the bill through eventually.
Committee leaders weren’t sure whether to let Barker’s bill go ahead as a stand alone law or whether to fold it in with existing reckless driving or improper driving laws so they held onto it for the year.
“They indicated that they might want to take look at other options as to how they might structure something in the code,” he said.
Barker said he would be working on the bill in the off season.
“We made significant progress in that the chair of the subcommittee agreed that he and a couple of others would work with me during the year to come up with something that would pass,” Barker said.
Barker said some bills just take time, and he wasn’t discouraged that he might have to wait another year to get his bill through.
“Something like this, it often takes two or three years to get it done, so there’s no surprise there,” he said. “I’m in for the long-haul on these types of things. I’m willing to stick with it and keep working it. I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to get it through next year.”
Senior reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement