By Provisions added to ban texting while driving kills bill
Montgomery, AL – - Drivers can keep sending text messages
while traveling Alabama's highways because a fight between an
insurance company and lawyers in the state Senate killed a bill to
ban the dangerous practice.
Democratic Sen. Roger Bedford and some other lawyers in the
Senate insisted the bill include language making sure any texting
driver is presumed negligent for causing a traffic accident. Alfa
insurance company opposed that. Alfa Services General Manager Paul
Pinyan says that language has not been in any other Alabama traffic
law and it created a lot of unknowns. Pinyan says Alfa supported a
straightforward ban.
The sponsor, Republican Rep. Jim McClendon, says the bill will
be back next year.