Gov. to sign bill banning texting while driving

by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — 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.