High school students are among those testifying this afternoon in favor of SB 1352, legislation to ban texting while driving, and all testimony so far is in favor. Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell, lead sponsor of the bill, thanked Sen. Les Bock, D-Boise, for first proposing such a ban last year; Bock is among a bipartisan group of co-sponsors of the bill, who also include House Transportation Chairwoman JoAn Wood, R-Rigby. The hearing is in the Capitol Auditorium, the Statehouse's largest hearing room.

McGee said he's drafted some amendments to meet concerns raised by law enforcement, the telephone industry and others, and with those amendments, all are in support of the bill. Bock called it "a collaborative, bipartisan effort that we need to see more of." Sen John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, presented a petition from sixth-graders in Post Falls in favor of the bill. Idaho Sheriffs Association lobbyist Mike Kane testified that his group supports the bill with the proposed amendments. McGee called texting while driving "an alarming form of distracted driving" and said he thinks the bill, with the amendments, is "a piece of legislation that I think is fair, that I think is thoughtful, and that I consider to be the Idaho way to proceed on this issue."

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