The Senate Transportation Committee has voted to amend the new House-passed anti-texting-while-driving bill, HB 729, and now it's headed to the Senate's 14th Order for amendment. "The bill that this committee passed out unanimously I think was a much better piece of legislation," said Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell. But, he said, loosely quoting the Rolling Stones, "You don't always get what you want. ... Sometimes you have to meet 'em halfway." He proposed a motion to  - like the House bill already does - make a first offense a $50 infraction, and subsequent offenses a $100 infraction - but only if there's no property damage or injury. If there's property damage or injury, texting while driving would be a misdemeanor carrying a penalty of up to $500 in fines and/or up to 90 days in jail.

McGee said he and Sen. Les Bock, D-Boise, who's been working on the bill for two years, jointly proposed the amendment. It was endorsed by Mike Kane, lobbyist for the Idaho Sheriff's Association and the Property and Casualty Insurance Association of America. Kane called it "a middle ground."