How texting bill went down: A lesson in legislative dysfunction and politics

There was one issue on which Idaho lawmakers from both houses and both parties were united before this year’s legislative session even started: Making Idaho the 24th state to ban texting while driving. Yet, nothing passed - despite long hearings with impassioned testimony in favor of the move from everyone from teenage drivers to prosecutors to insurance lobbyists. It’s a lesson in legislative dysfunction and politics.

Though both the Senate and House had voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ban - in one form or another - the bill died in the closing moments of this year’s legislative session on a procedural vote, amid a spat between the two houses.    “I would say that that’s not the best representation of a functional system,” said Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, who delivered petitions with hundreds of signatures gathered by Post Falls 6th graders to the Senate Transportation Committee in favor of a ban. You can read my full story here from Sunday’s Spokesman-Review.