Republican senators refuse texting while driving ban

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Senator Steve Farley released the following statement after his proposed floor amendment to HB 2312, which would ban texting while driving, failed along party lines.

Sen. Farley

“I have been working for six years to pass common-sense legislation to ban texting while driving and during that time I’ve heard from families across the state whose loved ones have been seriously injured or killed by texting drivers,” said Sen. Farley. "Forty four other states now ban this dangerous practice. Why can't Republicans and Democrats come together on this issue in Arizona?"

“Despite innocent people dying on the roads and endless studies underscoring the dangers of texting while driving, the ban, SB1218, has been ignored this session and now this amendment has been refused by the Republican majority, tragically politicizing a non-partisan issue. For no good reason, lives of Arizona motorists will continue to be at risk because the Legislature refuses to allow law enforcement to stop irresponsible drivers from looking at their phones instead of the road.”