House to mull 3 bills aimed at cellphone use while driving

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona House lawmakers will get to pick and choose among three proposed laws that are designed to deal with distracted driving caused by cellphone use, Speaker Rusty Bowers announced after a closed-door meeting Wednesday of majority Republicans.

Bowers had held off on scheduling votes amid differences among Republicans about which measure, if any, should go forward. Two of the bills are versions of a total ban on cellphone use while driving. One of those would allow officers to make a traffic stop for phone violations, while the other would allow them to write tickets only if they stop someone for a different offense, like speeding.

The third bill would just strengthen the state's existing distracted driving law without explicitly addressing cellphones. Votes are expected as soon as Thursday.

Republican Sen. Kate Brophy McGee has pushed for a complete ban on hand-held cellphone use as a primary offense, meaning officers need no other reason to make a traffic stop.

"Primary shows everywhere it's been tried that it is enforceable and that it consistently reduces fatalities by 16% everywhere it's been tried, including here in Arizona," Brophy McGee said.

She hailed Bowers for agreeing to allow the measures to go to a vote despite strong opposition from some in his own caucus. "I truly thank him for finding a path forward, and I know which bill I'm cheering for," Brophy McGee said.

Arizona is one of three states with no ban on texting while driving. Bills to restrict phone use behind the wheel have been introduced for a decade. But they haven't advanced amid concerns by Republicans about creating a "nanny state" that overregulates people's behavior.

Proponents of the cellphone ban point to the death of a police officer in January after a distracted driver lost control on a Phoenix-area freeway....