School Zone Cellphone Bill Sputters, Then Passes In Louisiana Legislature

One thing I have learned from observing our hired hands in Baton Rouge work in the legislature. Don't expect common sense to factor into any decision they make. Sometimes they do surprise me and this is one of those times.

To me, the banning of cellphone use in a marked and active school zone is an easy decision. The tough part is enforcing the law but that's a discussion for another day. Driver's in school zones need to be focusing on the road in front of them and the children that are present. There is no phone call that is more important than the life of a child. That's why I thought this legislation would be a good idea.

Tuesday afternoon that piece of legislation that made so much sense to me stalled on the Senate floor. It looked as if it was going to the dead bill graveyard along with medical marijuana and speed trap laws. But as luck and a persistent legislator would have it, the bill that stalled on Tuesday was brought back up for discussion on Wednesday and it this time it passed.

There was an addition to the bill that provided for local school boards to decide if the prohibition on hand held cellphone devices would be implemented in their school districts. The legislation will now head back to the Louisiana House for further discussion and debate.