The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

January 13, 2012

Guthrie, Mahan pleased with backing on proposed texting ban

By Mannix Porterfield Register-Herald Reporter

CHARLESTON — For the past few legislative sessions, Delegate Nancy Guthrie has been on a mission to take cell phones out of the hands of motorists.

Each time she proposed such legislation, always backed with research showing bans produce fewer highway deaths, it got bottled up in committee and died.

Not once did any of her bills hit the floor for a vote. All the time, it seemed as Guthrie was a lone voice in the wilderness.

All that could change this year, now that Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin joined the fight by using part of his State of the State message to call for a ban.

As cell phone usage has become more sophisticated and prevalent, Tomblin said the number of deaths caused by distracted driving has dramatically risen.

“This is dangerous activity,” he said.

“It is unsafe and it puts all drivers at risk, especially our young people. Now is the time to save lives.”

Tomblin vowed to seek legislation to outlaw the use of hand-held devices for talking or texting.

Guthrie couldn’t have been more pleased to hear that.

“It’s nice to know the governor is going to support a bill,” Guthrie, D-Kanawha, said after the 40-minute address to a joint assembly of the House and Senate.

“That makes it so much easier. I’ve got a bill I will introduce just in case his gets in trouble. I’ve been through these land mines enough now to know where the trouble spots are.”

Guthrie said any activity that takes a motorist’s hands off the wheel is risky.

“There’s enough evidence to support the idea that we’re losing a lot of people that we don’t need to be losing,” she said.

Tomblin and Guthrie have an ardent advocate in Delegate Margaret Staggers, D-Fayette, the new chair of the House Roads and Transportation Committee. Staggers has vowed to deal with texting in this session.

Strong support for the cell phone ban also was voiced by Delegate Virginia Mahan, D-Summers.

“I was very happy to hear that the governor is going to get behind the texting bill,” Mahan said.

“I know that’s a concern for a lot of people. We do need to address that before the feds do it for us.”

On another matter, Delegate Rick Moye, D-Raleigh, was happy that Tomblin ran through a litany of education matters, and a key element called for putting more of the decisions back into the hands of county school boards.

“I’m all in favor of our local school boards,” Moye said.

“They know what’s happening in their areas. They know what their needs are. If they have more control to deal with it, I think that’s great.”

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