Y’all Politics brings you a Bill of the Day from the Mississippi Legislature that just may pique your interest.
Many SuperTalk Radio listeners will fondly remember J.T. Williamson for his mid-day banter on everything from politics to the outdoors to barbecuing and grilling. One of the policy items Williamson advocated strongly for on and off air prior to his death was a more robust texting and driving law in Mississippi.
State Rep. Jill Ford (R) has filed HB 429, titled the “J.T. Williamson Act” in memory of the former radio host, that would revise the penalty for texting while driving.
Current Mississippi Code prohibits an operator of a moving motor vehicle from engaging in a call or writing, sending, or reading a text message and from accessing, reading or posting to a social networking site using a hand-held mobile telephone while driving said motor vehicle. The present civil penalty is $100.
Ford’s bill would make those convicted of texting while driving guilty of a misdemeanor and make the offense punishable by a fine of $500.
You can read the full bill here.
Frank Corder
