Win some, lose some
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Lots of driving-related legislation this week. Two bills passed the Senate yesterday…
The two measures approved by the Senate were House Bill 71, which would bar texting behind the wheel, and House Bill 72, which would prevent drivers from using cell phones in school or construction zones. Both go back to the House for consideration.
There are some exemptions in that school/construction zone bill…
Adds exceptions for specified emergency purposes and law enforcement officers or emergency vehicle operators when performing their official duties. […]
Adds an exception to wireless telephone in school and construction zones prohibition for a person using a wireless telephone in voice-activated mode.
And the texting bill…
changes an exception in the definition of “electronic communication device” to exclude a global positioning system or navigation system (rather than a global positioning system or navigation system used exclusively for the navigation purposes) from the definition, creates an exception to the electronic message prohibition for a driver using an electronic communication device while parked on the shoulder of a roadway, and creates an exception for a driver using an electronic communication device when the vehicle is stopped due to normal traffic being obstructed and the driver has the motor vehicle transmission in neutral or park.
Opposition to the texting ban…
Sens. Kwame Raoul and James Meeks, both Chicago Democrats, said they did not vote for the bill because the language remained ambiguous and gave law enforcement too much power. Meeks said it would be virtually impossible for an officer who pulls an individual over to determine from a distance whether the driver was texting, using a navigation system or dialing a phone number. Raoul added that existing laws for improper lane usage already apply.
* Two other bills failed miserably…
Meanwhile, the Senate killed legislation that would compel motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks at all times and a measure to expand use of speed cameras in school, hospital and park zones.
More…
Speed cameras will not be coming to Illinois roads anytime soon.
The state Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would have allowed using cameras to automatically measure speed in school, park and hospital zones and issue tickets to speeders. The plan failed with 13 senators voting in favor and 35 voting against it.
State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, tried to convince fellow lawmakers that speed cameras would improve road safety.
* And speaking of driving…
The wife of the state’s transportation secretary has been driving around central Illinois with her husband’s old, no longer valid state lawmaker license plates.
This week, Betsy Hannig was seen driving around Springfield in a Cadillac bearing the “3″ Illinois House license plate on the back and a “deputy majority leader” plate on the front.
That plate and designation had been registered to her husband Gary Hannig when he was a senior member of the Illinois House. But the downstate Democrat was named state transportation secretary by Gov. Pat Quinn earlier this year.
Hannig’s wife Betsy was then named to serve out her husband’s term in the Illinois House. She’s been assigned plate No. 118B. House license plates are assigned based on seniority. The lower the number, the higher ranking the lawmaker and vice versa.
Oops.
* Related…
* Plan to use video at railroad crossings heads to Quinn’s desk
- Phineas J. Whoopee - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 10:44 am:
They should allow automated speed enforcement on interstates and wherever state police patrol. The state police should only regulate weigh stations and trucking. Other interstate road enforcement should be localized either by county or township ect.
That should allow us to save money by getting rid of most of the state police, save lives through better speed enforcement and also raise revenue.
With the advent of better technology the state doesn’t need so many glorified traffic cops.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 11:14 am:
People are becoming slaves to their gadgets. Do you really need to text while driving?
- Cassandra - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 11:42 am:
I don’t care about her license plates but the fact that the voters in her district could only come with the former incumbent’s wife to replace him is beyond retro.
- winco - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 12:00 pm:
Every time there is a push to increase penalties for drunk driving, or lower the BAC limit, proponents say (and legislators usually agree) that “if we can save one life, it is worth it.” But for the speeder cameras, I guess that life isn’t worth it.
- Ghost - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 12:51 pm:
interestingly enough Rich posted a link to an application available for IPhones, Blackberries and I think some smart phones which translates speech into text.
So would this be texting or talking under the new laws, and would it fall under the exception in the one bill for voice dialed use of a device.
- John Doe - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 1:13 pm:
Better to have the Hannig family driving around on expired license plates than going around not paying the IRS their federal income taxes like Obama’s “boys from the hood” like Todd Stroger and Tim “Turbo Tax” Geitner. You have to remember that we prioritize our crimes in Illinois. We make no claim to be saints!
- Keep Smiling - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 1:37 pm:
Oh, geez. Do our State lawmakers really need special license plates? How does that help the citizens of IL? Because it warns state troopers that they are about to stop someone really important?
I just wish our lawmakers would lay low for once. It looks like an undeserved perk and it’s all very tiring.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 1:39 pm:
“if we can save one life, it is worth it.”
We’d save a lot more lives if we lowered all speed limits to 10 mph. Everything in traffic safety is a tradeoff.
- Dan S, a Voter and Cubs Fan - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 2:10 pm:
- John Doe - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 1:13 pm:
Better to have the Hannig family driving around on expired license plates than going around not paying the IRS their federal income taxes like Obama’s “boys from the hood” like Todd Stroger and Tim “Turbo Tax” Geitner. You have to remember that we prioritize our crimes in Illinois. We make no claim to be saints!
I just spit tea all over my desk LOL.
- dan l - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 2:38 pm:
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Sens. Kwame Raoul and James Meeks, both Chicago Democrats, said they did not vote for the bill because the language remained ambiguous and gave law enforcement too much power. Meeks said it would be virtually impossible for an officer who pulls an individual over to determine from a distance whether the driver was texting, using a navigation system or dialing a phone number.
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Absurd that it’s these 2 who are actually standing against this one. The fact that cell phones are basically computers right now makes this fairly unenforceable.
This I thought is a real treasure in all this is here:
Drivers could simply show their phone’s text messaging logs to a police officer to prove they were not texting, said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a Rockford Republican
Wait a minute….so I have to ‘prove’ to a PO that I wasn’t texting. Forgive me if I missed something here, but isn’t it typically the state who’s supposed to prove I was doing something wrong? I get it. But it’s just so amusing to me. Maybe I should just hide the messaging application on my phone and tell the copper that I don’t have it.
Honest to god: on a daily basis I see women putting on make up, men using electric razors, and people reading books while driving. How is it that my phone gets this much special attention?
- curious - Wednesday, May 20, 09 @ 9:28 pm:
When will people realize that the texting bill is only intended to SAVE lives? Do they need to have a loved one killed? People are too worried about missing a message or call and not focusing on the road, it’s that simple! Legislators wouldn’t have to pass these laws if people focused on driving and not phones! There was an article in Tribune today where Sen Sandoval says they are creating safer roads in the state of Ilinois and State Representative John D’Amico said that it’s one small step toward banning hand held phones like they do in Chicago. It’s nice to see that there are legislators working!
- dan l - Thursday, May 21, 09 @ 8:06 am:
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When will people realize that the texting bill is only intended to SAVE lives? Do they need to have a loved one killed? People are too worried about missing a message or call and not focusing on the road, it’s that simple! Legislators wouldn’t have to pass these laws if people focused on driving and not phones!
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Nobody is questioning the intent of the bill, I’m questioning why they would write such a law and make it exclusive to the evil cell phones used by those damn youngins and their myspaces. Why not just make the bill include giving yourself a manicure, for example?
The funny thing is, I don’t even see how they can enforce this.