Daily Dose: Texting While Driving Ban Could Become Universal in Missouri

A Missouri law prohibits anyone 21 and younger from texting while driving. A St. Louis-area senator, Sen. Robin Wright-Jones (D-St. Louis) has sponsored a bill (SB 567) to expand that to drivers of any age. The bill also states that drivers can’t be stopped “solely to determine compliance with the state text messaging ban.”

Wright-Jones’ intention is to help keep Missouri roads safe and to keep insurance rates from rising. She said Missouri is one of the few states without an insurance cap, so crashes can affect rates more than in other states.

The Maneater, the Missouri University student newspaper, reported that a hearing was held on the bill last Wednesday in Jefferson City. Representatives from the Missouri Trucking Association, Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Medical Association, as well as a Missouri University freshman testified in favor of the bill. No one testified against it.

“The benefit is that it is not safe to be texting, no matter how old you are,” Traffic Sgt. Curtis Perkins was quoted in the Maneater article. “It’s still not safe, no matter who you are, to text and drive.”

What do you think, should texting while driving ban be universal?

Onto the weather, which according to weather.gov, should be sunny with a high near 60.  The biggest question of the day is whether Punxatawny Phil will see his shadow. Watch the live Groundhog Day Webcast by clicking here. Don't take his prediction too much to heart, according to Stormfax Almanac, he's only right 39 percent of the time.

Now here's news from the neighborhood:

• Columnist Susan Weich of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote about a group called Quilts of Valor who meet regularly in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties to create quilts for troops overseas.

• Suburban Journals also covered the Father Dominic Garramone fundraiser last weekend. Here's a link to our own

• Angela Thro, an opinion shaper for the Suburban Journals in St. Charles, wrote a column about the ugliness of unforgiveness. 

• Susie King of the city's Economic Development Center appeared on Discover St. Charles where she talked about the department's accomplishments for the year. Highlights included developing a strategic plan, hosting a breakfast with David Kerr, Director of Missouri Department of Economic Development, and a regional investors breakfast. Watch the full video here.