A New Bill

Today, I meet with a senator and the legal team to write a bill that, with your support, will hopefully become a law that will make our roads a safer place to travel for all.

Thank you all for taking the survey. 119 of you voiced your opinion. 95 of you support a law banning the use of cell phones but thought “hands-free” was a good compromise. 15 of you said you would not support such a law, and 9 of you were undecided.

Thank you for your feedback and support.

Writing Our Own Distracted Driving Bill

After meeting with Sen. Hudson the other day, we have a unique opportunity to make a huge difference when it comes to safety on our roads. We get to write the bill, which will be presented during the upcoming legislative session. Your opinion will impact how the bill is written. Consider two things: first, what would we call the bill? When we passed the “3 Foot” law, we called it the “John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act” instead of something generic like “The 3 Foot” law. Secondly, what are two (2) things you would include in the bill and why? Remember, we are focusing on cell phone use, which includes texting and talking on the phone.

Consider this:
• “If we shoot for all or nothing, then we are going to get nothing.” -Sen. Hudson. If we try to make the bill as strict as possible, then it is going to be rejected.
• What will work? In other words, we can’t write a bill that is impossible to enforce.
• What will best serve the people of MS?

This is an awesome first step in making our roads safer in MS. I hope you give thoughtful attention to this important matter. Make a personal commitment to not using your cell phone while driving, and please comment on the blog post.

I plan to meet with Sen. Hudson again soon to start the drafting process. I will present all your questions and comments then.

Thank you,

Josh Sullivan
Former President of JMC
Concerned Citizen

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