02/04/2014 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        SB 123-PROHIBIT USE OF CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:36:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE announced that SB 123 was up for consideration.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KEVIN  MEYER, Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,                                                               
sponsor of  SB 123, explained the  bill authorizes municipalities                                                               
to adopt  an ordinance prohibiting  the use of cell  phones while                                                               
driving  in school  zones or  property  and that  this is  simply                                                               
enabling legislation.  Currently, Title 28 requires  traffic laws                                                               
to be uniform  throughout the state, and  requires a municipality                                                               
to demonstrate a  need to pass a local ordinance  that may not be                                                               
needed statewide. SB 123 would remove that burden.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
This issue  was brought  to his attention  by a  constituent, Mr.                                                               
Wight, who  initially brought  it to the  City of  Anchorage over                                                               
three years ago where he was  rear-ended in a school zone area by                                                               
someone  who was  talking  on  his cell  phone.  He  had to  stop                                                               
abruptly because a  child was running across  the street. Senator                                                               
Meyer said  one of the  biggest concerns in Anchorage  schools is                                                               
when  parents drop  kids off  at school;  they run  all over  the                                                               
place and the parents are sometimes distracted.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER said the Assembly  worked with Mr. Wight, but found                                                               
out  that they  needed the  state to  pass enabling  legislation.                                                               
This was a priority of the  City of Anchorage last year, but they                                                               
weren't able to deal with it  then. He noted that the legislation                                                               
is  not  a   mandate  and  the  ordinances  can   be  tailored  a                                                               
community's needs.  It still has  to go through the  local public                                                               
process, the Assembly and the mayor.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
He said that current texting laws  do not include cell phones and                                                               
that's why this is needed. SB 123 has no fiscal note.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:38:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR HOFFMAN joined the committee.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:39:28 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE  noted a letter  from Mr. Wight in  their packets.                                                               
He opened  the meeting to  questions from the  committee. Finding                                                               
no questions, he thanked Senator Meyer for bringing this issue                                                                  
forward.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:40:54 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE opened public testimony and said that Mr. Wight                                                                  
wanted to testify, but wouldn't be able to do that today. So he                                                                 
would leave it open.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER noted that he was also expecting a letter from the                                                                
Assembly chairman.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE said he personally supported SB 123.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[SB 123 was held in committee.]