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Tuesday, June 28, 2011
House approves texting-while-driving ban
By an overwhelming bipartisan majority, the House Tuesday approved legislation that would ban texting while driving.
The vote was 88-10. The bill now goes to the Senate where Jason Mauk, spokesman for President Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, said it was “premature” to say what might happen. Consideration would not come before the fall, however, Mauk indicated.
House Bill 99 is jointly sponsored by Rep. Rex Damschroder, a Fremont Republican, and Rep. Nancy Garland, a Columbus Democrat.
“”This is more dangerous than drunk driving,” Damschroder said.
“This is about saving lives,” said Garland.
Thirty-four other states and Washington, D.C. ban texting while driving for all drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
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TweetOhio House OKs “Heartbeat” bill, two other bills to limit abortions
The Ohio House on Tuesday voted 54-44 for the “Heartbeat” bill which would ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected.
House Bill 125, which supporters say would be the toughest restriction on abortion in the country, now goes to the Senate.
The House Tuesday approved a second bill, House Bill 78, to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The vote was 65-33.
The House also approved, 62-36, House Bill 79, which would prohibit health plans in the state exchange to be created as part of the new federal health care law from providing coverage for non-therapeutic abortions.
The “Heartbeat” debate was heated, with supporters casting the legislation an effort to protect unborn lives and champion civil rights.
“In the march of time, the march of history, we’ll define an unborn child as a person who is entitled to rights under the Constitution,” said Rep. Matt Huffman, R-Lima.
Opponents cast it as denying women the right to control their own bodies.
“I trust women, I trust women more than I trust the government to make decisions about their medical care,” said Rep. Connie Pillich, D-Montgomery.
The bill, if enacted into law, is almost certain to face a legal challenge. Supporters say it would provide an opportunity for courts to rewrite decisions permitting abortions. However, officials of the Ohio Right to Life Society, which did not support the bill but is a major abortion opponent, said the measure could actually set back efforts to limit abortion.
This would happen if a court decision on the bill had the effect of reaffirming the right to abortion.
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TweetHouse to vote on texting-while-driving ban
In a break from the Statehouse’s highly-charged partisan atmosphere, the Ohio House today is set to vote on legislation that would ban texting while driving, a measure that has strong bipartisan support.
House Bill 99 is jointly sponsored by Rep. Rex Damschroder, a Fremont Republican, and Rep. Nancy Garland, a Columbus Democrat.
The bill was recommended for passage unanimously by the House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
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