It’s Now Illegal To Hold A Phone While Driving in MN


THE STATE IS THE 19TH ONE TO IMPLEMENT THIS LAW

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota drivers are no longer able to use their phones behind the wheel, unless it’s through voice command or single touch.

“I don’t know if the rule would be followed as much as I hope it would be because, you know, they can’t pull over everyone,” said Koby Kooren of Moorhead.

It looks like they might not have to. Moorhead Police Officer Ethan Meehan is keeping his eyes peeled, but so far, he says most people are keeping their hands on the wheel.

Over the span of an hour, he watched hundreds of drivers cruise past his squad car but only made one stop, which ended with no citation.

Others aren’t as lucky.

A woman in Eagan received a ticket for holding her phone to text and call. Turns out, she was talking to her friend about the new law.

As for some others, not much has changed.

“I know I get kind of mad when people are on their phone and they don’t realize what they’re doing. And I try not to touch my phone and now it will really make me not touch my phone because I know that it’s now illegal,” said Moorhead resident Sonja Flancher.

The department says it would rather educate than penalize drivers, but tickets are simply part of that learning process.

The first offense will cost you 50 dollars, and the second one will be more than 275. That doesn’t include court fees.

“Studies have shown behaviors only change with certain people after they’ve received a citation, so the reason for those citations is that behavior change. And we’re looking to try and educate as many people as possible, and if that means having to write a citation to get them educated and get their behavior to change, that’s what we’re gonna do,” said Moorhead Police Capt. Deric Swenson.

Officers say although hands-free only pertains to holding your cell phone, other types of distracted driving like eating and putting on makeup, could cost someone their life.

–KVRR Local News

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Bill seeks to end racial, religious profiling by police

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, says he wants to end racial and religious profiling carried out by law enforcement officers nationwide.

Alongside the NAACP and the ACLU, Cardin reintroduced the End Racial and Religious Profiling Act, which would ban discriminatory profiling by federal, state and local authorities.

The bill already has 22 co-sponsors and Cardin hopes this time around, the Senate will act to protect minorities. Civil rights advocates joined him on Capitol Hill to call for an end to police profiling.

“Numerous studies have demonstrated that racial and religious profiling is all too prevalent throughout law enforcement today,” the NAACP Washington Bureau’s Hilary Shelton said.

A recent Stanford University study of more than 90 million traffic stops across the U.S. found black drivers are 20 percent more likely to get pulled over than white drivers.

“We want effective policing,” Shelton added. “We want our communities safe and secure.”

But Shelton says discriminatory policing must be addressed, and Cardin’s legislation is a step in the right direction.

“It would be illegal at any level of law enforcement—federal, state, local, auxiliary,” Cardin said.

Cardin’s bill would also provide police departments around the country with resources for training and grant money to develop programs that discourage profiling.

–Nexstar Broadcasting

KHON2 News

–from the NMA

Cardin says he’s heard the stories of racial profiling from his black constituents and, according to him, there is a startling—and chilling—contrast between how black and white families describe their relations with law enforcement.

“The fact that if you were a minority—male particularly—you were much more suspect to be harassed by law enforcement,” Cardin said.

Cardin says his bill should have been passed a long time ago.

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