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its records as proof a driver was texting, but that would only be done in extreme circumstances, such as a severe traffic crash, he said.
• Thirty-nine states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands have banned text messaging for all drivers, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
• Tieszen and Rep. Jim Bolin, R-Canton, sponsors of the measures defeated by the Legislature, said the fate of a texting ban in the 2013 legislative session depends on who is elected in November.
• Bolin, a retired teacher, and Tieszen, a retired police chief, said they believe the public supports a ban on texting while driving.
• "It's an issue where public safety trumps individual rights and individual freedoms that are very, very passionately held to her in South Dakota," Bolin said.

• Rep. Betty Olson, R-Prairie City, said she doubts the Sioux Falls ban will have much effect on the Legislature, because many lawmakers believe a ban on texting would be ineffective and difficult to enforce.
• "I really don't think we need a law against everything," Olson said. "Yes, texting and driving is stupid, but so are a lot of other things people do when driving."
• South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard has stayed out of the debate.
• "The governor has no position on it at this moment," press secretary Joe Kafka said.
• Lee Axdahl, state director of highway safety, said a task force studying teen driving safety is considering recommending a ban on texting while driving by young people. The agency is trying to educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving overall, he said.
• While Sioux Falls is the first South Dakota city to ban texting while driving, officials in other cities have said they might try to follow Sioux Falls' lead.
• Aberdeen City Attorney Adam Altman said he and Police Chief Don E. Lanpher Jr. proposed a city ban on texting and using all handheld devices while driving in in 2008, but the city council quickly scrapped the idea after getting a barrage of email messages from constituents who opposed the idea. He said they'll probably ask the council to take another look.
• "I think the police chief and I both continue to believe it's a public safety matter," Altman said.
• Rapid City Alderman Ron Sasso said he is unlikely to suggest a similar ban in South Dakota's second largest city, because people are apprehensive about anything that restricts their actions. However, he believes the Legislature should pass a ban on texting for drivers 18 and younger.

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