• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A measure that would ban texting while driving was approved Tuesday by the state Senate after supporters said South Dakota needs to join the 39 other states that prohibit the dangerous practice.
• Senators voted 24-9 to approve the bill and send it to the House of Representatives, which has rejected similar bills in recent years.
• The bill would prohibit typing, sending or reading a text message while driving, but it would continue to allow drivers to make cellphone calls and use hands-free electronic devices to handle text-based messages. It also would prevent cities from imposing any ordinance that varies from state law, a provision lawmakers said is needed to prevent a patchwork of bans across the state. Four South Dakota cities have imposed their own texting bans in the past year.
• The measure's main sponsor, Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell, said a texting ban might be difficult to enforce, but a statewide law would deter most people from texting while driving simply because it would be illegal. Vehle said cultural changes reduced drunken driving and increased the use of seat belts after laws were passed to cover those issues.
• "It's time to change the culture in South Dakota. Texting and driving is not safe," Vehle said.
• Sen. David Omdahl, R-Sioux Falls, said he agrees that texting while driving is dangerous, but he opposes the bill because such activity is already banned by the state's careless driving law.
• "Why pass another law when we have an existing law that's not being enforced as it should?" Omdahl said.

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