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• TEEN DRIVING SAFETY
• The House Transportation Committee will meet Tuesday to weigh a package of bills that would ban beginning drivers from using cellphones behind the wheel and make other changes aimed at reducing teen traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
• The Senate has already passed the measures. One would prohibit all beginning drivers from using cellphones and other electronic devices until they can get an unrestricted license at age 16.
• Other bills in the package would make those with learners' permits wait longer before driving unaccompanied and would set up a coordinated drivers' education system with statewide standards for course content, instruction, testing and certification of instructors.
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• FISCAL NOTES
• A legislative rule requires bills that would have an effect on state revenues or spending to carry a fiscal note estimating how much extra revenue or spending it would generate.
• Lawmakers sometimes use the rule in an effort to kill bills by requesting that a fiscal note be prepared. If one-fifth of a chamber's members agree, a vote on the bill is delayed until the Legislature's staff produces an estimate.
• That was the case last week with a bill that would provide prenatal care for illegal immigrants. The House passed the bill after the fiscal note predicted it would cost about $242,000 in state funds and $286,000 in federal funds to provide the care through Medicaid next year.
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