Lujan’s proposed cell phone ban gets shelved

A house committee has tabled a bill that would ban cell phone use while driving in New Mexico.

House Bill 241, sponsored by Rep. Antonio Lujan, D-Las Cruces, was tabled Thursday by the House Transportation and Public Works Committee, a move that most likely kills the proposal, at least this year.

Santa Fe has had for several years an ordinance that prohibits cell-phone use without a hands-free device, and Albuquerque adopted a similar ordinance this week. Lujan’s bill would have banned even the use of cell phones with hands free devices but, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported, before tabling the bill the committee amended it to add a similar exemption.

That was done despite the objections of Lujan, the newspaper reported.

Legislators tabled the ban after a debate about whether it would help. The idea that driving while talking on a cell phone is dangerous is a controversial one, with studies on the topic coming up with mixed results.

In addition, the newspaper reported, some lawmakers said law enforcement doesn’t have the resources to enforce the ban.