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Eye On Boise

Teen: Texting-lite bill is a ‘legitimate start,’ urges passage

Colton Grainger, 16, of Meridian, urges members of the House Transportation Committee on Monday to pass HB 141, the
Colton Grainger, 16, of Meridian, urges members of the House Transportation Committee on Monday to pass HB 141, the "lite" texting-while-driving bill. Grainger said the bill is a start, and the state must address the issue. (Betsy Russell)

Colton Grainger, a 16-year-old Rocky Mountain High School junior from Meridian, spoke passionately in favor of HB 141, the texting bill. "I am a teen driver and I'm very happy with this bill," he told the House Transportation Committee. No bill can anticipate everything, Grainger told the lawmakers, urging them to pass this one. "It is extremely irresponsible to not address technological changes such as this. ... The biggest educational tool that can be used is the fact that there are red and blue lights pulling you over." He said, "It is the social norm for people to text and drive." The bill, he said, is a "legitimate start" to address the issue.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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