HB 2377, a bill sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Tomei that looks to strengthen laws against people who use mobile devices (texting or talking) while driving, has made it out of the Senate Rules Committee (where it was stuck last time we checked in) and is headed for a vote on the Senate floor.
Unfortunately, to get there, it has been made into a secondary offense. UPDATE: Actually, the amendment did not happen. I relied on reporting by The Oregonian and have now found out that the bill still makes it a primary offense.
The Oregonian incorrectly reported yesterday that the bill was amended in the Senate Rules Committee to make it a secondary offense (meaning a cop could not pull you over solely for phone use), but according to Rep. Tomei’s office, that amendment was submitted, but it was not considered before it moved out of committee.
The max fine for this offense would be $90. We’ll keep you posted on how the vote turns out.