BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's state senators want to toughen penalties for disobeying state laws that ban texting or posting to social media sites while driving and that restrict cell phone use for young drivers.
Violators under current law face a traffic fine of up to $175 for the first offense and up to $500 for second and subsequent violations.
A bill by Sen. Yvonne Dorsey Colomb, a Baton Rouge Democrat, would boost those fines to up to $500 for the first offense and up to $1,000 for additional violations.
Drivers under 18 could face suspension of their driver's licenses for up to 60 days for second and later violations, under the proposal.
The Senate voted 35-2 for the measure Tuesday. The bill heads to the House for debate.