SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Senate has voted to remove a “scope of employment” exemption to the ban on using cellphones while driving.
The Statesman Journal reports that one senator who voted against the original law in 2009 joined in support of House Bill 3186, which was approved 17-12 Monday and returns to the House for action on amendments.
Republican state Sen. Chris Telfer of Bend said she has received many complaints from drivers who get ticketed despite an exemption from the ban allowed if the phone is being used in the scope of the person’s employment and the motor vehicle is necessary for the job.
Telfer said judges told her the law was not clear about appropriate business use of a cellphone while driving.
