Ban on Handheld Cell Phones While Driving in Louisiana Fails

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana senators have put the brakes on a bill that would have required motorists to use a handsfree device or speaker mode to talk on a cellphone while driving. The proposal by Republican Rep. Mike Huval fell one vote short of passage in the Senate. It needed 20 votes, but only received the support of 19 senators. The House earlier had voted 77-20 for the bill. Huval has tried and failed for years to ban handheld cellphone use while driving. Supporters describe the legislation as a safety measure. Opponents question that premise and suggest the bill would violate personal freedoms.