Discussion Continues on Texting and Driving Ban

(AP) _ South Carolina lawmakers plan to discuss abill barring drivers from sending or reading text messages. The ban, which had already passed the House, is up fordiscussion Thursday by a Senate Judiciary subcommittee. Drivers convicted of the misdemeanor would be fined $25.Officers couldn’t confiscate phones, look through text or e-mailmessages or require phone companies to provide them. For six monthsafter the law is passed, officers couldn’t stop motorists solelyfor texting. The Senate Judiciary panel has advanced a similar measure thathas yet to be taken up by the full Senate. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)