The bill that would essentially take the issue of texting and driving out of local hands  passed a South Dakota Senate committee.  

The measure, passed earlier by the House, would make it a petty offense carrying a $25 fine to drive while using a hand-held device to write, send or read text messages.  Law enforcement officers would only be able to issue tickets for texting while driving as a secondary offense.

In addition, local governments would be barred from having texting bans that differ from state law.

More From KYBB-FM / B102.7