Minnesota is about to become the 18th state to have a cellphone law that would allow only hands-free use of devices while driving.
Governor Walz signed the bill on Friday during a special ceremony at the capitol in St. Paul, backed by supporters of the legislation.
Some of those who were on hand for the ceremony were family members of distracted driving-related car-crash victims
The state Senate passed the bill 48-12 on Thursday, days after the House gave its approval.
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The bill states that a person driving, whether "in motion or a part of traffic" is prohibited from using a wireless communications device unless "in a voice-activated or other hands-free mode."
"Law enforcement, specifically the highway patrol, wants people to put their phones down," said Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson), the chief author of the bill. "I think we're going to change the culture in Minnesota when it comes to driving. People will see the wisdom of it and they're going to put their phone down."
The law goes into effect in August.




