A bill that sought to both outlaw marketing-based text messages and ban texting of all sorts behind the wheel has been passed in Arizona, but not before the latter portion of the bill was excised. The State Senate debated the bill after it had passed through the House, with one proponent of the texting and driving amendment arguing that the victims of distracted driving crashes need to have their plights recognized. The hope was that similar situations could be prevented with such a measure. But the President of the Senate believed that reckless driving statutes already prohibited texting, and when brought to a vote, the nays outweighed those in favor, even though the marketing text message portion of the bill moved forward. This is the most recent instance of Arizona shooting down a texting ban.
Click here for more about the failed ban.