Transportation Committee Announces a New Bill to Ban Texting While Driving

Senator Steven A. Baddour (D-Methuen) and his colleague Representative Joseph F. Wagner (D-Chicopee), Co-Chairmen of the Joint Committee on Transportation, announced Thursday (1-28-2010) a new bill that takes a major step toward banning texting while driving.  The bill, H. 3354 An Act Relative to Distracted Driving, would prohibit texting while driving by all drivers and includes harsh penalties for infractions.  Junior Operators (drivers under the age of 18)  would be banned not only from texting but from using a cellphone in any way while behind the wheel.  The bill must now pass the House before going to the Senate for approval. Click here to read a summary of the bill, and click here to see WBZ-TV coverage.

Stop Bullying Now - Sen. Baddour's Bill SB 209

Bullying has severe negative consequences for both the victims and the bullies.  In surveys, approximately 14% of all students in Massachusetts schools said they were afraid of being bullied on a regular basis.  Additionally 33% of all mainstreamed special needs students were found to be regular victims of bullying.  According to the National Education Association (NEA), approximately 160,000 children nationwide miss school each day because of fear of attack or intimidation from peers.  Additionally, those who bully are significantly more likely to be involved in criminal behavior later in life and are four times more likely than their peers to be convicted of a crime by age 24.  Click on the following the learn more about Senator Baddour's bill to promote safe schools and communities by helping schools develop a plan to counteract bullying:

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