House Republican Office - Statement on House Vote to Kill Bill to Stop Cell Phones in Cars

CONCORD – House Speaker William O’Brien (R-Mont Vernon) and House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt (R-Salem) offered the following statement following the House of Representatives vote to kill legislation (HB 546, sponsored by Rep. Laura Pantelakos [D-Portsmouth]) that would have outlawed cell phone use while driving.  New Hampshire currently has an existing law governing distracted drivers.

House Speaker William O’Brien

“We are the ‘Live Free of Die’ state for a reason.  New Hampshire citizens have consistently opposed these types of Nanny State laws that suggest that the state knows better than the people how they can run their lives.  The House has rightly rejected this intrusion into the lives of our residents.  We know how to drive responsibly without government telling us not to use a cell phone.”

House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt

“Once again, the Democrats have tried to take away our freedoms with a law to tell how we can or can’t drive.  That’s why the voters demanded change and gave Republicans a supermajority last November.  The House Republicans are making sure that we protect the liberties of New Hampshire residents and we will continue to stop these assaults when the Democrats bring them forward.”