BOSTON (WHDH) - An emotional fight took place on Beacon Hill Wednesday when families who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving met with the state senate president to get a law banning handheld devices behind the wheel passed.
Most of the families have been pushing for the law for several years and at the closed-door meeting, they accused lawmakers of dragging their feet on passing a hands-free driving bill.
“Get it done. It’s a no brainer,” Jerry Cibley said.
Cibley has been a part of this fight for more than a dozen years. His son, Jordan crashed into a tree while on the phone with him and died in 2007.
“If there had been a hands-free law he wouldn’t have held the phone in his hand and it wouldn’t have contributed to his death when he dropped it,” Cibley said.
The bill has been held up due to a fight over collecting information on race and how to share it.
A possible compromise has been sitting in the house clerk’s office for weeks, however, it still requires signatures from senators.
“It is a huge personal priority for me,” Senator Will Brownsberger said.
Brownsberger has not signed off on that particular compromise but he said that talks are underway to get the measure passed.
“What we are waiting for is an agreement between the house and senate on the final language,” he said.
Senate President Karen Spilka said, “I was very moved by the stories shared today. This bill has been an continues to be a top Senate priority. I am very hopeful it will be resolved soon,” in a statement.
Family members said they will give lawmakers until Sept. 26 to pass the bill into law.
If this does not happen, they said they will double down on their efforts to get the job done.
Massachusetts is the only New England state that does not have a hands free driving law.
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