Declarations – South Central

Crash, then Stop

“If we see them crash, then we can stop them.”

—Kerry Pettingill, chief of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, said Oklahoma drivers can be cited for inattentive driving, but cannot be stopped or ticketed simply for a using a cell phone, even if an officer witnesses them texting while driving. The Oklahoma House Transportation Committee passed House Bill 1503, which would make it illegal for any driver to “compose, send, or read a text-based communication” while driving. The bill calls for a fine of up to $500 for violations.

The Domino EffectTEXT

“Once it passes in a few states, there will be a chain reaction.”

—Sharon Parella, a management-side employment lawyer, believes on-the-job bullying could become the next major battleground in employment law and that it’s only a matter of time before states begin passing anti-bullying laws that would let workers sue for harassment that causes physical or emotional harm.

Staying Put

“Our headquarters are remaining in Bloomington — they are here and they will be here.

—State Farm Insurance Co. spokeswoman Holly Anderson said the company is not moving its headquarters from Bloomington, Ill., despite recent media reports that it is adding major office space in Dallas, Atlanta and Phoenix. She did confirm that State Farm is adding to existing office space in those three cities.

Schools and Guns

“This is not about guns in school.”

—Said Arkansas House Education Committee Chairman James McLean, D-Batesville, whose committee rejected a proposal that would have allowed some school employees to carry guns in schools after completing an active shooter training course. Some lawmakers said they were concerned that school employees, even with some training, may be ill-equipped to respond to dangerous shooting incidents. McLean said he would prefer a “highly trained professional individual who in a blink of an eye can deal with one of these situations” to have the gun, not a teacher.

Topics Oklahoma