One More Week For Sotomayor Vote
Headline Legal News
The National Law Journal reports that the Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed today's vote on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
The delay was expected as Republicans exercise their right for a one-week delay, commonly used by the minority party when voting on controversial issues. The vote will now take place July 28 where Sotomayor is expected to receive the nomination.
Democrats are anxious to vote, so that Sotomayor will be one step closer to filling her seat. The court has a finance case on Sept. 9 and the sooner she is confirmed, the more time she will have to prepare.
"We all know that Judge Sotomayor will be confirmed," Leahy said. "I hope that, when she is passed out of this committee, that there will be no delay on the floor because she will have a very, very few weeks after confirmation to move to Washington, set up her law clerks, set up her office, and prepare for a major, major case."
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Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban
Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”
The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.
Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.
Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.