Phoenix bankruptcy filings fall in May
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Bankruptcy filings in the Phoenix metropolitan area fell in May for the second straight month.
However, officials say the 2,763 filings in the metro area represent a 35 percent increase compared with May 2009.
Experts say soft housing prices, a bleak employment scenario and other financial issues continue to plague many Phoenix-area residents.
Chapter 7 filings, which provide a fresh financial start for debtors, accounted for 83 percent of the total. That's the third straight month that they've been above 80 percent.
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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.