Councilman Reacts To Legislator's Threat On Cell Phone Ban

City Councilman Bill Greenlee, one of three sponsors of local legislation passed last week to ban the use of cell phones by drivers in the city, responded this morning to a report on KYW Newsradio that a state legislators is threatening to strip Philadelphia of state transportation funds in retaliation.

"I don't get how that can be," Greenlee said. "I don't see how they can unilaterally make that decision."

Greenlee said he had heard threats of lawsuits, since PennDOT insists the local ordinance conflicts with the state Motor Vehicle Code.  A lawsuit in 2000 overturned a similar local law in Bucks County.

"We had heard from the Law Department that it was legal," Greenlee said of the ban, which Mayor Nutter is expected to soon sign into law.  "I'm sure they looked into all of the ramifications."

The state House yesterday voted down a bill that would ban the use of cell phones by drivers state-wide.  The House instead passed legislation that would allow police to issue traffic tickets if cell phone use contributed to careless driving.