The Florida House threw an unexpected hurdle in the path of a bill that would ban texting while driving on Tuesday. The Senate had passed the bill unanimously two weeks ago.
But when the bill came up on the House floor, Representative Jose Oliva offered an amendment banning prosecutors from using a driver's cell phone records, except in cases of death or injury.
"This law is important to me. And as many times as it comes up while I'm here, I will support it", Oliva said. "But any law that seeks to give up our civil liberties, or asks us to, I will look to amend so it doesn't do that."
This is the fourth year Senator Nancy Detert has sponsored the bill and the first time the House has heard it.
Without Oliva's amendment, which passed 73 to 46, it could have gone to Governor Rick Scott to sign. Scott has said he supports it. Now the bill rolls over to third reading in the House.