MISSOULA – The Missoula City Council voted 6-5 Monday to ban talking on a cell phone or texting while driving or cycling.
The council set a public hearing for June 22 to take comments on the zoning rewrite, and some opponents said they still want to get a lawyer other than the city attorney to determine whether some changes go too far.
Councilman Dave Strohmaier, who proposed the measure, said the ban takes effect within 30 days of Mayor John Engen’s signature.
Officers will be allowed to pull people over if it looks like they are texting. They can’t pull motorists over for talking on a cell phone, but they can write that ticket if they pull someone over for something else, like running a stop sign.
The ban notes exceptions for emergencies, such as calls to 911.