Brown Vetos Bill to Increase Cell Phone Fines

An bill to raise the fines for drivers in California who talk or text while driving was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday. 

"I certainly support discouraging cell phone use while driving a car," Brown said in a statement, "but not ratcheting up the penalties as prescribed by this bill."

Sponsored by Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, SB 28 in mid-August and advocated nearly doubling current distracted driving fines. 

Currently a first offense is just $20 and a second is $50. The new law would hike those fees to $50 for the first violation and $100 for the next, according to bill sponsors.

Brown vetoed the law, saying that the new fines would make it unreasonably difficult for most individuals to pay for an infraction.

Including court fees, the new laws would cost a violator $300 for a first offense and $528 for a repeat violation, according to the Associated Press. 

But many advocate that more serious ramifications are required to reduce the number of distracted driving accidents.

According to Simitian's office, AAA and California's Office of Traffic Safety, between 60 and 70 percent of drivers on the road follow the state's "hands-free" cell phone laws.

The issue of making more serious penalties for using cell phones while driving is particularly visible in Sonoma County, after by a college student who was using her cell phone when she ran over Calli and her mother, Ling, Dec. 1.

The Murray family and a band of community activists continue to rally local and state elected officials for steeper penalties for talking or texting while driving.

In February, the 2-year-old's death ignited a conversation throughout about getting the violation .