MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans are moving a bill through the Wisconsin Legislature that would prohibit drivers from using cellphones in construction zones. The measure would ban drivers from using phones that require the use of their hands in construction zones when workers are present. Violators would face forfeitures ranging from $20 to $40 for a first offense and $50 to $100 for a second or subsequent offense within a year. The Senate’s transportation committee held a brief hearing on the bill Thursday. Sen. Jerry Petrowski, a Marathon Republican who chairs the committee and one of the bill’s chief authors, acknowledged during the hearing that enforcement would be difficult but the bill would at least send a message that driving while using a cellphone is dangerous.
