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STaRTINg FRESH
Orioles implement defensive and offensive changes with eight new varsity players. pagE 2
HaNgINg aROUND
Hammock trend booms in summer and will remain popular into fall and winter. pagE 4
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 Volume 87 Issue 1 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426
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law cRackS DOwN ON DISTRacTION Texting while driving fine increased for repeat offenders Jayne Stevenson jaynestevenson@slpecho.com
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enior Tyra Ramsey said she remembers a shocking experience during driver’s education when she heard stories of those who were killed by someone who was texting while driving. “While I was at driver’s ed, there were all these people talking about how their daughters or their sons were killed by somebody who was texting while driving, and that really opened my eyes,” Ramsey said. Three main types of distracted driving occur: visual, manual and cognitive. Texting while driving incorporates all three and raises the chance of a motor vehicle crash, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Distracted driving is involved in one in four crashes in Minnesota, according to Donna Berger, director of the Office of Traffic Safety at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (MDPS).
According to the MDPS, the increased fine for repeat texting while driving offenders in Minnesota went into effect Aug. 1. This law builds on a previous law, adding a $275 fine for second or subsequent offenses to the initial $50 fine, along with court costs, Berger said. “There was a current law that prohibited the use of wireless communication devices to compose, read or send an electronic message when the vehicle is in motion, or part of traffic, and most people really think of that as the texting law,” Berger said. “This law is an enhancement, which adds an additional fine to the existing fine for a second and subsequent offense.” According to Berger, the bill was an agency initiative, and the process involved recommendations and approval from the commissioner’s office, the governor’s office and the legislature. “There’s a lot of hearings, a lot of testimonies, a lot of educating legislators on why the bill is necessary,” Berger said. “We also had personal impact speakers, families that had been impacted by the loss of a loved one due to a distracted driving crash.” The bill also had to be authored by a senator and a representative, according to Berger. “Other representatives could sign on, but (Rep. Frank Hornstein) was the leading author on the House side,
and Sen. Jim Carlson was the author on the Senate side,” Berger said. Junior Zach Conati said he thinks the law will help prevent people from texting while driving to an extent. “I think it will help,” Conati said. “But it’s not going to completely eliminate it.” Conati said he would not text and drive knowing the amount he would have to pay if he got caught. “Hopefully (drivers) will realize they don’t want to pay almost $300 for a stupid text,” Conati said. “Maybe they’ll have someone else in the car do it, or just wait until they’re done driving.” According to the Washington Post, distracted driving plays a part in 58 percent of automobile crashes involving teen drivers. Berger said that in 2014, more than 70 percent of fatal crashes and 24 percent of injury crashes involved driver inattention. “It’s a preventable death,” Berger said. “It’s not worth taking those chances.” Berger said drivers have a personal responsibility to be safe and to respect other drivers. “My hope is that they will all put safety first and decide to put all distractions away,” Berger said. “Everyone has the right to speak up and feel safe in a car, whether they’re a passenger or driver.”
Photo Illustration Harry Steffenhagen, Heather Westwood & Cedar Thomas
$7.75 $7.25
Minimum wage continues to rise Previous legislation goes into effect for all workers
$6.50
$4.90 $4.25
Mara Bacig marabacig@slpecho.com
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Youth minimum wage Minnesota legislation passed in 2014 will increase the minimum wage for youth to $7.75 Aug. 1, 2016.
Infographic Jane Anderson Source www.dli.mn.gov
rom 2005 until 2014, Minnesota’s minimum wage was frozen at $6.15 per hour. However, after Aug. 1, 2015, new legislation went into effect, raising the large employer minimum wage to $9 per hour and the small employer wage to $7.25 per hour. Under the previous 2005 law, Minnesota was one of four states with a minimum wage below the federal minimum of $7.25, according to the Minnesota Department
of Labor and Industry (DLI). Now, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Minnesota’s youth minimum equals the federal one, and the large employer wage tops it. Junior Emily Doss works two low wage jobs as a janitor and a Tom Thumb Donuts employee. She said she believes a higher minimum wage will help young people pay for college.` “Many of the people who are working jobs with a minimum wage are either high school students saving for college or college students paying their bills,” Doss said. James Honerman, the communications director for the DLI, said he believes the new minimum wage for teens will help the Minnesotan
economy by stimulating spending. “Putting money in teens’ pockets is good for the economy because they are active consumers,” Honerman said. “Yet those who secure a job also find value in employment far beyond financial necessity.” Senior Justin Less said he thinks the past youth minimum wage was too low and raising the minimum wage allows teens to be independent consumers. “I think it’s beneficial to raise minimum wage, because it lets kids become more self-sufficient and less reliant on their parents,” Less said. According to the DLI, in 2016 the large employer minimum wage will increase to $9.50 and the small employer wage will become $7.75. In the future, the wage will be increased in proportion to inflation.