House Passes Bill to Ban Handheld Cellphone While Driving BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Republican Rep. Mike Huval, of Breaux Bridge, has tried and failed for years to ban handheld cellphone use while driving. House passage Wednesday with a 77-20 vote sends the measure to the Senate for consideration. “All we’re trying to do is promote safe driving,” Huval said. Opponents questioned whether the measure would improve safety, and they suggested the bill would put a burden on the poor by requiring them to buy new equipment. “A lot of people don’t have cars that have the ability to talk (on the phone) through the car,” said Rep. Robby Carter, a Democrat from Amite.