LANSING ? Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s signing of bills Friday banning text messaging while driving on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” might not have been as wild as when Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah’s couch, but it certainly qualified as one of the more unconventional bill signing ceremonies in recent memory.
The theme of Winfrey’s Friday episode was “No Phone Zone,” dedicated to the dangers of distracted driving due to cell phone use.
Granholm appeared on the show via satellite before an audience at Detroit’s Renaissance Center and got to kibitz with Oprah pal Ali Wentworth, who led into the segment by saying, “We are making history here in Detroit. History! Because I’m here with the fantastic Governor Jennifer Granholm.”
Granholm told Wentworth that the bill had overwhelming support – Democrats, Republicans, people who want to see our roads safe.”
Granholm then signed the bills (SB 468 , PA 59; HB 4370 , PA 58; HB 4394 , PA 60) to the audience’s roaring approval.
“That’s fantastic,” Winfrey said from her Chicago studio. “Thank you, Governor Granholm! That’s great. Michigan just became a safer place because of that law.”
Responded Granholm: “Thank you so much Oprah. Thanks for your leadership!”
The ban takes effect July 1.
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