Washington State Senator Says She’s Sorry For Legislating While Driving

SEATTLE (AP) – A state senator from Washington has apologized after she participated in a legislative video hearing while she drove a car to the Capitol.

The Seattle Times reports that Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, said her attempt to multitask Tuesday morning while driving to Olympia was “not in compliance with the law.”

Washington state code forbids several behaviors, among them “watching video on a personal electronic device.”

Saldaña said she meant to disable the video and only use audio functions.

She also wore lightweight ear buds; the law forbids earphones if they block outside sounds such as ambulances.

The standard citation fine is $136 for a first offense.