A proposed compromise to expand Missouri's texting-while-driving law appears to have fallen flat in a Senate committee.

The Senate Transportation Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill by that would prohibit all drivers - not just those 21 and younger - from texting while driving. Because similar bills have failed in the past, Democratic Sen. Robin Wright-Jones of St. Louis proposed making texting a secondary offense - meaning police would have to pull motorists over for something else before they could write a ticket for texting.

But the Missouri State Highway Patrol said it prefer to make texting a primary offense. Several senators also said that if Missouri is to strengthen its texting law, they want police to be able to pull people over for violations.

Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org.