Amateur radio operators in Iowa have won an exemption to the state's new distracted-driving law that takes effect on the 1st of July. The governor signed the bill into law on the 2nd of April after both the state House and Senate passed it overwhelmingly. It bans drivers from using mobile phones or any wireless device while behind the wheel unless it is in hands-free or voice-activated mode. The bill, which was five years in the making, exempts licensed hams who are using two-way radios. Iowa joins 30 other states, including New York, Arizona and Minnesota, in granting hams permission to operate their radios while driving.