Vermont bill would ban cellphones for anyone under 21

By

Sydney
Teens are going to love this law.
Photo: Apple

Democrat lawmakers in Vermont are trying really hard to lose the youth vote in 2020 with a newly proposed law that would ban anyone under 21 from using a smartphone.

The bill, introduced to the committee by Democratic senator John Rodgers, lists cyberbullying, terrorist radicalization and mass shootings as a few of the reasons why people under 21 aren’t mature enough to possess a cellphone.

Senator Rodgers listed the use of cellphones while driving as the biggest concern of the bill. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that cell phones are involved in 1.6 million automobile crashes each year, causing half a million injuries and 6,000 deaths.

Cellphone ban is D.O.A.

“It is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess [cellphones], just as the General Assembly has concluded that persons under 21 years of age are not mature enough to possess firearms, smoke cigarettes, or consume alcohol,” the bill reads.

Sure, cellphone use while driving is still a huge problem. But taking away cellphones from teens would be absolutely stupid. For many people, their smartphone has become their main computer. Banning teens from using technology that’s crucial for succeeding in this modern area would only set people back.

If signed into law, any violators would be hit with a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Keep in mind though that this bill is only in committee where it has slim chances of being passed into law. In fact, Senator Rodgers doesn’t even want it to pass.

“I have no delusions that it’s going to pass. I wouldn’t probably vote for it myself,” Senator Rodgers told Times Argus. Rodgers said he wrote the bill to make a point on gun control, claiming lawmakers “bent on taking away our Second Amendment rights.”

 

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