A state senator in Vermont has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for anyone under 21 to have or use a cellphone. It's a move meant to draw attention away from gun restrictions.
The bill, S.212, would make it so anyone under 21 possessing or using a cell phone could face up to a year in prison and/or a fine up to $1,000.
The legislation notes some of the dangers related to cellphones including distracted driving and how they can be used for bullying.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Sen. John Rodgers, told the Times Argus he introduced the bill to make a point and realizes it's not going to pass.
"I wouldn't probably vote for it myself," he told the Times Argus.
Instead, Rodgers explained that he's a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and claimed the Vermont legislature seemed bent on taking away those rights.
His cellphone ban bill states that "In light of the dangerous and life-threatening consequences of cellphone use by young people, it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them, 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."
In recent years, Vermont raised the age to purchase firearms or tobacco products to 21. Vermont is one of many states where texting and driving is illegal.
