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Vermont bill would ban cellphones for anyone under 21 years old

Posted at 4:34 PM, Jan 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-09 16:44:40-05

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A proposed bill in the Vermont Senate would ban people under 21 years old from using cellphones.

According to The Barre Montpelier Times Argus, the bill would make it a misdemeanor for those under 21 to have a cellphone. Young adults caught with a cellphone could face up to a year behind bars and a $1,000 fine.

The bill says the Vermont Legislature concluded that if people younger than 21 years old are not mature enough to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol or possess a gun, then they shouldn't be allowed to have a cellphone.

According to the Vermont newspaper, the state recently increased the smoking age to 21 and barred people under 21 from purchasing a gun unless they take a hunter safety course.

The bill was proposed by Democratic state Sen. John Rodgers. The senator told The Barre Montpelier Times Argus that he is trying to make a point and that he has, "no delusions that it’s going to pass. I wouldn’t probably vote for it myself."

According to the newspaper, Rodgers says he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and the state legislature is trying to take away those rights by increasing the legal age.

This story was originally published on WKBW.