A Vermont state senator penned a piece of protest legislation that would outlaw cellphone use for people under the age of 21.
State Sen. John Rodgers, a Democrat, wrote the bill, which would impose a $1,000 fine on any person under the age of 21 caught using a cellphone. Rodgers wrote the legislation to protest of a series of bills that went through the state raising the legal age to buy cigarettes or own a firearm without a gun safety certificate to 21.
The bill states, “The internet and social media, accessed primarily through cellphones, are used to radicalize and recruit terrorists, fascists, and other extremists. Cellphones have often been used by mass shooters of younger ages for research on previous shootings.”
The legislation notes that those under 21 “aren’t mature enough” to smoke, drink, or own weapons, so they should not be able to use cellphones.
“I have no delusions that it’s going to pass,” Rodgers told the Times Argus. “I wouldn’t probably vote for it myself.”
Rodgers added that he is a staunch supporter of gun owners’ rights and said his fellow lawmakers “seem bent on taking away our Second Amendment rights.” He claimed cellphones are just as dangerous as firearms.
Michelle Fay, the executive director of Voices for Vermont’s Children, ripped Rodger’s statement, saying, “There are so many critical issues impacting the lives of working families in Vermont today, from increasing minimum wage to implementing equitable family and medical leave insurance programs to establishing an office of child advocate. We urge the Legislature to focus on the important work at hand instead of getting tied up in hollow diversions.”
President Trump raised the age to buy cigarettes to 21 when he signed the most recent spending bills in December. The age restriction took effect nationwide when Trump signed the bill, according to the FDA.
