The N.C. Senate has voted 37-12 this afternoon to ban teens from using cell phones as they drive.
It’s the first of two votes required to send the bill to the House for that chamber’s consideration.
Supporters cite the safety value. “This bill is all about giving teenagers the chance to grow up,” said Sen. Bill Purcell, D-Scotland, “to enjoy the life that most of us enjoy here. It’s all about safety.”
A dozen senators did not buy the argument. “We give these young folks the responsibility, and we expect them to have the sense to operate a motor vehicle,” said Sen. Don East, R-Surry.
Sen. Hugh Webster, R-Alamance, offered the best line in the debate, when describing the way experts say the human brain develops with age: “My frontal lobe has started regressing.”
