Assembly approves school cell phone bill

Erin Neff

Tuesday, April 15, 2003 | 10:18 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Assembly began clearing dozens of bills from its house Monday in preparation for an upcoming deadline.

Most items passed the lower house unanimously, but a bill allowing local school districts to regulate cell phone and pager use on campuses created a small spat.

Assembly Bill 138, sponsored by David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, at the request of a seventh grade class at Becker Middle School in Las Vegas allows districts to create their own policies for the use of electronic devices.

Current law prohibits a student from even possessing one of the devices on school grounds.

Goldwater argued the bill was needed to help students in the event of another Columbine High School tragedy.

"There may be an incident where having a cell phone could be the difference between life and death," Goldwater argued.

But Bernie Anderson, D-Sparks, and a Sparks High School history teacher, said phones constantly ring in his classroom.

"I appreciate the comments from my colleague to the south who believes he understands what goes on in my classrooms," Anderson said to Goldwater.

Anderson said nobody enforces the ban on cell phone use at his school. Students may carry them on campus with parental permission, he said.

Goldwater said Anderson made the case for passage because his school is technically violating the law. Goldwater said it was better to repeal the current law than to have students and schools breaking it.

The measure passed 37-5, with Anderson, Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas; Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas; Tom Collins, D-North Las Vegas; and David Parks, D-Las Vegas, opposed.

Other matters approved by the Assembly on Monday: