Panel OKs repeal of school cell phone ban

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 | 8:46 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Students are one step closer to a repeal of the state law that prohibits cell phones on public school campuses.

And military veterans have advanced in their fight to get high school diplomas if they left school to join the service during World War II, Korea or Vietnam.

The Senate Human Resources and Facilities Committee recommended approval of Assembly Bill 138 that would eliminate the present law that prohibits carrying or possessing a cell phone or paging device on school grounds.

Also approved by the committee Monday was Assembly Bill 52 that provides for issuance of standard high school diplomas to veterans who served in any of those three wars if they dropped out to enlist.

Both bills will come up for a final vote in the Senate, probably later this week and then be forwarded to Gov. Kenny Guinn for his signature.

Assemblyman David Goldwater, D-Las Vegas, said changing the law on the cell phones was a government project of Becker Middle School in Las Vegas. He said the students felt the law was unjust.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, the chairman of the committee, said there was a concern that cell phones would disrupt the classes, but Rhonda Mittenzwei, a seventh grader from Becker, said students now are bringing their phones to school "and they have never gone off in class."

Rawson said there was a concern that students use the cell phones to conduct drug deals, but Mittenzwei replied, "I'm in the seventh grade. That is not an issue."

Goldwater said allowing cell phones could make schools safer. During the shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado, cell phone calls enabled the authorities to react quicker and permitted students to notify their parents they were safe.

Representatives of the school districts in Clark and Washoe counties and Carson City said they supported the bill that allows each district to decide on the regulation for use of cell phones by students on campus.

The school district officials also said they had no objections to the bill giving high school diplomas to veterans who didn't finish high school because they went off to war.

Chuck Fulkerson, director of the state Office of Veterans Services, said it would be "a recognizance of the outstanding contribution" these military people made. "It's a small, overdue gesture," he said.

Fulkerson said he did not know how many of the 231,000 veterans in Nevada might fall into this category.

A veteran who entered the service from Nevada or who is living here now but enlisted in another state, would be able to apply for the high school diploma.