Illinois Legislation Would Ban Use of Mobile Amateur Radio

[SP Jon M3]

Found an interesting post over on qrz.com. Basically Illinois is proposing legislation to ban the use of any electronic device unless it's hands-free or voice activated (wonder if you can change the radio station on your car stereo anymore? ). Hopefully this doesn't pass and set a precedence for other states to follow.

[cruiserlarry]

Found an interesting post over on qrz.com. Basically Illinois is proposing legislation to ban the use of any electronic device unless it's hands-free or voice activated (wonder if you can change the radio station on your car stereo anymore? ). Hopefully this doesn't pass and set a precedence for other states to follow.

Illinois can pass whatever legislation it wants - but if they try to enforce it on licensed hams, they'll likely end up on the wrong end of a Federal lawsuit, IMO, since Amateur Radio operation is regulated by federal license, not state regulations. Usually federal law overrides any state legislation (example - medical marijuana raids in CA and other states where the facilities have been legalized by the state), so they'll have a big fight on their hands regarding any communications services that are covered by Federal laws. In CA, the hands-free cell-phone laws don't cover ham radio or business band radio operation specifically for that reason.

[DaveK]

THIS JUST IN:

Amateur radio has been granted an exemption to a proposed Illinois anti-distracted-driver law that could have outlawed all mobile operation by anyone in the state other than emergency services.

[cowboy4x4]

I wonder how all the truck drivers will communicate with each other now...... I know.... they will say screw it and talk on the cb anyway (assuming they are banned as well)

[cruiserlarry]

I'm guessing a wise attorney general in Illinois took a look at the proposed legislation, and realized the can of crap they would get the state into if they didn't exempt Federally-licensed radio services...so, as I stated in a previous post, I'm not surprised about the exception they made for amateur radio operators.

[brentbba]

Good to hear Illinios came to their senses. It just really surprises me that the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia hasn't done this regardless of federal law!