It is pretty clear that is NOT what he said.

It is silly to pass a law that you cannot have a cell phone in your hand when you cross the street. People carry their phones everywhere and this bill would ridiculously say it is illegal to have it operating when crossing a street - that means if you are on the phone, using it for directions, with ear buds or not, and so on.

If you use your phone for directions, then, whether you look at it or not while in the street it would be illegal to just have it operating. So in its essence this bill would make it illegal to not have pockets (if you have a phone) - is that really the sort of legislation we want from our government?