California’s smartphone kill switch bill fails to pass the state’s Senate

A California bill hoping to add “kill switches” to smartphones failed to pass in the state’s Senate earlier this week. Lawmakers have been trying to come up with a solution to combat rising smartphone theft, and have even called out big manufacturers to address the issue. But the bill, proposed by Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat, didn’t receive enough votes; it did obtain a vote of 19 to 17 in favor, though it needed 21 in order to pass.