US EditionBills banning cellphones in Michigan classrooms head to Whitmer after near unanimous vote
- On Thursday, Jan. 22 the Michigan Senate approved Senate Bill 495 and House Bill 4141 to limit student cell phone use during instructional time, passing each by a 34-1 vote and sending HB 4141 to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
- After months of negotiations lawmakers reached a bipartisan agreement last week, with Sen. Dayna Polehanki and Rep. Mark Tisdel working across party lines following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State call.
- Local school leaders, including Avondale Middle School officials, say their phone policy increased student engagement, participation, and achievement, with fights dropping from 22 incidents in fall 2022 to seven, and phone violations decreasing from 124 to 61, Schwarz said Wednesday.
- Under House Bill 4141, public school districts and public academies must ban cellphone use during instructional time while allowing exemptions for medically necessary devices and school-issued devices, with Senate Bill 495 requiring emergency-use protocols starting next school year.
- The governor is expected to sign the bills when they reach her desk, and lawmakers hope Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will do so before Feb. 25 as some school districts might begin policies this year, aligning Michigan with 38 other states.
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Deconcentration, exposure to inappropriate content, harassment... The use of the phone is forbidden in class to preserve the learning and mental health of young people, alerts a collective of associations of parents of pupils, teachers and health professionals.
Michigan Senate clears school cell phone ban bill a week after House approved measure
Photo illustration by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota SearchlightHouse Democrats initially opposed a measure to ban cell phone usage in K-12 late last year, but a renewed set of cell phone ban bills is on track to clear the finish line after Republican lawmakers were able to forge a deal and got Democrats on board. The Michigan Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 495 and its House Bill 4141 companion, restricting student cell phone …
Michigan Senate clears school cell phone ban bill shortly a week after House approved measure
House Democrats initially opposed a measure to ban cell phone usage in K-12 late last year, but a renewed set of cell phone ban bills is on track to clear the finish line after Republican lawmakers were able to forge…
The Detroit News
Michigan nears ban on phones in school during instructional time
Thursday's vote in the Michigan Senate set the bills on a path to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
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