Whitmer to call for cellphone restrictions in Michigan schools during State of the State
Michigan could join a growing number of states to limit cellphones in classrooms.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to discuss the topic during her seventh State of the State address in Lansing on Wednesday.
Maysoon Aidem, a mother of two in Oakland County, says she's all for limiting distractions in the classroom but worries about an emergency situation.
"If God forbid, anything happens in the schools, and I'm not able to get ahold of my child, I am going to sit there in panic mode waiting for the school officials to reach out to me," she said.
Aidem said the issue of phones in schools pops up a lot in conversation, but she hears a real mixed bag as far as solutions.
"I remember mentioning it to my husband, and him automatically saying, 'Yes, ban them,' and me feeling like, 'I'm sorry. Wait a minute. No, no. Let's look at the reality of our lives. Let's look at the reality of our culture,'" she said.
Currently, Michigan does not have a law on the books that bans cellphones inside the classroom. Republican state Rep. Mark Tisdel introduced legislation late last year to implement a statewide ban, but it didn't pass at the time.
"It is not a ban on smart devices or cellphones in schools. It's a restriction or prohibition of use in specific places and specific times," said Tisdel.
Tisdel reintroduced his bill on Wednesday ahead of the State of the State address. He says he'd love to see the governor work to pass it or he'd be happy to work in a bipartisan fashion to draft a new version.
"I'm absolutely thrilled that the governor is interested in this and sees it as a priority," he said.
For Aidem, she feels that boundaries for cell phones need to begin with parents.
"Everything starts in the household," she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
23 minutes ago
- CBS News
In New Jersey governor's race, Jack Ciattarelli says 2025 is Republicans' year
Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee in the 2025 New Jersey governor's race, says he's ready to take on Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill. Ciattarelli defeated four other candidates in the GOP primary, while Sherrill finished first out of six Democrats who ran. Ciattarelli on big issues in New Jersey governor's race Ciattarelli said Sunday on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer" that he believes 2025 is the year for Republicans to take back control in the Garden State. "We've got an affordability crisis in New Jersey, our individuals and our businesses pay the highest overall taxes in the nation. I can fix that by reducing the size and cost of our state government," he said. "We have a public safety crisis across New Jersey, nonviolent crime is through the roof, and look at the flash mobs on our Jersey Shore, particularly over the Memorial Day weekend," he said. "Public education crisis in the state, we just slipped from two to 12 on the national report card because [Gov. Phil Murphy] shut us down for two years during the pandemic and hasn't put programs in place to make up for that learning loss. Overdevelopment, our suburbs, it's across the board, Marcia." Ciattarelli said his campaign will ultimately ask voters to weigh Sherrill's support for Murphy's policies against his opposition come Election Day. "There's all kinds of crises raging throughout our state. Phil Murphy's tenure has been a failure. She's supported every one of his policies. We're gonna remind people of that," he said. Ciattarelli on President Trump's impact on the race Ciattarelli, who Sherrill called a "Trump lackey" in her victory speech, believes President Trump's endorsement will work to his advantage in a state that went to then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. "In fact, at my acceptance speech the other night, what I said was, if this was a drinking game and you took a shot every time [Sherrill] says 'Trump,' you'll be drunk every day between now and Election Day," he said. "When the other side is calling you names, it means they're worried and we're winning," he added. "Donald Trump got 500,000 more votes than Phil Murphy did in the last gubernatorial and presidential election combined. He's polling seven points ahead of Gov. Murphy in this supposedly 'deep blue' state of New Jersey, and he's taken policy positions that are overwhelmingly received well by New Jerseyans." Ciattarelli highlighted Mr. Trump's opposition to wind farms off the Jersey Shore and New York City congestion pricing, as well as support for raising the SALT cap. Click here to watch the full interview with Ciattarelli.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
GOP lawmakers push bill touting dads for Father's Day — and calling out crisis of 1 and 4 kids growing up without one
Two Republican reps unveiled a resolution in time for Father's Day aimed at drawing attention to the millions of kids growing up without fathers — roughly one in four US children — and underscoring the important roles that dads play in American society. Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and Burgess Owens (R-Utah) introduced the resolution in the House earlier this month and urged policymakers to back solutions that encourage fatherhood. 'I'm blessed with six children and 17 grandchildren — they are the heartbeat of everything I do,' Owens, 73, explained about the resolution. 'We know that when fathers are engaged, children thrive, succeed in school, stay out of trouble and build brighter futures. 'This Father's Day, I'm proud to reintroduce this resolution to recognize the power and purpose of fatherhood, and to send a clear message: America is stronger when families are strong, fathers are present, and parents are empowered.' The resolution, HR 487, which hasn't received a vote yet, declares that 'fatherhood is essential to the development of all children.' 3 The GOP reps are hoping the House will adopt the resolution that highlights the importance of fatherhood. Getty Images 3 Rep. Burgess Owens has six children and seventeen grandchildren. Getty Images About 18.4 million children — roughly a quarter of American kids — live without any father in the home — including a biological, step or adoptive dad, according to US Census Bureau data. Roughly 80% of single-parent households are run by single moms, one study from 2022 found. 'A father's impact is truly incalculable,' Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, said in a statement. 'It is fundamental for growth and development throughout a child's life. Fathers are providers, protectors, teachers, mentors, role models, and so much more.' 'Too many children across our country have been robbed of this lasting influence and we must do everything we can to end the tragic cycle of fatherlessness in America. I'm proud to partner with Congressman Owens to express the importance of this timeless institution.' The resolution is also being championed by former Minnesota Vikings and University of Minnesota football player Jack Brewer, whose eponymous foundation has worked to combat the fatherhood crisis in the US. Last week, the Jack Brewer Foundation celebrated the grand opening of its National Fatherhood Center in Washington, DC. 'We should be embarrassed as the most fatherless nation in the world and declare war on this crisis in America,' Brewer said. 3 Jack Brewer's eponymous foundation opened its National Fatherhood Center in Washington, D.C. last week. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'Too many vulnerable children and families have been devastated, and we must address all policies that contribute to dismantling homes, ensuring that both a mother and a father are present to support their children.' The resolution also draws attention to the impact of fatherlessness in minority communities and pushes for solutions such as workforce reentry initiatives for incarcerated parents, mentorship programs, and tax incentives for parents. The measure also hails the First Step Act, opportunity zones and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUS) for helping to address fatherlessness in minority communities. 'Fatherlessness and the lack of important role models in the lives of children today are a root cause of the violence and unrest we are witnessing in our Nation,' the resolution warned.
Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Rand Paul says he'd be willing to negotiate on megabill support
One of the Senate GOP's biggest critics of President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' won't rule out coming around on the sweeping domestic policy package. But Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told NBC's Kristen Welker on Sunday that he would need the White House to make major modifications to the bill's planned $5 trillion debt ceiling hike to garner his support. 'Congress is awful with money, and so you should give them a more restricted credit line, not an expansive one,' he said on 'Meet the Press.' 'Yes, the debt ceiling has to go up, but what I've said is it ought to go up three months at a time and then we should have a renewed debate about the debt. We shouldn't put it up $5 trillion and wait two years, go through another election cycle and be almost toward the end of the Trump administration and say, 'Oh, whoops, we've added a bunch of debt.'' Trump's megabill passed the House by just a single vote in May, landing in a Senate Republican caucus with competing priorities and a tricky political landscape. But three of the Senate GOP's most skeptical deficit hawks — Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Florida Sen. Rick Scott — have signaled they could eventually lend their support to the bill. Gaining Paul's approval could prove far more costly for appropriators. 'Separate out the debt ceiling and have a separate vote on it,' Paul told Welker. 'And I won't be the deciding vote on this. This is what I tell my supporters. If I am the deciding vote, they'll negotiate. If I'm not, they won't. So far they've been sending their attack dogs after me, and that's not a great persuasion technique.'
