Sanders moves to ban cellphones in schools
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will introduce a bill to ban smartphones and other electronic devices like smartwatches in public schools, she announced Wednesday.
Context: The proposed legislation — dubbed the "Bell to Bell, No Cell" Act — comes after the governor's pilot program where the state provided pouches to store students' phones during class for participating school districts.
At least 114 of the states 237 school districts are participating in the pilot program, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
What they're saying:"We have seen a staggering rise in mental illness among young people over the past decade," Sanders said in a news release. "The culprit is clear: unrestricted access to smartphones and social media."
"After the overwhelming success of our phone-free schools pilot program, it's clear that it's time for Arkansas to ban smartphones, bell to bell, in every school in our state."
Zoom out: Cellphone bans in schools have been gaining momentum, both in Democratic and Republican-run states, Axios' April Rubin writes.
Eight states have bans, and more than 20 have policy recommendations to do so, are trying out pilot programs or have introduced legislation that would ban cell phones in schools.
The other side: Those who oppose the bans, especially parents of K-12 students, argue that parents should be able to reach their children when needed, Rubin writes.
What's next: Sen. Tyler Dees (R-Siloam Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R-Subiaco) will sponsor the bill, according to Sanders' news release.
We're watching for the bill to be filed for more details.
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