Latest news with #SenateBill55
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC House panel advances bill restricting K-12 student cell phone use
Photo: Daniel deA bill requiring North Carolina school boards to adopt policies restricting student cell phone use during instructional time cleared a state House committee Tuesday. The House Judiciary 2 Committee approved House Bill 87 on a voice vote. The bill would allow individual school districts to create their own policies regarding cell phone restrictions. The bill differs from Senate Bill 55, which passed the Senate earlier this month and is far stricter. The Senate bill would require local education agencies to implement policies that ban students from using 'wireless communication devices' during instructional time. The bill defines a wireless communication device as 'any portable wireless device that has the capability to provide voice, messaging, or other data communication between two or more parties,' including cellular telephones, tablet computers, laptop computers, paging devices, two-way radios, and gaming devices. During Tuesday's committee meeting, several members of the public called for a 'bell-to-bell' policy, which generally means restricting phone use from the start to the end of the school day. 'Our children need a policy that provides strong guardrails all day to keep them from this addictive behavior, particularly between classes, when they are vulnerable to mental health insults from inappropriate content and cyberbullying,' said Mary Ann Tierney, a nurse and executive director of Safe Tech NC. Lina Nealon, a national expert on child online safety and a parent of Durham public school students, also voiced her support for a 'bell-to-bell' policy. 'When kids' faces are pressed to their phones outside of instruction time, they lose moments of closeness and critical thinking,' Nealon said. 'A bell-to-bell policy would prevent second-hand smartphone harm.' But the bill's sponsors — Republicans Neal Jackson, Brian Biggs, Mike Schietzelt, and Blair Eddins — say they would leave it to individual school districts to decide how to implement the policy, opposing a one-size-fits-all approach. Opponents of the bill have argued that limiting cell phone access could prevent students from communicating in emergencies. Tech advocates contend that restricting devices could stifle new avenues for learning. Currently, around 77 school districts in North Carolina have their own cell phone policies, according to legislative staff. The proposed bill would require all districts to implement a policy. The bill includes exceptions for: Remote charter academies Remote academies Virtual charter schools participating in a pilot program authorized by state law The bill now heads to the House Rules Committee before potentially advancing to a full House vote.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NC Senate passes bill requiring cellphone ban in schools
A new bill that passed in the North Carolina Senate banning cellphones in public schools has bipartisan approval. Gov. Josh Stein said he supports the ban. PAST COVERAGE: NC legislators introduce bill to ban phones and laptops in classrooms, but there are exceptions Channel 9′s Evan Donovan spoke to teachers and families to find out what they think. North Carolina lawmakers on both sides of the aisle support a similar ban in schools. However, students and some teachers said there's more to this than you may think. Carter Hutchinson is a sophomore at South Mecklenburg High School. 'Now that I have one, I use it a ton,' Hutchinson said. He's had his cellphone for about three years. Donovan asked, 'Do you find it to be a distraction in school?' 'It can be,' Hutchinson said. 'But I think it's more of a tool than a distraction, the way I use it. Because I can still be attentive in class.' Hutchinson said phones can be positive tools. His mother said some kids use it to help with English. 'I don't think it should be a full ban, because people still use it,' he said. 'Like my mom said – translating.' Stein made his first State of the State address Wednesday night. 'Classrooms should be cellphone-free zones,' the governor said during his speech. Stein said he supports Senate Bill 55, which would require school districts to establish a policy by this fall. It would prohibit students from using or having a wireless communication device during instructional time. There are exceptions, including when teachers allow it for instruction, during an emergency, or as part of a student's education plan, or for medical reasons. 'Too many young people are struggling,' Stein said. 'Too many kids are bullied. They need and they deserve a seven-hour break from the unrelenting pressures of phones and social media.' Parent Joyce Davis supports the bill. 'The goal of being in school is to be educated and not distracted,' Davis said. Hutchinson disagrees. 'I don't feel the need to pull it out of my pocket and constantly be using it,' he said. The bill passed the state Senate last week and is now in the House. It will now be heard in several committees. Response from the North Carolina GOP on the student cell phone ban: 'We will let the General Assembly work its will on this issue. The NCGOP is supportive of common-sense policies to improve education and student outcomes in North Carolina's schools. Voters across our state returned strong Republican majorities to the legislature to act on the important issues facing our state.' Donovan is waiting for a response from Democratic leadership. South Carolina schools adopted a policy in January requiring phones to be off and away during the school day. VIDEO: Cellphones banned from use in school in Rock Hill this year
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia moves closer to phase out subminimum wage for people with disabilities
The Brief Georgia lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to end a practice that allows some Georgia employers to pay disabled workers subminimum wages. Some workers with disabilities are paid as little as 22 cents an hour. SB 55 would phase out the program that allows employers to pay disabled workers below the federal minimum wage. ATLANTA - The "Dignity and Pay Act" would phase out a decades-old program that allows some employers to pay people with disabilities well below the federal minimum wage, with some receiving as little as 22 cents an hour. This practice was implemented at the federal level in the 1930's under the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide employment opportunities to disabled workers. What they're saying Critics argue the program exploits people with disabilities and is discriminatory. Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta spokesperson Sheryl Arno has been fighting for years at the state and federal level to end the program. "They just – they want to be a part of the community," Arno told FOX 5. "They're okay paying taxes. They vote. They want to get married. They have the same hopes and dreams, but they need to be valued in the same light." What's next On Wednesday, Senate Bill 55 cleared a House Committee by unanimous vote. If passed, employers would have two years to end their participation in the program. Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities' spokesperson Leah Soller said the change is long overdue. "There are, I believe, 11 states that have started to fully, or at least partially, phase out this subminimum wage." Soller explained. The Source FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Deidra Dukes interviewed Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta spokesperson Sheryl Arno and Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities' spokesperson Leah Soller for this report.
Axios
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Axios
New bill would ban use of cellphones in North Carolina schools
A new bill filed this week in the N.C. General Assembly, with some bi-partisan support, would ban the use of cellphones in public schools during instructional time. Why it matters: A growing number of states have moved to ban cellphones and other smart devices in classrooms, as part of an effort to reduce distractions during learning time and boost socialization among students. Driving the news: Senate Bill 55 would ask public school districts to create policies to ban students from using wireless communication devices during class time. The ban would apply to cellphones, tablet computers, laptops, pagers, radios, gaming devices or any device that can provide voice, messaging or other data communication. Devices would be allowed if authorized by a teacher for educational purposes. Between the lines: The bill has three primary Republican sponsors in Sens. Michael Lee (New Hanover County), Jim Burgin (Harnett) and Lisa Barnes (Nash), but there is some bipartisan support. State Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, a Democrat representing Wake County, introduced a similar bill last year with Burgin and applauded the new effort, saying "Study after study, superintendent after superintendent have told us that phone-free schools benefit students, teachers, and parents." State of play: 68% of U.S. adults support cellphone bans during class, and about 36% favor an all-day ban, a Pew Research survey found last year. A group of parents in Wake County schools pushed last year for a district-wide ban in the state's largest school district. But so far, Wake County lets each school set its own policy on phones. 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, Axios' April Rubin previously reported. Many parents see cellphones as critical for safety and connectedness, especially in the face of emergencies like school shootings. Zoom in: While new North Carolina Superintendent Mo Green said on the campaign trail that "we've got to figure out ways to limit the access of cellphones in schools," he hasn't supported an outright ban publically, NC Newsline reported. Zoom out: Health experts and policymakers have called for stricter regulations on youth social media use, while social media companies have been reckoning with accountability about their platforms' harmful effects on children. Research has found that excessive cellphone use can impact children's mental health.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to ban phones during classes clears NC Senate
RALEIGH — The state Senate passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday directing schools to ban the use of cellphones, laptops and other wireless devices during classes, with a series of exceptions including educational use. Senators voted 41-1 to approve Senate Bill 55 and send it to the House, where lawmakers have advanced a bill of their own. The House's bill is less restrictive and only covers cellphones, unlike the Senate's bill, which covers tablet and laptop computers as well. One of the primary sponsors of the House bill is Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph. Biggs filed House Bill 87 last month. The Senate's bill would require school boards and charter schools to create their own policies on wireless devices that, at a minimum, prohibit students from using, displaying, or having any 'wireless communication device' turned on during classes. School boards would be responsible for establishing consequences for violating the policy, which could include confiscation and disciplinary measures as prescribed by each school's code of student conduct. The policies adopted by school boards would be required to allow cellphone use either by permission of a teacher for educational purposes; in case of an emergency; if required for a student's individualized education program or section 504 plan; or to manage a student's health care. Two lawmakers who joined forces on this bill, GOP Sen. Jim Burgin, one of the bill's three primary sponsors, and Democratic Sen. Jay Chaudhuri, the Senate Democratic whip, previously filed legislation last year to study the impact of phones in schools. Chaudhuri said after Senate Bill 55 was filed last month that in today's society, the ubiquity of smartphones and other electronic devices has led to 'a collective action problem where we've created a phone-based childhood as opposed to a phone-free childhood.' At least 19 states have already passed laws banning phones in schools or recommending local school districts enact their own restrictions, according to an analysis by Education Week. Distributed at Tribune Content Agency.
