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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Schools should ban student phone use, council says
RALEIGH — A state advisory council plans to recommend that all North Carolina public schools ban student phone use during the entire school day, including during non-instructional time such as breaks and lunch. The draft recommendation from the Governor's Advisory Council for Student Safety and Well-Being says eliminating use of those devices during the school day will help create 'healthy learning environments for students that contribute to increased academic achievement and improved student well-being.' 'We believe that North Carolina must blaze a trail in its efforts to improve student academic achievement and well-being by eliminating the use of personal communication devices in schools,' the council's co-chairs say in the introduction letter to the report. 'Let's give our students eight hours a day Monday through Friday where they can focus on being students, engaging actively with their friends and teachers in-person without the constant pressure of a device. Our students most certainly deserve it.' The report, which was to be published this week, will include guidance on how schools can implement student phone policies. Gov. Josh Stein signed an executive order in April creating the advisory council. Developing guidance on school phone policies was the first job given to the new council. The council was formed amid growing national concerns about how social media addiction is distracting students from learning. The council report cites statistics such as that students are on their phones for a median of 43 minutes during the school day. At least 22 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students' use of cellphones in schools or recommend local districts enact their own bans or restrictive policies, according to an Education Week analysis. Both the state House and Senate have passed their own bills to restrict cellphone use in schools and included the language in their budget proposals. The Senate added its phone restrictions this week to a House bill on social media literacy. Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch, a council co-chair, told the members May 22 that the council probably will approve a formal recommendation, which in turn will help shape any final legislation. One of the questions facing school districts is how complete to make the ban. For instance, some districts ban students from using their phones while they're at school while others allow them to be used during non-instructional time. 'A district should consider student age and grade ranges for these considerations and may consider different policies for different grade levels, such as elementary, middle and high school,' the council said in its report. 'As outlined previously, it is important to note that it remains this Advisory Council's recommendation that personal communication devices are removed from student use from the beginning to the end of each school day.' The council recognized though that there will have to be some exemptions. Examples of 'legitimate exemptions' include emergencies, instructional, medical and accommodations for students with special needs. For instance, some students use their phones to monitor their glucose levels. Students with disabilities may need to use their phones as part of their individualized education programs. The report recognizes that it won't be easy getting parents out of the habit of calling or texting their children during the school day. 'Students, staff and families have become accustomed to having quick and easy access to communication throughout the day,' according to the council report. 'Public school units must consider what processes will be used and clearly detail how students and parents can communicate with one another during the school day if their personal communication devices are not permitted.' Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Carolina legislature has passed key ‘crossover' deadline. Catch up on bills' progress.
North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Galen Bacharier/NC Newsline) Removing phones from classrooms. Overhauling the foster care system. Expanding the powers and size of the state auditor's office. Allowing the concealed carry of a handgun without a permit. These are just a handful of the hundreds of bills under consideration by North Carolina lawmakers this session. This week provided a key checkpoint for which of them have momentum, and which are doomed to stall out. Thursday marked the General Assembly's 'crossover' deadline — the day by which a bill has to have been passed by either the House or Senate. If it hasn't, it's considered dead for the remainder of the legislative biennium — through 2026. Crossover is far from definitive, though. Budget and tax bills don't have to meet the deadline. And lawmakers have ways of getting around the deadline — like gutting and replacing an eligible bill with a new policy, or stuffing policy proposals into the state budget. 'Nothing is ever dead around here,' House Speaker Destin Hall (R-Caldwell) told reporters Wednesday evening after the chamber's final pre-crossover votes. Republicans, who hold majorities in both chambers, have almost always prioritized their own members' bills. It's resulted in frustrations for Democrats, particularly in the Senate, where the party leader says they've had almost no input. 'It's supposed to be lauded that this is the higher chamber,' Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) told reporters Wednesday. 'But I feel like we act like we're at the kids' table half the time, in middle school, where you don't want to invite individuals who have equal representation in their districts to the table.' Both the House and the Senate will likely begin taking up bills from the other chamber in the coming weeks. Lawmakers in the House are also expected to begin active debate and negotiations on the state budget, a version of which has already passed the Senate. NC Newsline has been following many of the major bills moving through the legislature over the past five months. They're organized by subject, alphabetically. Scroll down for links to our additional reporting on the proposals, as well as to the full text and history of each bill. Banning foreign farmland ownership: Bans claims on certain land by China, Iran, North Korea and Russia. Passed House. House Bill 133. Raw milk sales: Allows for sale of raw milk to those in 'herd share' agreements. Does not qualify for crossover deadline, progressing in Senate. Senate Bill 639. Banning 'ESG' in agricultural lending: Bars banks and credit unions from denying loans to agriculture producers based on their lack of a commitment to ESG — environmental, social, and governance factors. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 554. Farm Act of 2025: Omnibus bill contains a variety of provisions, including a section that would limit the right to bring suit against pesticide manufacturers. Still pending in the Senate. Senate Bill 639. State budget: $32.6 billion to fund the state's operations and programs, cutting vacant positions and offering small raises to state workers. Passed Senate; House will likely release and debate their own budget. Senate Bill 257. Hurricane Helene aid: $524 million for homebuilding, infrastructure repairs and farm aid in western North Carolina. Signed into law. House Bill 47. Unemployment benefits increase: Raises maximum weekly payment to $450 from $350. Passed House. House Bill 48. Repealing Duke Energy emissions deadline: Removes 2030 carbon reduction goals for the utility company. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 261. PFAS pollution and polluter liability: authorizes the Secretary of Environmental Quality to order a responsible party to pay for costs incurred by a public water system to address adverse effects resulting from PFAS contamination. Passed House. House Bill 569. Banning cell phones in schools: A House proposal allows districts to create their own policies governing cell phone use. A Senate bill requires districts to ban them during instructional time. Both versions have passed one chamber. House Bill 87, Senate Bill 55. Taking books with 'sexual content' off shelves: Requires districts to create committees that would review school library materials and rule on whether they follow state guidelines. Passed House. House Bill 636. School calendar changes: A Senate bill would let schools start up to a week earlier. A House bill would repeal the current calendar law, allowing school boards to decide when the school year starts and ends. Both versions have passed one chamber. Senate Bill 754, House Bill 121. Banning diversity, equity and inclusion: Three bills seek to eliminate DEI offices, training and programming across the public sector. State government: State workers who violate ban could face termination, fines & civil litigation. State auditor is tasked with periodic investigations. Passed House. House Bill 171. Higher education: Campuses cannot endorse or affirm a range of 'divisive concepts' and 'discriminatory practices,' expanding existing DEI restrictions on UNC System. Passed House. House Bill 133. K-12 education: Districts cannot endorse or affirm a range of 'divisive concepts' and discriminatory practices.' Passed Senate. Senate Bill 227. Barring AG from challenging executive orders: The attorney general's office, currently held by Democrat Jeff Jackson, would be blocked from challenging presidential executive orders. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 58. Auditor's investigative powers: Allows auditor to investigate any entity receiving state or federal money and overhaul the office's staffing. Passed House. House Bill 549. Auditor's DAVE team: Creates a DOGE-esque team within auditor's office to examine state agencies' spending and job openings using A.I. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 474. State investment in cryptocurrency: Allows up to 5% of state's pension investments to be in crypto's equivalent of mutual funds. Passed House. House Bill 92. Investment authority board: Five-member board of appointees would oversee state's $127 billion in investments, rather than solely the treasurer. Passed House. House Bill 506. Permitless carry: All residents 18 or older can carry concealed handguns without a permit, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 50. Concealed carry in private schools: All residents with valid permits can carry a handgun on properties owned or operated by private schools. Passed House. House Bill 193. Limiting protections for transgender youth: The 'Parents Protection Act' would prevent parents and guardians who deny their trans child's gender identity from facing abuse or neglect designations. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 442. Parents' access to medical records: The 'Parents' Medical Bill of Rights' would require parental consent in most circumstances for minors seeking health care and prescriptions, including contraceptives and mental health treatment. Passed House. House Bill 519. Repealing 'certificate of need': Rolls back law requiring certain health care facilities and services to go through an approval process to determine their necessity. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 370. Medicaid work requirements: Requires those enrolled in Medicaid expansion to work in order to receive benefits. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 403, and included in Senate budget (Senate Bill 257). Overhauling child welfare and foster care: The state Department of Health and Human Services would have greater oversight over counties' handling of child welfare cases — provisions aim to reduce hurdles to permanent homes for children in foster care. Passed House. House Bill 612. Regulating health insurance companies' prior authorization reviews: Puts limits on how health insurance companies review medical cases before giving doctors the okay to treat patients. Passed House. House Bill 434. Requiring hospitals to disclose their prices: A Senate bill would require hospitals to disclose their costs in advance, provide cost estimates for non-emergency care, and would prohibit hospitals charging fees when patients go to associated clinics. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 316. Buying ivermectin: The drug popularized by conservative media would be available without prescription from North Carolina pharmacists. Some began taking the anti-parasitic drug during the COVID-19 pandemic to treat or prevent the viral infection, but its effectiveness is unproven. Passed House. House Bill 618. Breast cancer imaging: Provides coverage parity for supplemental and diagnostic screenings. Passed House. House Bill 297. Abortion rights: 'Human Life Protection Act' (House Bill 804) would ban all abortions except those necessary to save the life of the mother. 'Right to Reproductive Freedom Act' would codify the abortion rights once secured by Roe v. Wade. (House Bill 509, Senate Bill 467). Died in their chambers of origin. Banning camping on public property: Bars local governments from allowing or authorizing camping and sleeping on public property. Passed House. House Bill 781. Drug-free homeless shelters: Requires homeless shelters to be drug-free. Passed House. House Bill 437. Development and zoning: 'Omnibus' housing development bill. Allows civil lawsuits against individuals for development decisions made on city councils or planning boards. Does not qualify for crossover deadline, progressing in House. House Bill 765. Social media protections for minors: Bans platforms from allowing minors under 14 years old from holding accounts, and allowing 14- and 15-year olds to have accounts only with consent from a parent or guardian. Passed House. House Bill 3o1. Social media education: Schools would be required to teach about media's effects on social and emotional health. Passed House. House Bill 959. State agencies' cooperation with ICE: Requires state agencies to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities, and waives immunity for local governments with 'sanctuary' ordinances in cases where an undocumented immigrant commits a crime. Passed Senate. Senate Bill 153. Death penalty methods: Would allow execution by electric chair and firing squad. Died in House. House Bill 270. Removing alleged squatters: Allows private property owners to remove alleged squatters without an opportunity to contest their claims; they can pursue litigation for wrongful eviction and recover damages. Passed House. House Bill 96. Limiting rights of transgender people: The 'Women's Safety and Protection Act' would restrict access to public restrooms for trans people and prohibit the modification of sex markers on birth certificates and driver's licenses. Died in the Senate. Senate Bill 516. Reporting: Galen Bacharier, Lynn Bonner, Christine Zhu, Brandon Kingdollar, Gregory Childress, Clayton Henkel and Ahmed Jallow.
Axios
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Local Limelight with Wake County Sen. Sydney Batch
State Sen. Sydney Batch, a Triangle native, is North Carolina's first Black female minority leader in her chamber. Why it matters: Since she burst onto the political scene when she won her race for a Wake County House seat in 2018's blue wave, Batch has become a rising star in her party and made a rapid ascent in the ranks of state politics. She assumed one of the most powerful positions in North Carolina politics in December, when Senate Democrats ousted political giant and longtime lawmaker Sen. Dan Blue as minority leader and installed Batch in his place. We talked with Batch for our latest Local Limelight conversation. The Q&A has been edited for Smart Brevity. 🥩 Favorite place to eat in the Triangle? Oak Steakhouse or Salsa Fresh. 🏀 What do you think the Triangle is missing? Another professional sports team. 🤳 What's your first read in the morning? Text messages. 📖 Last great book you read?" The Good Lord Bird" by James McBride. 🎧 Go-to podcast?" How Stuff Works." ⛱️ Favorite place to go for a long weekend? The beach, and if she had to pick one: Carolina Beach. 🎓 How did you end up in the Triangle? Batch grew up in Chapel Hill and has three degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, including a law degree and master's in social work. After graduation, she founded Raleigh law firm Batch, Poore & Williams with her husband. "It would fundamentally change people's lives," Batch said. What's something you're looking forward to, unrelated to politics/your work? Going on family vacation with her extended family in Cancun this summer. How do you unplug at the end of the day? Putting a jigsaw puzzle together while watching a TV show.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House could increase teacher raises in their version of state budget
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — The Senate budget is in the hands of the House and Democrats are hoping for big changes. 'I hope that they actually take a look at teacher pay,' said Democratic Senator Sydney Batch. Right now, the budget holds a 2.3% raise for teachers. Democrats say that's an insult. $65.9 billion budget for 2025-27 passes NC Senate, heads now to the House 'It's not significant enough, we know that there are a number of kids that are in classrooms that have substitute teachers,' Senator Batch added. Right now, teacher starting pay in North Carolina is around $41,000 a year. According to the National Education Association, in South Carolina and Tennessee, the starting pay is over $42,000. That means the 2.3% raise here would equal less than $1,000 a year for some teachers. Some House Republicans are already anticipating increasing those raises in their version of the budget. 'We want to be able to show the public that we understand that is important in North Carolina to create an environment that attracts and retains the very best teachers,' Republican Representative Erin Pare said. 'I think we'll see probably the significant raise in teacher pay as one of the most signature pieces of the budget.' NC teachers could make more money under new bill filed Leaders with the North Carolina Association of Educators have rallied for substantial raises. They say now is the time to act. 'We know that 2.3% average raise is not enough to keep our educators from leaving the profession at a time where we need well-compensated professionals in front of students to ensure their academic success,' Tamika Walker Kelly, President of the NCAE, said. Senate Democrats also want the House to increase the raises for state employees set in the budget. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate passes $65B+ budget, Democrats want changes made
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A big step forward on Thursday as lawmakers decide what to spend billions of your taxpayer dollars on. The state budget has moved to the House after the Senate passed its version Thursday morning with some bipartisan support. Four Democrats voted in favor of the budget, but the majority of them say it's a failure. $65.9 billion budget for 2025-27 passes NC Senate, heads now to the House 'It's, I think, an unfortunate and sad day for North Carolinians,' Democratic Senator Sydney Batch said. The two-year budget totals more than $65 billion, with millions going to continued recovery efforts in western North Carolina, colleges and universities across the state, and to the state's rainy day fund. It includes pay raises for teachers and state employees, but Democrats say they're too small. 'State employees got literally a modicum, an offensive raise, and we're at a time in which we know that the price of everything is going up,' Senator Batch said. The budget is now with the House, also led by Republicans. Senate leadership is hopeful for some agreement. 'Probably the only thing that I fully expect the House not to make any changes on would be the agreed spend number that we had,' Senator Phil Berger said. 'We should also be in agreement on the balance in the rainy day fund at the end of the day.' But Democrats hope the House makes major changes. 'We have working families that live paycheck to paycheck, cannot take a day off, and literally have to figure out how to make that work for their families, and so in a time when we know that it's hard to even be working just one job, and many North Carolinians do not, we should be doing things and passing legislation that actually helps them, this budget fails them,' Senator Batch said. Senators are hopeful the final budget will be passed before the end of June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
