DeWine pushes school cell phone ban

This just in: Gov. DeWine is pushing a school cell phone ban, saying “it’s time to finish the job.”

“We all know screen time is very addictive, cell phone hazards go even beyond that,” says DeWine.

Undoubtedly so.

Some Ohio parents are worrying this could bar their kids from having access to their phones in the event of an emergency like a school shooting (check the replies to WLWT’s tweet about the news).

However, DeWine did commit in his press conference to ensuring that “the bill would allow for exceptions in certain situations where a cell phone may be necessary.”

Quite how all of this works in practice is unknown. Will teachers in individual classrooms be responsible for ensuring kids hand their phones over upon entry to class, and that they are put in some kind of a lockbox? What happens if a kid then goes to the bathroom during class and wants their phone back– or does not get their phone back, and an emergency ensues during which they cannot access their phone? Or will this turn into a matter for steep fines where kids have cell phones accessible and visible during class time?

Legislative drafting is not always as easy as it sounds, when push comes to shove. Stay tuned.