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Boston's Morning Newsletter
What to know about the school cellphone ban bill on Beacon Hill
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
The legendary Lionel Messi is back in Massachusetts, as the New England Revolution host Inter Miami tonight in Foxborough. And the signs suggest the international soccer star is planning to play. (Tickets are also a little cheaper than last year.)
But first, the news:
On Beacon Hill: A bill to ban K-12 public school students from accessing their cellphones at schools across Massachusetts is gaining momentum in the State House. As WBUR's Carrie Jung reports, Senate members of the State House's Joint Education Committee voted yesterday to advance a bill that would require all school districts to implement “bell-to-bell” bans on personal electronic devices by the start of the 2026-27 academic year. The vote itself is a small step. But the bill represents a potentially dramatic change, as an increasing number of both blue and red states move to restrict the use of the distracting devices during school hours. Here's a look at how the policy would work here — and its path forward:
- What does the bill cover? It's not just cellphones. The ban during school hours would also apply to tablets, smartwatches and any Bluetooth-enabled device capable of sending text messages, voice communications or connecting to the internet.
- Are there exceptions? Mostly likely, yes. The bill gives districts pretty broad freedom to create exceptions — including for emergencies, students with disabilities, multilingual learners, off-campus activities like early college or field trips, or when a teacher or staff member gives "express permission."
- What would be the penalty for breaking the rules? It would be up to individual districts to decide. But the bill says there must be "enforcement provisions."
- What's next: State Sen. Jason Lewis, a co-chair of the education committee, told State House News Service he expects the full Senate to vote on the bill by the end of this month. It would then need approval from the House and Gov. Maura Healey. House Speaker Ron Mariano has yet to take a clear stance on the bill. However, Healey is in favor of the general idea. A spokesperson for the governor said in an email last night that she "supports a bell-to-bell cell phone ban in schools to improve learning and protect students' mental health."
- Go deeper: Earlier this year, we asked local students, teachers and parents what they thought about banning cellphones in schools. Here's what they said.
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On leave: At least five staffers at the Environmental Protection Agency's regional office in Boston are facing potential discipline for openly criticizing the Trump administration. WBUR's Vivian La reports they were among roughly 140 EPA employees who have been suspended for signing a letter accusing the administration of promoting fossil fuels that contribute to climate change, undermining public trust in the agency and creating a hostile work environment. (In a statement, the EPA said employees will be investigated and that the letter is misleading.)
- In related news: The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Trump can resume his plan to lay off hundreds of thousands of federal employees, for now.
Pool progress: Fifteen of Boston's 22 city-run pools are now open for swimming — a significant improvement from two years ago. As WBUR's Eve Zuckoff reported yesterday from the reopening of the BCYF Condon pool in Southie, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says the number will reach 20 by the end of the year, a high-water mark for the last decade. (To minimize future closures, Wu said Boston “for the first time" has a standing pool maintenance contract to fix problems as they arise.)
- What's next: Eve reports the next community pools scheduled to reopen are BCYF Mildred Avenue in Mattapan and BCYF Hennigan in Jamaica Plain.
On the North Shore: Ipswich's Crane Beach is instituting some new safety measures, after swimming was banned at the popular beach last September due to sightings of several juvenile great white sharks. The beach is now training staff to spot sharks from shore, increasing water patrols and installing a detection buoy.
P.S.— Want to make yourself less appealing to mosquitos this summer? This NPR quiz has some surprising, science-backed tactics, from the color of your clothing to the food you eat.
