LANSING, Mich. (July 31, 2025) — As a former teacher, Chair of the Senate Education Committee and sponsor of Senate-passed legislation to regulate cell phones in schools, Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) issued the following statement on the recent failure of a competing proposal in the Michigan House of Representatives and inaccurate claims of a bicameral deal on a compromise:
“Despite his comments to the contrary, Rep. Mark Tisdel does not have a ‘deal’ with the Senate on his legislation to address cell phones in schools. He and I have agreement on the need to address the issue and are trying to work together on it. But we differ on the details and more work is needed to find common ground.
“Those policy differences are significant and are the main impediment to Rep. Tisdel’s legislation passing — lacking enough support in his caucus and across the aisle. His legislation aims to set different parameters for different grades — complicating the implementation, takes away flexibility and independence from schools, and most importantly, disregards exceptions for emergencies. My bill has passed the Senate, and with strong bipartisanship, and I am committed to reaching an agreement on this topic in both chambers.”