(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)
The recent ordeal in the State House over a bill requiring school districts to set limits on students using cell phones at school is a pathetic display of partisan politics at its worst. Petty AF would be a kind description!
There is bipartisan support for the legislation in Lansing, and a similar version has already passed the State Senate.
Polling shows nearly 80% of Michiganders back the measure, including a strong majority of parents and teachers.
Yet last month, nearly every House Democrat voted against the bill---even though most actually support it---just because they don't want to give State Rep. Mark Tisdel and Speaker Of The House Matt Hall a "win."
Among those nearly 80% is Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is such a strong supporter, she even mentioned it as a top priority at her State Of The State address.
Whitmer's office said that "Phones are negatively impacting mental health, physical safety, and academic performance. The Governor is calling for bipartisan collaboration to limit phones in classrooms."
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| Speaker Of The House Matt Hall |
Speaker Hall called out the House Dems for playing games, and stabbing Whitmer in the back.
"If Democrats were smart, they'd follow her---she is a lot more popular than legislative Democrats are," Hall said in a press conference after the vote. "They won their majorities because of her and now they're abandoning her, I don't understand why."
MIRS spotlighted Detroit Mayor and Independent candidate for Governor Mike Duggan's comments on the issue.
Duggan says that the Democrats didn't want to give State Rep. Mark Tisdel a "win" because Tisdel lives in a competitive, swing district that could help decide control of the House next November.
According to MIRS:
"With student performance in Michigan the worst in America, the House had a chance to do something about that by banning cells during classroom work. Phones are a consistent distraction," Duggan said.
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| Detroit Mayor and Independent candidate for Governor, Mike Duggan |
The Mayor continues that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer endorsed the ban, but it “failed by three votes.” He explained why. He blames the House Democratic leadership for being "so obsessed" with defeating swing district Rep. Mark Tisdel that they blocked the ban "because they didn't want Tisdel to get any credit."
Duggan also said in the video that Democrats who considered voting yes were threatened with loss of voting lists, campaign money, and staff for re-election.
"When you send them to Lansing, you think they work for you. You'd be wrong,"Duggan said.".
"When you send them to Lansing, you think they work for you. You'd be wrong,"Duggan said.".
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| State Rep. Mark Tisdel |
Rep. Tisdel has worked extremely hard on the issue, answering Gov. Whitmer's call for bipartisan cooperation in order to get a bill to her desk.
"Tisdel thought he had the votes for the bill to pass.
However, the bill fell three votes short of the 56 needed. The final tally was 53 yes, 45 no and 12 were absent.
However, the bill fell three votes short of the 56 needed. The final tally was 53 yes, 45 no and 12 were absent.
According to Tisdel, the three Democrats expected to vote for the legislation were State Reps. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield), Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) and Amos O’Neal (D-Saginaw).
Arbit supported the bill on Fox 2 Detroit earlier this year, Weiss voted for the bill in the Education Committee, and Tisdel said he worked with O’Neal on the legislation. All three voted against the bill. 6 News has reached out to their offices.
The text of the bill was four pages long and amends the school code to “implement a wireless communications device policy for students … that prohibits those students from using a wireless communication device on school grounds.”
For students in grades kindergarten through 5, cellphones would be prohibited on school grounds. For students in grades 6 through 8, cellphones would be prohibited during the school day, including instructional time, breaks, lunch, and recess. High school students in grades 9 through 12 would be prohibited from using a cell phone during instructional time.
School boards would’ve been given freedom to implement additional restrictions. The bill also addressed the effects of restrictions during an emergency.
“We put in language that in the event of emergency students could use their cellphones as long as it didn’t interfere with the school’s emergency protocols or interfere with first responder activities,” Tisdel said.
Tisdel cited a Pew Research study released this month showing that 74% of adults would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, up from 68% last fall. Only 19% oppose classroom bans and 7% said they were unsure."
Arbit supported the bill on Fox 2 Detroit earlier this year, Weiss voted for the bill in the Education Committee, and Tisdel said he worked with O’Neal on the legislation. All three voted against the bill. 6 News has reached out to their offices.
The text of the bill was four pages long and amends the school code to “implement a wireless communications device policy for students … that prohibits those students from using a wireless communication device on school grounds.”
For students in grades kindergarten through 5, cellphones would be prohibited on school grounds. For students in grades 6 through 8, cellphones would be prohibited during the school day, including instructional time, breaks, lunch, and recess. High school students in grades 9 through 12 would be prohibited from using a cell phone during instructional time.
School boards would’ve been given freedom to implement additional restrictions. The bill also addressed the effects of restrictions during an emergency.
“We put in language that in the event of emergency students could use their cellphones as long as it didn’t interfere with the school’s emergency protocols or interfere with first responder activities,” Tisdel said.
Tisdel cited a Pew Research study released this month showing that 74% of adults would support banning middle and high school students from using cellphones during class, up from 68% last fall. Only 19% oppose classroom bans and 7% said they were unsure."
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| State Rep. Noah Arbit |
Michigan's students have suffered tremendously because of the Covid lockdowns, and the impact from the damage they caused is still felt today. We now rank as one of the worst states in many important categories, and education is taking center stage as a top issue for 2026.
Democrats in vulnerable districts should worry.
Yet ...Arbit actually voted against the bill!!! So did Mentzer, Xiong, and Miller, among many others.
Meanwhile, for Republicans in swing districts like Mark Tisdel, Donni Steele, Kathy Schmaltz, Steve Frisbie, Ron Robinson, Karl Bohnak, and Rylee Linting, this will be a great issue for them to illustrate to voters how insane and childish Lansing Dems are.
Instead of delivering a big win for Michigan students, House Dems have shown their true colors: they would rather try to give Rep. Tisdel and Speaker Hall what they think is a "loss." It's sad. It's sickening. And it shows who the real losers are---House Democrats. Voters will be remined next fall who stood with families, and who wanted to screw around and play games.
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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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