New York Governor Kathy Hochul is proposing a school cell phone ban. She made the announcement while unveiling her fiscal year 2026 budget proposal on Tuesday.
If the governor gets her way, at the start of next school year students will be required to disconnect from their devices during school hours. Districts would have the ability to decide how to implement the cell phone ban.
"That means during class, at lunch, in the hallways, our kids will finally be free of endless disruptions of social media and all the mental health pressures that come from it."
The governor’s budget proposal also includes a nearly five percent increase in school aid. It also includes money for an increase to the child tax credit, free school meals for all k-12 students and inflation rebate checks. Republicans criticized the Democratic governor's proposal. They say they feel it does not address growing deficits over the next few years.
Hochul is also proposing 370 million dollars in Gun Violence Prevention efforts, 100-million dollars in efforts to help first time homebuyers. There's no new money to help New York City with the cost of helping asylum seekers.