Gov. Ivey calls for legislation to ban students from having phones at public schools
Published 11:17 am Wednesday, February 5, 2025
- Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey gave her State of the State address on Feb. 4. (Alabama Governor’s Office)
During her annual State of the State Address on Feb. 4, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced a number of initiates, including her call for legislation that would ban the use of phones at public schools for students.
Ivey stated in her address that according to a recent survey, 72 percent of high school teachers in the United States reported that cell phones were distracting students. Ivey said that parents have also reported students spending an average of almost five hours every day on social media to negative impacts on their wellbeing.
“Don’t get me wrong: our phones and social media are fantastic tools, but we have to know the time, the place and how to use them,” Ivey said. “Schools in our state are already taking action, and we want to support that statewide.”
Ivey said that Senator Donnie Chesteen and State Rep. Leigh Hulsey are carried a bill, that Ivey supports, that will put a ban on cell phones in public schools. The legislation, if passed, would require local school boards to adopt Internet safety policies and provide students social media training, as well.
“Let’s create the best learning environment for our students and get this bill to my desk, so I can sign it into law,” Ivey emphasized.
Ivey also announced her support for the introduction of legislation that would provide “proper maternity leave” for state workers and teachers. Ivey also declared her support for the “What Is A Woman Bill,” which states that there are only two genders; male and female. She also said that she supports putting the 10 Commandments and “other key historical documents” in Alabama classrooms.
Additionally, Ivey revealed a package of bills that she is supporting that addresses public safety with a priority on police funding and a need to combat gun violence. She also expressed support for the Second Chance Act, which was a bill that was introduced in 2024 that would allow judges to review and reduce sentences for people who were sentenced to life without parole in an effort to ensure state prison safe is used for only the most serious offenders.
The bill would apply to people sentenced to life without parole under the Habitual Felony Offender Act and only to those sentenced for non-homicide, non-sex crimes. The bill was struck down by House Republicans in 2024 but Ivey is pushing for the bill to be reintroduced.
Ivey also reported that during her tenure as governor, more than $55 billion dollars has been invested in the state, creating more than 93,000 jobs. She also said that almost 500 road and bridge projects have begun or been completed under the Rebuild Alabama project. She also reported that the state has supported more than 200 expansion projects for broadband Internet, allowing more than 142,000 addresses to be connected to high-speed Internet that were unable to before.