Missouri’s 2025 legislative session has been a popular one for the omnibus bill, as exemplified by the passage of House Bill 495 and Senate Bill (SB) 4. Now, after passing both the House and Senate, Senate Bill 68 could be the latest installment.
SB 68 was originally intended to prohibit students from using an “electronic personal communications device” during instructional time (the current version prohibits students from using these devices from the start of the school day to the end, barring emergencies and exceptions). It was a little over 3 pages long and received an endorsement from Governor Kehoe: “It’s simple—cell phones have no place in Missouri classrooms.”
Today, SB 68 is no longer simple, and it is not the same bill that the governor endorsed two months ago. After its trip through the House and subsequent conference committee, SB 68 has ballooned to 138 pages and now includes 30 policies.
SB 68 now includes sweeteners or concessions for certain members and interest groups.
Wasn’t the original SB 68, which focused solely on cell phones in schools, a good, straightforward bill with enough merit and momentum to pass on its own? I guess not, because as I will detail in the following post, it now includes several bad policies that taint the worthwhile cell ban.
Curious about what got added to SB 68? Click here to read Part 2.
