Des Moines, Iowa — Governor Kim Reynolds has offered very few clues about the policy agenda she’ll outline tonight (Tuesday) in the annual “Condition of the State” speech at the statehouse.
In the past, Reynolds has used the speech to unveil tax policies. During a Republican party fundraiser on Monday morning, she reviewed a few of them. “I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” Reynolds said, “and as you all know, we’re not done yet.” But that was it for hints about taxes. Late last year, Reynolds said she would ask legislators to address cell phone use in Iowa schools. This month, New Hampshire’s new Republican governor used her inaugural address to call for a ban on cell phones from New Hampshire classrooms. Last summer, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders approved seven million dollars in state funding so Arkansas schools could buy phone storage pouches or locks.
By the end of 2024, at least 19 states had policies in place that ban or restrict cell phone use in schools.
