Wisconsin Assembly approves multiple education bills

The Wisconsin Assembly approved on Wednesday a slate of education bills, including a proposal to ban cellphones in classrooms across the state. The legislation would require school districts in Wisconsin to develop policies prohibiting cellphone use during classes, with a handful of exceptions — including emergencies, managing a student’s health care, and educational uses authorized by a teacher. The bill was amended from the Assembly floor Wednesday to exclude school-issued wireless devices from the ban.  Democrats argued the ban amounted to the state weighing in on decisions that should be made by the individual school districts in Wisconsin. The bill was ultimately approved on a near-party line vote, with Rep. Rob Swearingen (R-Rhinelander) joining the rest of the Democrats in voting against the measure.