Phones down, pencils up

Integrating clinical departments and collaborating across disciplines allows Mass General Brigham to elevate the quality of patient care across our system. Patients have access to world-class physicians and care informed by cutting-edge research and innovations—all for one seamless experience.

Senate Democrats for days have been unusually tight-lipped about why they scheduled a private huddle in a week with no major lawmaking planned. Now we know at least one topic they're likely to discuss.

The Senate will vote in the coming weeks, probably by the end of the month, on legislation implementing a statewide ban on cellphones in K-12 public school classrooms. That's according to Education Committee Co-chair Sen. Jason Lewis, whose panel on Tuesday advanced a bill tackling what has become a perennial thorn in the side of educators, parents and even students.

Districts would be required to have policies in place by the start of the 2026-2027 school year prohibiting phones and other personal electronic devices from "bell-to-bell." Most of the details are up to locals, including how to enforce the policy and whether to offer exceptions in certain cases.

If the bill gets traction in the House as well — which is still not guaranteed, given House Speaker Ron Mariano's not-so-definitive stance one way or the other — Massachusetts would not exactly be breaking new ground. Roughly half of states already had policies in place by mid-May, and that number might have grown since then.

That might not be the only thing on the agenda for the Senate Democratic caucus, and nosy reporters and insiders yearn to know what else is being weighed.

One possibility: a little something known as the state budget. Lawmakers have, for the most part, been on vacation mode since Gov. Maura Healey — herself now out-of-state — signed a $60.9 billion spending plan and filed new legislation seeking additional cost-cutting powers.

Democrats are playing nice so far in the face of federal uncertainty, but they might not be thrilled about the idea of allowing the governor to make so-called 9C cuts anywhere in the budget, not just in the executive branch, if the financial picture gets bad enough. — Chris Lisinski

What do you think about cell phone in classrooms? Tell me about it: [email protected].

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11:00 | Massachusetts Sickle Cell Association hosts lobbying day | Great Hall

1:00 | AG Campbell is the featured guest on GBH News's "Boston Public Radio" | Boston Public Library, Copley Square, Boston | 89.7 FM | Livestream

FED INFRASTRUCTURE CUTS COULD HIT ALLSTON PROJECT: The federal program that included $315 million for the Allston I-90 interchange project, or about 18% of the total, has been eliminated, state officials confirmed. They’re not sure what that will mean for the funding it was supposed to provide. — CommonWealth Beacon

BIGGEST WMASS HEALTH SYSTEM BRACES FOR MEDICAID CUTS: BayState Health leaders predict cuts to Medicaid will cost the system between $30 million and $50 million annually.  The not-for-profit health system has an annual budget of roughly $3 billion and about 13,000 employees. The system's major hospital is in Springfield. — Boston Globe

FEDERAL CUTS MAY JEOPARDIZE SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAMS: The recent freeze in federal funding for some education programs in the Berkshires has put a cloud of uncertainty over summer and after-school programs, especially the 21st Century Community Learning Center programs in Pittsfield and North Adams, which serve at-risk students in both cities. — Berkshire Eagle

FUTURE FOR SMALL FARMERS LEFT IN LIMBO: The termination of various federal food grants by the Trump administration has left small producers in Massachusetts and across the country with uncertain futures and hit the budgets of already-struggling entities and programs that are integral to the farms' financial success. — Boston Globe

MARBLEHEAD SAYS ‘NO’ TO MBTA COMMUNITIES: Marblehead voters rejected a proposal, previously approved at Town Meeting, to bring the town's zoning into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act. The vote fell 345 votes short of passage. Some 41% of the town's 16,732 registered voters took part. — ItemLive

FIFA FEATURE FOR WALTHAM SECURITY TECH: FIFA Club World Cup 2025, a U.S. tournament of the world's best soccer teams, won’t hit New England — but a Waltham company is in the action. Evolv Technology Holdings Inc. announced that more than 100 of its body-screening systems have been put in place at event sites. The company says its Evolv system uses artificial intelligence to detect guns, knives and improvised explosive devices. — Boston Business Journal

A SUPERINTENDENT RAISE: The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Board awarded the pay hike after a review in which she mostly was rated proficient. Her revised contract includes a 2.5% pay hike, bringing her annual pay to $180,912. She told committee members she hopes to deal with operational challenges facing the system before moving on to work on instructional matters. — Daily Hampshire Gazette

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Something was wrong. The due date for their twins was still months away. Twenty-six weeks was far too soon. With emotions and fear running high, Molly and Maddy Needham were born weighing less than two pounds, and it wasn’t until day seven that their parents were able to hold their daughters for the first time — READ MORE

HOW BETTER TO STUDY A SALT MARSH THAN WITH THE HELP OF BIRDS WHO LIVE THERE? University of New Hampshire researchers studying marshes are enlisting the help of salt marsh sparrows. The birds have been fitted with tags containing tiny solar-powered devices that trigger sensors used to track the birds' movement. The human scientists are looking for ways to restore marshes threatened by development and climate change. — WBUR

CHILMARK ENTREPRENEUR BUYS VINEYARD HEALTH CARE PRACTICE:  A Martha's Vineyard health care practice whose future was in jeopardy following the retirement of its owners held a formal ribbon cutting under a new owner who plans to keep it open. Jeffrey Levy, a Chilmark entrepreneur, bought Martha's Vineyard Medical after reading in a local paper that it might close. — MVTimes

Eric Convey contributed to this edition.

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Administrative and Operations Coordinator, Health Equity Compact

Paralegal, Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General

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