COLUMBIA, S.C. — Lawmakers finalizing South Carolina's next state budget have approved several provisos, including the controversial cell phone ban in schools and restrictions on book access for children in public libraries.
The Conference Committee is still finalizing the provisos, which require agencies that receive state funding to adhere to certain policies.
Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association, says teachers have asked for phone restrictions during class time for years.
"It’s a step forward, getting back respect in the classroom and being back to being the authority figure in the classroom and not being disrespected by student behavior," said East.
The Board of Education will be required to develop the new policy and devise a plan to enforce it. Districts must adhere to it to continue receiving money from the state.
“Is it really gonna stick or is it like throwing spaghetti on the wall?" said East. "Other states have done it and districts here have done it and the results have been positive."
Another proviso approved yesterday will restrict public libraries from offering access to certain books to kids under 17. Libraries that let kids access books with "prurient interests" will also not be eligible for state funding.
“If you dive into the definition of prurient interest, there are things [that] would fall under, for example, health literacy," said Angela Craig, president of the South Carolina Library Association. "Books for children that talk about ... potty training or menstruation."
Craig says Many libraries already have policies for ensuring kids access age-appropriate content.
“I do think there’s concern that this proviso is trying to be one size fits all but that we are not one size fits all when it comes to public libraries. We are very community calibrated and what works in one county may not work in another county," said Craig.
The budget debate will likely continue into next week. After it is finalized, it will go into effect on July 1.