Mills renews push to make community college free and proposes statewide cell-phone ban in schools

Governor Janet Mills used her State of the State address to restate a push to make two years of community college free permanently and to propose a K–12 policy banning cell-phone use during the school day.

Mills said more than 23,000 students have participated in the free community college program and that nearly 2,000 have since transferred to four-year institutions; she asked lawmakers to make the program permanent in statute. "Let's make community college free in Maine permanently," she said.

Separately, Mills proposed a "bell-to-bell" statewide ban on cell-phone use during the school day, citing research she said shows improved test scores, behavior and attendance when phones are removed. She invoked a high school example where a student initially resisted the ban but later welcomed the increased in-person interaction.

Nut graf: Both proposals require legislative action. The free community college proposal would likely require ongoing appropriation or statutory changes to codify funding; the cell-phone ban would require statutory or regulatory change and coordination with local school districts.

Details and context: Mills tied the education proposals to workforce needs and improving student learning; she noted investments in the University of Maine system and community college infrastructure and said enrollment trends support further investment.

What's next: Legislative consideration and possible appropriation in the supplemental budget or separate bills; local districts would need to implement and enforce any statewide phone-policy change.

Ending: Mills presented both items as measures to boost opportunity and student outcomes; the speech did not record votes or legislative commitments on either change.