Austin, TX
Cell phones in North Texas classrooms up for debate in Austin in January
The days of students taking their cell phones to class may soon be coming to an end. Lawmakers return to Austin in January when they will debate banning cell phones in public schools.
So far Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, and California have either limited or banned cell phones in K-12 schools.
Some districts in North Texas have already taken that step with more to come.
Take for example Robert T. Hill Middle School in Dallas. They’ve banned cell phones in class for five years and have seen test scores go up and behavior problems go down.
When lawmakers return to Texas, they’ll debate House Bill 515 which requires every district in the state to have a policy banning electronic during the school day.
“Our kids are desperate for us to pull them out of this black hole of addiction that they’ve fallen into. Most teens are spending upwards of five hours a day on social media,” said Texas Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Austin).
NBC 5 spoke to the author of the bill, Austin Republican Ellen Troxclair, on Lone Star Politics. She filed the bill after reading about a consistent increase in mental health issues: self-harm and depression since the launch of social media.
“Well, you know, there’s a reason that we don’t send kids to school with packs of cigarettes, right? So when you cross the line from something that is truly addictive, that is truly causing social harm,” Troxclair said.
The pushback in the halls of the capitol may come from major cell phone companies like Apple and Google and social media companies like Meta, X, and TikTok but maybe the strongest opposition may come from parents who are used to constant communication with their children throughout the day.
The details will be fleshed out in mid-January when the session starts.
AUSTIN, Texas — APD SWAT responded to a barricaded subject in East Austin Saturday afternoon.
According to police, the incident took place near the 3400 block of Kay St., and officers responded to the call at around 1:30 p.m.
Once officers arrived, they made contact with a victim who “advised of circumstances that met the state law requirement of assault with a deadly weapon family violence.” Shortly after, the suspect barricaded themselves inside the residence.
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Austin Police officers, SWAT, hostage negotiators, and Austin-Travis County EMS were still on the scene and the suspect was still barricaded as of 6:15 p.m.
People are being encouraged to avoid the area due to increased police presence, or stay in a safe location if they are unable to avoid the area.
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This is a developing story and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
A 27-year-old Pflugerville man faces capital murder charges for allegedly killing his parents and his brother, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The bodies of 62-year-old Armand, 63-year-old Jami and 31-year-old Noah Dahan were found by deputies conducting a welfare check Thursday at their home on Civorno Drive. Deputies said the victims had suffered gunshot wounds. https://www.kxan.com/news/crime/tcso-pflugerville-triple-homicide/
AUSTIN, Texas — The Long Center just dropped details on The Drop-In, a free summer concert series on the outdoor H-E-B Stage.
The Levitt VIBE Austin Music Series, which is partnered with KUTX 98.9, begins May 21 and takes place every Thursday except July 2.
On Friday, the center released the 23 artists performing:
- Bonnie Montgomery
- CAZAYOUX
- Como Las Movies
- Fastball
- Felt Out
- francene rouelle
- Girl Guitar’s Rhinestone Renegades
- Grace Sorensen
- Gus Baldwin & The Sketch
- Hayden Butler
- Jackie Venson
- Je’Texas
- KindKeith
- Lew Apollo
- Lindsay Beaver
- Los Desechos
- LUCIRI
- Mean Jolene
- Paige Plaisance
- Ruthie Craft
- Sue Foley
- Sweet Limb
- The Magic Rockers of Texas
A social media poster for the event also featured a redacted performer’s name, hinting at a surprise guest.
On Monday, the Long Center will open RSVPs for The Drop-In, with Long Center members getting first dibs on those RSVPs. Members also enjoy early entrance and a special lounge.
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