U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a new television ad ahead of the August 6 gubernatorial primary election vowing to back a “bell to bell, no cell” policy for Tennessee schools if she were to become governor.
“Learning is tough enough, but big tech engineered distractions that make it even harder for kids to focus. My plan? Bell to bell, no cell. No excuses, no exceptions. No more posting. No scrolling. Here in Tennessee schools, we are going to learn,” Blackburn says in the 30-second ad.
Bell to bell, no cell. No excuses, no exceptions.
Here in Tennessee schools, we’re going to learn. pic.twitter.com/tkXfHftlbP
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) July 23, 2026
Blackburn’s proposal goes beyond current Tennessee law, which requires local school districts and public charter schools to prohibit students from using wireless communication devices only during instructional time, while allowing exceptions for educational purposes, emergencies, health needs, and certain students with disabilities.
The law, which took effect July 1, 2025, required every local school district and public charter school to adopt its own wireless communication device policy. Those district-specific policies were implemented for the first time during the 2025-2026 school year.
While the law sets a minimum standard by prohibiting cell phone use during instructional time, many school districts chose to adopt stricter policies that ban students from using personal devices throughout the entire school day.
Other districts, however, adopted policies allowing cell phone access during lunch, between classes, or under other limited circumstances, resulting in varying policies across the state.
Blackburn’s proposal would establish a statewide standard banning device usage during school hours rather than leaving those decisions to individual school districts.
Following the release of her ad, Blackburn also suggested her proposal would not stop with banning cell phones throughout the school day.
That's true, Nathan. We'll start with getting cell phones out of schools for the whole day: not just during instructional time.
Then, we'll look for every opportunity to cut down on distractions and ensure our kids can focus on learning. https://t.co/1aUtPj4G8a
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) July 23, 2026
In response to concerns that students also use school-issued laptops and other classroom devices to text or message one another, Blackburn said her administration would “look for every opportunity to cut down on distractions,” indicating she would pursue additional measures aimed at limiting other forms of technology that can divert students’ attention from classroom instruction.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Image “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
