In 2023, the Oregon Legislature prohibited the sale or distribution of most fluorescent lamps in Oregon because, in part, they can release mercury when they break. LED lights can also be more energy efficient and last longer.

This session legislators may exempt schools from the fluorescent ban through 2030, giving them more time to make the transition. A one-size-fits-all 2023 light bulb policy for the state could be expensive and difficult for some districts to meet.

There was a lot good about the Legislature’s inclination to have district’s switch. But it can be difficult to set a single, statewide school policy when there are 197 school districts, each with their peculiar set of factors. That tension between statewide goals and local school board control is a constant juggle in Salem.

It’s also come up in the debate over cell phones and students in the schools. Gov. Tina Kotek and many legislators have backed the idea of a bell-to-bell ban on students using cell phones in the schools. State Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend, and state Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, are sponsors of the bill. School districts could have funding withheld by the state, under one version of the bill, if they do not comply with the state policy.

A long list of people testified Monday in support of the bill — House Bill 2251 — noting their worries with student attention span, anxiety and cheating.

The apps on a phone have a syllabus, too. Their imperative is more use of the phone.

Opponents of the bill pushed back, arguing for local control and not a one-size-fits-all policy dictated by Salem. Individual school districts should be able to set their own policies with community input, they said

We favor the idea of a bell-to-bell ban with reasonable exceptions. But you should tell your legislator what you think.