Bill would ban individual screens in MN preschool, K

The Minnesota House Education Policy Committee held a hearing on HF3776, a bill that would prohibit preschool and kindergarten students from using individual‑use screens while on public school grounds statewide, including in Twin Cities districts. Co‑author Rep. Samantha Sencer‑Mura (DFL–South Minneapolis) framed it as a "conversation starter" about how teacher‑directed screen time affects young children, citing research that heavy early screen use can hinder brain development in attention, memory and social skills and make it harder for kids to self‑regulate emotions. Supporters, including the nonprofit LiveMore ScreenLess, argue that young children should have guaranteed screen‑free time for play, conversation and real‑world exploration, something they say is now mostly available only in private schools, while some metro parents online are already cheering the idea and others worry about tech literacy. Minnetonka Public Schools’ technology director Amanda Fay testified in opposition, warning that a blanket ban would strip professional judgment from teachers, conflict with existing curricula, roll back accessibility tools like captioning and magnification, and override local school boards. The hearing signals that screen use in early grades is moving from PTA fights to the legislative arena, with any statewide rule set to reshape how Minneapolis–St. Paul classrooms use iPads, Chromebooks and similar devices with their youngest students.