Welcome to the Tuesday, Aug. 12, Brew. 

By: Briana Ryan

Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

1. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoes bill opting into federal private school choice program
2. Twenty-two states have banned or limited cellphones in classrooms so far this year
3. A comprehensive look at 114 years of ballot measures in Massachusetts

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein vetoes bill opting into federal private school choice program

On Aug. 6, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D) vetoed House Bill 87 (HB 87), which would have opted the state into the federal private school choice tax credit program passed as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Under the tax credit program, in states that choose to participate:

• Donors to accredited Scholarship-Granting Organizations (SGOs) could lower their tax liability by $1 for every $1 donated, up to $1,700. The program’s total number of credits is not capped.
• The scholarships would be available to families making up to 300% of the region’s median income and could be used to pay private school tuition, hire tutors, and purchase textbooks and other supplies.

The program is the first federal private school choice program and takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.

In addition to opting North Carolina into the program, HB 87 would have required the State Education Assistance Authority to establish accreditation criteria for SGOs and publish and maintain a list of the state-certified organizations to fulfill the federal program requirements.

In his veto message, Stein wrote: “Congress and the Administration should strengthen our public schools, not hollow them out. … I see opportunities for the federal scholarship donation tax credit program to benefit North Carolina’s public school kids. Once the federal government issues sound guidance, I intend to opt North Carolina in so we can invest in the public school students most in need of after school programs, tutoring, and other resources. Therefore, HB 87 is unnecessary[.]”

The North Carolina General Assembly was the first state legislature to pass a bill opting into the program. On July 29, the North Carolina Senate passed the bill 30-19, with all Republicans supporting it and 19 Democrats opposing it. One Democrat was absent from the vote. On July 30, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed it 69-47, with two Democrats joining 67 Republicans to support it and all other Democrats opposing it. Three Republicans were absent from the vote, and another abstained from it.

State Senate Leader Phil Berger (R) said Stein was “attempting to usurp the General Assembly’s authority to set tax policy.” He said, “I look forward to holding Gov. Stein accountable and overriding his veto to ensure North Carolina can participate in President [Donald Trump] ‘s signature school choice initiative.”

A veto override in North Carolina requires a three-fifths supermajority vote in both chambers: 72 votes in the House and 30 in the Senate. So far during the 2025 legislative session, the General Assembly has overridden eight of Stein’s 15 vetoes.

North Carolina currently operates two private school choice programs, the Education Student Accounts (ESA+) and the Opportunity Scholarship. The ESA+ program provides families with education savings accounts to pay for education and services for children with disabilities. The Opportunity Scholarship is a voucher program for which all students in the state are eligible, providing funds for private educational expenses.

North Carolina is one of 18 states that operates universal private school choice programs.

Click here to read more about private school choice policies in the 2025 budget reconciliation bill.

Twenty-two states have banned or limited cellphones in classrooms so far this year

As students and parents nationwide shop for school supplies, let’s look at one item students may not be able to use in class this year—a cellphone.

So far this year, 22 states have enacted laws or policies banning or limiting cellphones in classrooms. Oregon enacted the most recent law via executive order on July 2.

Since 2023, 33 states have enacted laws or policies on cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.

• Twenty-six of those states ban or limit cellphones in classrooms.
• Three states require K-12 public school districts to adopt policies on student cellphone use, though the laws don’t specify what those policies need to contain.
• Four states encourage districts to limit cellphone use in K-12 classrooms.

State cellphone policies differ, with variables such as:

• Exceptions for emergencies, medical needs, or individualized education plans.
• Whether there are times of the day when students can use their phones. Some policies prohibit students from using their phones from the beginning to the end of the day. Other state policies allow teachers to authorize phone use for curricular activities.
• Prohibitions regarding social media use on school devices.

Here are some examples of policies:

• North Carolina bans cellphone use and requires instruction on social media and mental health in elementary, middle, and high school curricula. School districts must also restrict student access to social media and other content on an internet device while at school.
• Georgia will ban cell phone use in elementary and middle schools starting in January 2026.
• Oklahoma instituted a year-long ban on cellphone use in schools for the 2025-2026 school year, requiring school districts to implement policies to enforce it. School boards are not required to maintain a cellphone ban after the year ends.
• Louisiana prohibits the possession of a phone at school unless it is turned off or stored away.

Click here for more on our school board authority research, including information specific to your state.

A comprehensive look at 114 years of ballot measures in Massachusetts

Ballotpedia’s Historical Ballot Measure Factbook will document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and the public on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they have covered, and their role in our civic life.

Today, let’s look at historical ballot measures in Massachusetts. Our comprehensive inventory spans from 1910 to 2024. During that time, Massachusetts voters decided on 231 measures, approving 161 and defeating 70—a 69.7% approval rate.

Massachusetts has the fifth-highest approval rate of the 14 states for which we have completed Factbooks. Texas has the highest, at 74.6%, and Missouri has the lowest, at 46.4%.

Massachusetts ballot measures have addressed 131 unique topics. The most common topics are related to income taxes (17 measures), business regulations (15 measures), and state legislative processes and sessions (11 measures).

Here is a selection of important and interesting ballot measures in Massachusetts:

• In 1918, Massachusetts became the 21st state to approve a constitutional amendment establishing an initiative and referendum process. Voters approved it 51% to 49%.
• In 2020, voters decided on a measure that would have adopted ranked-choice voting (RCV) for congressional, state, and specific local elections. Voters defeated it 55% to 45%.
• In 2000, voters decided on a measure to decrease the state income tax from 5.95% to 5%. Voters approved it 59% to 41%. Voters defeated measures to eliminate the income tax in 2002 and 2008.
• In 1986, Massachusetts and Rhode Island became the first states to decide on constitutional amendments stating that nothing in their constitutions prevents their legislatures from regulating or banning abortion, nor requires public or private funding of abortion. Voters defeated it 58% to 42%.

Click here to view our full Historical Ballot Measure Factbook for Massachusetts.