> Its a failure of leadership that schools needed a statewide ban to make such an obviously positive change.

I assume you mean that it's a failure of the school's leadership? My kids' school has been applying more strict bans on phones. I wish they would just flat-out ban them -- no more phones in school, period. But even with their moderate ban, there are a lot of parents that push back because "what if there's an emergency and I need to contact my child?" That makes me think that it's probably just easier (to say nothing of broader-impact) for schools to appeal to state lawmakers: just do a statewide ban, then the school doesn't have to fight parents.

I don't think you can expect schools to stand up to hordes of smartphone-addicted parents demanding no action on this.

State-level regulation provides IMO very necessary cover.