Utah Extends Maternity Leave and Rethinks Tech in the Classroom

About this episode

Rep. Ariel Defay discusses key policies from the 2026 General Session with Emily Bell McCormick, focusing on maternity leave and technology use in schools.

Rep. Ariel Defay sits down with Emily Bell McCormick, president and founder of The Policy Project, to talk through key policies from the 2026 General Session focused on strong families and student success. They discuss expanded maternity leave for public employees, Utah’s new bell-to-bell phone policy in schools, and new guardrails to rebalance technology use in the classroom. Together, the conversation reflects Utah’s broader approach: supporting families at home, giving parents more tools, and helping students succeed in the classroom.

People in this episode

Host: Rep. Ariel Defay

Guest: Emily Bell McCormick

Topics covered

• maternity leave
• education policy
• technology in classrooms
• family support
• student success

Keywords

• maternity leave
• Utah
• education
• technology
• family support
• student success
• policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Policy Project

Places: Utah

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• Redistricting on Deadline: Utah Lawmakers Prepare New Maps. · September 18, 2025 · 16 min
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