When somebody tells you this is a no-brainer, you automatically assume it is something you can do without pausing for even a nano-second to think about it.

Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, is on a mission to force students to check their cell phones at the classroom door before entering. And in this crusade, he has the all-important blessing of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The major challenge is he does not have the full-throttle support of parents with kids in school. For them, this is anything but a no-brainer.

The affable Tisdel says he totally gets it.

Back before mass shootings were a regular event in schools across the nation, the only reason parents needed to get in touch with their students in school was if there was an emergency at home, and back in the day, all it took was a phone call from mom to the principal’s office and word was soon sent to the student in question. Problem solved.

Ah, but to return to those more tranquil days of worrying about your child during the school day.

The father, grandfather state lawmaker understands the need to make sure your child is OK if there is an active shooter prowling around the school hallways. But, he attempts to reason with those concerned parents that preventing their student’s cell phone access during classroom hours is the best course. Note the cells would not be banned during the entire school day, and no one is advocating that kids check their cells at the front door and pick them up when they leave for home.

If you connect with your child during the height of an attack he explains, “How does that enhance your child’s safety” with you miles away and he or she barracked behind some classroom door?

“You want your child’s focus on the trained adult who is at the head of the classroom,” he goes on.

You should be nodding your head in agreement, he hopes. Logically speaking, the parent can’t do squat and while for the moment you can be relieved to hear your child’s voice, what good does that do if the bullets are flying?

Tisdel was reminded that he was appealing to the brains of parents when this was a matter of the heart not the grey matter in their head.

He confesses, “It is very difficult to legislate for the head.”

That poignant confession notwithstanding, he charges ahead with tons of teachers, principals, superintendents, researchers, and others providing other reasons for the elimination of cell phones competing with the teacher at the blackboard. (Do they still have blackboards?)

The cells not only distract from the three R’s but there is bullying, taunting, date-making, and just all-around contact with friends which are part of the by-product of instant inter-personal gratification these children are addicted to.

A handful of schools are already there, and the parental response in many cases has been positive and even more fulfilling for the students.

However, he laments, “If you are going to wait for 830 school districts to come up with a decision or each teacher implements something on his or her own, we’d be waiting an awfully long time.”

This is potentially a true local control issue and while administrators and school board generally relish that power to determine their own chartered course, in this case with heat from parents, the powers-at-be welcome the cover that a state mandate would provide. If the state says to do it, what can the locals say to their parents other than I have no choice but to follow that law?

“It takes the push back off superintendents. I’m happy to be that boogey-man and the 14-year-olds can be mad at me and that’s fine,” the fall-guy lawmaker admits.

This issue was introduced last year and nothing was done. Nothing, not even a hearing. And no hearings are set yet for this year, too.

With the governor on board he reflects, “It has some positive potential traction to it. She has some influence in Lansing,” he smiles hoping that she applies some of her magic sauce to get this across the finish line to not only improve test scores but maybe even some lives.

The toughest vote may be the lawmakers with a teenager at home who may argue this is a no-brainer for me. Don’t do it.