Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka wants the state to consider making public schools free of cell phones to remove distractions from the classroom.

The Senate president wants Massachusetts to consider making schools cellphone-free in an effort to eliminate distractions in the classroom.

Senate President Karen E. Spilka told Boston-area business leaders Wednesday that the idea has broad support, and that at least 18 other states have already passed laws limiting phones in schools. Governor Maura Healey told reporters at a separate event Wednesday that she, too, backs “reining in” students’ use of phones while in class.