In a rare moment of sanity at the Oklahoma capitol, the State House reversed course yesterday and overwhelmingly passed HB 1028, which would prohibit schools from using corporal punishment to discipline special needs students with “the most significant cognitive disabilities.”
Just a few days earlier, they voted down a broader measure that would prohibit hitting all special needs students by a 45 - 43 - 13 margin because you just never know when a school teacher will need to paddle a blind kid.
The more “toned-down” version of the bill easily passed through the house after, I guess, a large swath of conservative lawmakers didn't enjoy being associated with the negative headlines, optics, and outrage associated with voting down a bill that would prohibit adults from spanking, swatting and hitting special needs students with intellectual disabilities.