You may call this a step backwards, but some folks think of it
as a great leap forward.
A bill introduced by a Wichita lawmaker would ease some restrictions on spanking in Kansas, allowing parents, caregivers or school officials to hit children hard enough to leave redness or bruising.
Rep. Gail Finney, D-Wichita, who introduced the bill, said it attempts to define corporal punishment, restore parental rights and protect parents who spank their children from being charged with child abuse.
“What’s happening is there are some children that are very defiant and they’re not minding their parents, they’re not minding school personnel,” Finney said Tuesday. [...]
The bill would allow parents to give permission to others, including school officials, to spank their children, including students over 18 who are enrolled in high school.
It goes without saying that local school officials should be allowed to beat your kids, you see; we're just clarifying how much they can beat them. Hard enough to cause bruising, but that's it. And only with a permission slip. Progress!