The Arkansas House voted Wednesday to ban spanking of disabled students in public schools.
The vote was 83-0 to enact Senate Bill 381 by Sen. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock. The legislation would prohibit the use of corporal punishment on students who are intellectually disabled, non-ambulatory, nonverbal or autistic.
[RELATED: Complete Democrat-Gazette coverage of the Arkansas Legislature]
Rep. DeAnn Vaught, R-Horatio, the House sponsor, told her colleagues that the children affected by the bill can't comprehend why they're being punished, and she noted that the bill would not interfere with parents' disciplinary decisions at home.
-- Hunter Field