State-Based Parenting

Radley Balko | January 22, 2007

A childless (yes, it's relevant) California legislator is promising a bill that would make it a crime to spank your kid. Governator Schwarzenegger, who some have at times described as libertarian-leaning, says he is "open" to the idea. His first reaction was, I guess, fairly benign:

"I just want to find out from her exactly the way she envisions it and to enforce it and what the whole thing is about,'' the governor said.

But then he followed with:

"But I think any time we try to pass laws that say you've got to protect the kids, it's, in general, always good. So we have to find out more about it.''

Meanwhile, in the free-livin', wild west state of Texas, a self-described "conservative Republican" legislator wants to make it a crime to miss a parent-teacher conference.  Parents with an approved excuse would be forgiven the fine.