State Senators Squelch Spanking and Smoking

Katherine Mangu-Ward | January 31, 2007

The California state assemblywoman(?) from Google's home turf want to ban spanking:

The emotional debate over spanking reignited in California when Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, said she plans to introduce a bill this week outlawing anyone from swatting children age 3 and younger. Violators could face up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.

Some people aren't pleased:

The public reaction to her announcement has been fierce. Lieber has been swamped with requests for national media interviews, her staff said. Her opponents are telling the legislator, who has no children, to butt out. The harshest critics have been calling her office and cursing at interns who answer her phones.

Meanwhile, New Jersey is on its way to banning smoking in cars with kids. Can good parenting be legislated? A passel of state senators are sure as hell going to try. After all, it's "for the children."