Pennsylvania Ponders Prohibiting Spanking

Last year the Pennsylvania State Board of Education proposed to rewrite the School Code to allow high school principals or other administrators to limit what student newspapers can publish. Seen as an infringement on free speech, public outrage prompted the board to drop the proposal. Edith Isacke, school board member and a leader in the effort to curb student newspapers, expressed surprise, stating,

"We had no idea that people thought we were infringing on students' freedom of expression . . ."

Losing the battle to prohibit free speech did not break the apparent meddlesome stride of Edith Isacke since, soon afterward, she decided to solve another problem that didn't exist. Upon reading a magazine article which stated that Pennsylvania was one of 20 plus states that allow spanking in schools, she decided to get the law changed to ban corporal punishment. On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania House Education Committee was presented with Isacke's proposed changes and is expected to vote on January 7th. No specific problem is being addressed by the changes.

I wonder what magazine Edith Isacke will read next.