Overview

• The Oklahoma Senate passed Senate Bill 364, which prohibits corporal punishment for students with federally protected disabilities, by a 31-16 vote.
• Republican State Senator Shane Jett opposed the bill, citing Proverbs 22:15 to argue that corporal punishment is biblically sanctioned.
• Jett described the bill as a 'socialist-aligned, ideological' measure that undermines parents' ability to collaborate with schools on discipline policies.
• The bill's author, Republican Senator Dave Rader, countered that special needs students require tailored discipline and that physical punishment is inappropriate for this group.
• The legislation now moves to the Oklahoma House for consideration, as corporal punishment remains legal for students without disabilities in the state.