OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Senate passed a bill to ban the practice of corporal punishment on students with special needs in Oklahoma public schools.

While many of us were focused on the Tulsa Public Schools audit and the new State Board of Education members last week, the State Senate was focused on the politics of punishment and a bipartisan majority voted to end the practice of spanking special needs kids by their school administrators.

However, it still has a ways to go before becoming law.

For the second year in a row, state lawmakers are once again debating on whether spanking special needs children in Oklahoma public schools should continue.

“I have never met a parent of a disabled child call for the beating of their child to make them better,” said State Sen. Dave Rader (R-Tulsa).

The law currently allows local districts to set their own policies of corporal punishment for all students.

But under Senate Bill 3-64, no child with a disability that is also on an IEP can be physically punished through paddling, spanking or slapping.

Rader said some children in Oklahoma public schools do not understand why they’re being hit and do not process it as punishment. Doing so does not yield positive results.

“Not all discipline has to be one way. Special needs takes special discipline,” Rader said.

Opponents of the bill cited Bible verses saying God demands spanking to correct a child.

“This no corporal punishment initiative is not in the interest of children or civilized society. It was popularized when I was a child by Dr. Benjamin Spock who wrote a book on it, but was not a parent,” said State Sen. Shane Jett (R-Shawnee).

Others argued that since districts ask a parent’s feelings about spanking at enrollment, that the parents are aware of the possibilities of punishment their child can face, even if they have special needs.

They also said the fears of someone hitting too hard is by law child abuse and people have already been prosecuted.

“The paddling and the spanking. Those are long-accepted methods of corporal punishment when they’re applied within the proper guidelines and the proper degree. Like with anything, if you overuse it, it’s destructive not constructive,” said State Sen. Warren Hamilton (R-McAlester).

Rader and supporters said nothing in the bill prevents a parent from punishing their child at home.

The bill passed 31-16 with bipartisan support.

The bill now heads to the House where a similar version passed last year, but some of the members supporting it were either term-limited out or lost re-election.