California Anti-Spanking Bill Passes First Hurdle

California Anti-Spanking Bill Passes First Hurdle

Loving mother who spanks with a wooden spoon testifies how AB 2943 labels her a child abuser to be arrested and charged under the Penal Code

SACRAMENTO, California, April 15 /Christian Newswire/ -- Despite protests from parents, California's Democrat-controlled Legislature is moving forward with banning many types of spanking. On Tuesday, a bill prohibiting spanking with an "implement," such as a wooden spoon, little paddle, rolled-up newspaper, switch, belt, or brush, passed the Assembly Public Safety Committee, Democrats for, and one Republican against.

AB 2943 by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, whose anti- spanking crusade made national news last year, is back with her proposal to add "the use of an implement" while spanking to the definition of child abuse in the California Penal Code. Other parts of AB 2943 that deal with actual child abuse are redundant with existing law.

"AB 2943 will result in good parents being arrested, handcuffed, and charged with criminal child abuse," said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), who brought mothers who spank with wooden spoons and little paddles to the committee hearing. "No state legislature has passed a bill like this, and no state or federal court has ruled that spanking is child abuse. AB 2943 tramples the cherished right of parents to raise their own children and removes children from good parents who occasionally spank their children to correct misbehavior."

Voting "aye" on AB 2943 were all five Democrats on the committee: Jose Solorio of Santa Ana, Hector De La Torre of southeast Los Angeles, Fiona Ma of San Francisco, Anthony Portantino of La Canada Flintridge, and Curren Price of Inglewood. Only Solorio and Portantino were present to hear testimony for and against AB 2943.

Voting "no" on AB 2943 was Republican Greg Aghazarian of Stockton. Neither Aghazarian nor the other Republican on the committee, Joel Anderson of El Cajon, was in the committee during the testimony for and against AB 2943. Anderson has no recorded vote on AB 2943, although he voted against the same bill (AB 755) last year.

Testifying against AB 2943 was Sarah Berke, who has five children.

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CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES (CCF) is a leading West Coast nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing children and families. CCF stands for marriage and family, parental rights, the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, and back-to- basics education.

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