Commonwealth Policy Center

The Kentucky state House passed a bill that would ban the paddling of students. Kentucky is one of 19 states that still allow corporal punishment of students. The House also passed a bill that would require school resource officers to carry a firearm to better protect students in case of a school shooting. Critics say that schools should be free of firearms.  But supporters of the legislation believe that gun-free schools make students vulnerable to a mass shooting. Republican Rep. Matthew Koch said that “evil exists in this world” and the armed student resource officers would stand as the “last line of defense” between a gunman and students. He added, “You can never, ever as a leader ask someone to run into harm’s way to save you without being properly armed.”