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A bill to ban corporal punishment in Louisiana's public schools was rejected by a narrow margin in the state House, leaving spanking as an option in 29 of the 69 systems that allow it now.
Metairie Republican Rep. Stephanie Hilferty's House Bill 324 would have outlawed the practice of paddling, spanking or any other form of corporal punishment in the state's public school systems.
The bill failed on a 48-49 vote. It needed 53 votes for passage.
Opponents of the bill like Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, a former teacher, said corporal punishment should be decided on a local level. Bagley said he has spanked students before with their parents' permission, which is required in current law.