Many FHS students don't know - and in some cases, don't care - what's going on in the Montana legislature. That might change if students knew about proposed laws such as Senate Bill 241, proposed by Senate Majority Leader John Harp of Kalispell.
SB 241 proposes to revoke the driver's licenses from students who drop out of school or receive lower than a "C" average. This bill recently went before the Senate Education Committee, which has not taken action on it.
Harp's bill is only one of the many that would directly affect students. Among the other bills relating to teens: - Senate Bill 4, proposed by Sen. Casey Emerson of Bozeman, would reinstate corporal punishment in Montana public schools. This bill requires the principal to notify parents if the punishment is used to "maintain orderly conduct of a pupil." However, if the punishment is issued because of "open and flagrant defiance of the teacher, principal, or authority of the school," the teacher or principal may give the punishment without notice.
- House Bill 245, proposed by Rep. Richard Simpkins, would allow students to drop out after eighth grade. This would lower the dropout age from the current mandated age of 16 to approximately 13 years of age.
- Senate Bill 166, proposed by Sen. Jim Burnett of Luther, would revise the penalty for children 12 years of age and older who are convicted of criminal mischief involving vandalism to include public spanking on the bare buttocks, in some cases. It would also allow the transfer to criminal court the prosecution of a youth 12 years of age or older who commits vandalism.
- Senate Bill 201 and Senate Bill 202 would strengthen the death penalty. Senate Bill 201, introduced by Sen. Bill Glasier of Huntley Project, provides the death penalty for people convicted twice of rape who inflicted serious bodily injury on a person during both offenses. Senate Bill 202, also introduced by Glasier, would provide the death penalty for people twice convicted of selling drugs.
Senior Heather Maiden had a very strong reaction to SB 4, the bill to reinstate corporal punishment in schools.
"I can't believe this could ever happen," said Maiden. "It shouldn't happen. Teachers don't have the right to hurt us."
But senior Brandan Shultz had a quite a different reaction to the bill.
"It's a good idea if we get to hit back," said Shultz. "They should just set up a boxing ring in the foyer É what an idea!"
"They'd have no chance to get a job," said sophomore Paul Richards of the bill to lower the dropout minimum age. "They still have a lot of learning to do after 8th grade."
Reactions to bills ranged from "ridiculous" to "great." The latter was the reaction of junior Shanna Burduck when she learned of the proposal to make the death penalty an option for juries when sentencing repeat rapists.
"It's definitely a good idea for rapists," said Burduck. "If you rape somebody, you have no respect for human life. If they've done it repeatedly, they're going to do it again. This is a way of stopping it É they'll never do it again."
Legislators have also taken notice of these bills, many of which they have dubbed "strange."
"I think a lot of it comes from people who have a strange view of life," said House Minority Whip Tim Dowell of Kalispell. "Then, they talk to their representatives to try to get these sorts of things into legislation."