Bay Area Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Leiber plans to introduce a bill this week that will make it illegal for parents to spank children under the age of 4. While I don’t believe in spanking kids and choose not to with my children, do we really need the state sticking it’s nose even further into family business?

Said Leiber, “It would get us out of the ridiculous situation of having our law say there’s justifiable beating of children.”

The leap from a spanking to a beating is huge and Leiber’s inability to see the difference is a bit disconcerting. There are already multiple laws on the books to outlaw the “beating” of children, so clearly that is not what this is about. It is another effort to remove parental responsibility from parents and place it firmly in the hands of the government. Does any sensible person really think this is a good idea and a good direction?