HB 246, the anti-bullying bill, is up for a hearing in the Lincoln Auditorium this morning. A bipartisan group of legislative co-sponsors – Reps. Patrick McDonald, R-Boise, and Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, and Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise - presented the bill to the committee. “It’s estimated 160,000 children do not attend school because of their fear of being mistreated,” McDonald told the committee. The bill requires training of school staff on how to intervene to prevent and stop bullying, and authorizes school staff to intervene. School districts also would be required to have policies including graduated consequences for dealing with bullying; the state Board of Education would issue guidelines for districts. School districts also would be required to track and report instances of bullying/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here.

Question: Is anyone out there opposed to anti-bullying legislation?