Lawmakers rush through final hours of legislative session

March 19, 2011

with just hours to go in the legislative session -- the pressure is on for state lawmakers to take action on the hundreds of bills still in the works at the capitol. that's where stuart dyson is live right now. the pressure is on all right - and some frustrated taxpayers might appreciate what one group was offering at the capitol today - public spankings. okay - it's not much of a spanking - just a theatrical swat from a group called unlimited justice fighting for a statewide ban on corporal punishment in public schools. " passing the law would make it illegal to physically punish a child in the classroom - to where teachers cannot - instructors cannot physically hit a child for misbehaving.". for many years it's been up to each school district - the larger ones like a-p-s tend to ban corporal punishment - while some smaller ones allow it - the bill for a statewide ban passed the senate this afternoon and now goes to the governor. and how about this one - bartenders rally at the capitol - no free drinks - they're asking the governor to sign the bill that would make serving a minor a petty misdemeanor instead of a fourth degree felony the way the law has been for the last five years. " 4th degree felony puts us in the same category as somebody who attempted to murder somebody - someone who assaulted somebody with a deadly weapon - someone who raped somebody - and none of us are any of that - we're just people trying to feed our kids - trying to make a living and trying to go to school." the bill passed the house 67 to 1 and the senate 35 to nothing. lawmakers plan to work well into the early hours of the morning - coming back tomorrow for any last minute business and some fond farewells - at the capitol we will be here to cover it for you. stuart dyson k-o-b eyewitness news four. it looks like