The Senate also took up education related legislation.

Today, that includes a bill that would require some middle or high school students who assault a teacher to be expelled for one year.

Republican Senator Matt, known as the sponsor of Senate Bill 101.

He says there have been more than 25,000 instances of assault against a teacher in Kentucky since 2021.

Democrats and some Republicans say this legislation, though, is too harsh.

I don't think it's fair to teachers who merely want to earn a living.

They shouldn't be fearful at work.

This condition often leads to teachers leaving the profession.

It's not fair to them to leave their chosen profession a career they went to college for because they fear for their safety.

And the last point I want to make, Mr.

President, is we talk a lot about how this legislation might affect the expelled student.

I like to say, what about the other students that are in the building that just want to get an education when good teachers leave?

Instruction suffers.

It's not fair to those students who need good teachers.

Not requiring children from grade six to grade 12 to be expelled for a year.

For we're talking about again, 11, 12, 13 year olds children.

These are children.

And we spelled it for you, Mr.

President.

The reality and we all need to understand this reality is we have lost that child.

With this piece of legislation.

Should there be a child that comes to school one day?

Maybe that child has had a very difficult night.

Maybe that child has been abused.

The night before and that child gets to school.

And for whatever reason, something triggers that child to push.

A teacher knocks her down.

Guess what that teacher has to do?

She has to report that.

And guess what happens if she doesn't?

She could be.

Or she or he could be arrested for a misdemeanor crime.

An A or B misdemeanor for not reporting that.

Is that really what we need to be doing to take that latitude?

The bill leaves it up to the school district to decide if the expelled students should continue to receive educational services outside of the school.

Senate Bill 101 passed the full Senate by a vote of 27 to 10.

It now heads to the House for consideration there.