By
Eric Swedlund
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Legislators argue schools should establish their own policies
PHOENIX - A Senate committee yesterday voted down an anti-hazing bill, saying the policies should come from the schools and not state government.
The Senate Education Committee voted 7-1 against Senate Bill 1096, which would have established hazing at any educational institute as a class 6 felony.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Lori Daniels, R-Chandler, won the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday, but was amended to make hazing a class 3 misdemeanor.
Daniels told the committee the bill aims to protect students.
"I know there's good clean fun, but sometimes it has gotten out of hand," she said.
Daniels worked with Kappa Alpha fraternity members at Arizona State
University to develop the legislation.
Critics of the bill argued that it was vague and too broad.
The bill defined hazing as "any behavior during initiation, pre-initiation
or any activity with respect to a student organization that causes or is likely to cause bodily danger, physical or mental harm or personal degradation to the individual."
Sen. Ken Bennett, R-Prescott, was the only committee member who voted in support of the bill.
Sen. Mary Hartley, D-Phoenix, said she didn't believe hazing was a statewide problem.
"I do not condone hazing, but at this point in time I'm not willing to criminalize a kindergartner," Hartley said.
Sen. Tom Smith, R-Phoenix, voted for the measure when it was approved by the Judiciary Committee, but voted against it yesterday.
"We have volumes of rules and regulations to take care of common sense," he said. "It seems ridiculous that we have to have statutes saying you don't treat a human being in such a way that is degrading."
Sen. Toni Hellon, R-Tucson, said she was torn over the issue, but couldn't
support the bill.
"I'm sorry there is a need to consider something like this," she said. "I'm worried about interpretations, and I'm worried about labeling a young person (as a criminal) for a long time to come."
Joseph McCallum, ASU finance sophomore and Kappa Alpha member, said after the meeting that although the bill was defeated, his group will continue to explore other options in establishing anti-hazing policies.
"The problem needs to be dealt with, but maybe this bill wasn't the
answer," he said.
Paul Peterson, Arizona Students Association executive director, said the
student group did not take a position on the bill.
He said ASA supports the idea, but decided pushing for an anti-hazing
statute and making it a crime wasn't the right way.
