About Miller's bil outlawing the use of restraints and some other devices to control students

[Mass]

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2011/02/28/school_lobbied_to_stop_electric_shock_ban/?page=2
School lobbied to stop electric shock ban
Canton facility spent $100,000 on effort

The Judge Rotenberg Educational Center, a special-needs school in Canton that disciplines students with electric shocks, used a sophisticated lobbying campaign in Congress last year to help defeat a ban of its controversial techniques, according to recently released public documents.
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Critics say the electric shocks — which are the subject of ongoing state and federal investigations — are inhumane. But school officials and parents say they are necessary, a last resort to prevent severely disabled children and teens from harming themselves or others.
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Aides to Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts said parents and students visited his office and asked that he not support the bill, but he was waiting to learn more about the legislation before taking a position on a new law. Kerry is opposed to using electric shocks for punishment.

“This is an inhumane form of discipline, and I’m particularly troubled by it when positive behavioral supports have been so successful,’’ Kerry said in a statement. “I understand that there are ongoing state and federal investigations, and I hope they result in an end to this archaic practice.’’

A spokeswoman for Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts declined to say if he was lobbied by the center or what he thinks about the legislation or shock discipline.

[karynnj]

1. It is disgusting that a program would use such practices

I remember being appalled by the "skinner box" and Skinner's ideas when I learned of them in college Psych class. Even reading the description in this article was painful.

It is bad that this was buried in the HELP committee, which had (and has) a more liberal than average list of Senators. It was referred to the Senate on 2/24/2009 - so it was not just a question of the committee being swamped on other things. (It was introduced on 2/9 in the House and passed on 2/23. ) Like you said, this should have been a no-brainer - quickly passing the committee, and then passed as quickly as it passed in the House.

It is interesting that they even lobbied (unsuccessfully) Kerry - which means that they went beyond the HELP committee and they went even to the people least likely to agree with them.

In fairness to Brown - who all too often himself says he has no opinion - it could be that his spokesperson answered like this because he did not yet have an opinion.