ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota’s current anti-bullying law is 37 words long, but the new anti-bullying bill that’s speeding toward the finish line in the state Legislature will be much longer and comprehensive.

The Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act passed the state Senate last week by a vote of 36-31 and seems on track to clear the House of Representatives and be signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton in just a matter of days, according to MinnPost.com.

Supporters say the law is needed to get a handle on school bullying, which seems to getting worse as bullies are using social media to inflict pain and anguish on their targets inside and outside of school.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

The bill, which did not receive a single Republican vote in the Senate, is causing angst among conservatives who say the anti-bullying legislation erodes local control of schools, imposes a significant financial cost on districts, and represents a threat to traditional values.

WinonaPost.com reports the legislation imposes a number of requirements on schools, including the adoption and implementation of anti-cyberbullying polices, the creation of prevention programs for students and staff, and the documentation of every bullying incident.

The various requirements will cost school districts an estimated $20 million a year, TwinCities.com reports.

Republican state Sen. David Hann said the bill changes “the nature of school districts forever in this state. We are sending them a message that they can’t be trusted.”

We haven’t studied the legislation, so we don’t quite know what to make of the WinonaPost.com report that the potential law contains a list of characteristics that make some individuals more susceptible to bullying.

According to the news site, the list mentions: “a person’s actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, sex, age, marital status, familial status, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, academic status, disability, or status with regard to public assistance, age, or any additional characteristic defined in chapter 363A, the Minnesota Human Rights Act.”

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

Might this mean that any student who makes an off-hand remark about a classmate’s bad quiz score in math class (“academic status”) or a fellow student’s bad hair day (“physical appearance”) could be classified as a bully?

A number of Minnesota conservatives fear that kind of craziness could be creeping into classrooms.

Conservative activist Linda Stanton believes the anti-bullying law could result in students being trained to accept alternative lifestyles that go against their parents’ beliefs.

“If a child gets reported for bullying, he could be remediated with values the parents don’t agree with,” Stanton told MinnPost.com.

Republican Sen. Dave Senjem has speculated that the anti-bullying law could stop football players from tackling hard or volleyball players from spiking the ball, MinnPost.com reports.

In their attempt to make schools bully-free zones, Minnesota lawmakers could actually be creating so many rules and penalties that students will be afraid to do or say anything that might be perceived as bullying.

If that seems like a far-fetched worry, just consider all the well-intentioned “zero tolerance” weapon policies that have resulted in numerous kindergarteners being suspended from school for “finger guns” or gun-shaped Pop Tarts.

Minnesota could be on the verge of making their K-12 schools the most uptight, joyless, fun-free places in the nation. People already complain that the use of metal detectors and school police officers make schools feel like prisons. We can only imagine how fun school will be once the bully police are on the beat.

Here’s the reality: The world can be a mean and cruel place at times. It’s admirable to try and shield children from bullying, but they’re going to encounter it, in one form or another.

No clear-thinking person wants to see vulnerable students being picked on and made to feel inferior. But it’s not clear that a heavy-handed, top-down mandate from the state is the best way to solve this problem.

How about the old fashioned remedy – raising confident, secure children and teaching them the best way to beat the bullies is to ignore their taunts. Children who don’t respond to verbal abuse become boring for bullies, and they tend to move down the line.

If the bullying becomes physical, that’s assault, and a matter for law enforcement to deal with. Otherwise, it may be wise for everyone to remember that sticks and stones can break bones, but name-calling only hurts if you let it.