More on SB 124

Remember the senate bill about leaving your child in the car unattended? I heard back from my state senator:

Thank you for contacting me about SB 124 “Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle.” I appreciate your input on this issue.

Under current law, parents who leave children in a vehicle, no-matter what precautions they take, are subject to only one charge: child abuse, which is a crime of violence. In the majority of cases this charge is overly harsh and inappropriate. This bill creates a lesser, more fitting, misdemeanor charge accompanied by clear guidelines and a requirement that an actual threat exist to help both law-enforcement and parents to know where the line is between innocent action and dangerous conditions.

I share your desire to keep government from regulating our lives to excess. To that end, I amended “gottcha” language out of this bill in committee that would have subjected parents to criminal charges if a car were left running or even keys left in the ignition. With that wording gone, I can support SB 124.

My reasons for supporting this bill are not to over-regulate but to protect parents from the current overzealous measures that exist. I hope you can understand how I have come to my position on this bill. In its current form I believe it protects parents.

Respectfully,

I'm really grateful that he responded to me. I'm also grateful that he took the time to explain the current law and the proposed changes. I'm a little frustrated that I am already a criminal, but I am willing to own up to my hoodlum status and admit that I'm really not planning on changing. At least this way, if I get caught, I'll only be guilty of a misdemeanor.