In what can only be described as yet another in a long line of mind-blowingly stupid legislative casualties, Republican Reps in the state House have displayed what I am forced to assume is open hostility against children.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
The full House killed its first bill of the session on Wednesday, which would have required parents to place their children ages 5 to 8 in a car booster seat… Booster seats place children at the appropriate height for a seat belt so in the case of a crash the seat belt does not injure the child’s torso or neck. The bill would have required children who have outgrown their car seats to use a booster until they turned 8 or grew taller than 4-foot-9.
Somehow, the voices in the heads of most House Republicans coughed a collective, “Whaaaaa? Child Safety? Common Sense? I don’t think so!” So, they killed a bill that would mandate that parents put their kids in booster seats, which I can only assume they believe to be material for the practice of black magic.
There are, however, a couple of Republicans that are willing to actually admit their disdain for child safety, and do it on the record to one of Utah’s most talented (and, according to my wife, quite handsome) newspaper reporters:
“I don’t know if it would be practical,” said Rep. Jim Dunnigan, R-Taylorsville.
and
“We can’t always legislate common sense,”Rep. Chris Herrod, R-Provo
It seems we can’t elect it, either. Oh, that’s right, Herrod was the guy who took less votes in the run to replace Alexander. That’s not an excuse, it’s just fun to keep saying.
It’s booster seats, folks. They had some nice ones at Big Lots last night for $7.00. That’s all. I can keep my kids from being garroted by a seatbelt in an accident for a measly $7.00. Except, I don’t have to. Democratic Representative Tim Cosgrove, the sponsor of the booster seat bill, and a champion on the hill for children, explained to me, in less than 6 seconds, why booster seats are important. 6 seconds and I was off to the store, buying a booster seat for my 4 year old who was about to graduate out of her car seat. Yeah, I didn’t eat lunch for a week to pay for it, but, you know, it seems that not having a cheeseburger for a week was a minuscule price to pay to keep my kids safe.
You just never know when a republican legislator will be making a three-lane lane change on the freeway and cause an accident. It is my opinion that my children, and indeed all children, deserve a whole lot better than to meet their end like Saddam Hussein because adults behind the wheel sometimes drive into one another.
