Motherly Law

EpiPen Access in Schools: Anaphylactic Emergencies and Common Sense

Food Allergies

While my boys don't have any food allergies that I'm aware of, as a mom, I can understand the fear and anxiety that a parent of a child with food allergies must feel when his or her child is in the care of anyone else. I would imagine going to any public location could be dangerous, especially for those with severe allergies to commonly consumed foods like nuts, eggs and dairy products.

The worry of not knowing if a peanut butter and jelly sandwich had been eaten by the former occupant of a picnic table at the park; if the birthday party your child is attending is serving milk to all the kids; or if all the kids in your child's classroom are aware of the severity of the allergy and the dire consequences if the particular food comes in contact with your child could be all-consuming I would imagine. I would think it would be enough to make a parent obsessed with making sure everyone is aware of these allergies.

A food allergy is not to be taken lightly. A child with a severe food allergy could die very quickly if the allergen has any kind of contact with the child and the child does not have immediate access to epinephrine. This very sad truth has recently been in the news.

Ammaria's Tragic Death

Ammaria Johnson, age 7, died at school on her first day back to school in January after the winter break when a classmate, unaware of her allergy, gave Ammaria a peanut to eat while the girls were out on the playground. Shortly thereafter, after noticing hives and having trouble breathing, Ammaria sought help.

The school clinic didn't have an EpiPen on file for Ammaria. An EpiPen, or an Epinephrine auto-injector, quickly and easily is injected into a person suffering from an anaphylactic emergency, thereby reversing the reaction and saving a life. Instead, Ammaria went into cardiac arrest and died before Epinephrine could be administered to her.

EpiPens

EpiPens are by prescription only. Many kids with allergies keep a prescribed EpiPen with their names on them in the nurse's office at school for such emergencies. However, studies have shown that anaphylactic emergencies at school often occur with no prior knowledge of such an allergy.

However, if a child and/or staff member without a prescribed EpiPen on file with the school nurse's office goes into anaphylactic shock, even if there is an EpiPen available for another child, school personnel cannot administer that life-saving medication due to legal issues. More than likely, there was an EpiPen in the very school clinic where Ammaria died.

This and other such tragedies are too much too bear. When there is a life-saving solution available at one's fingertips, one should have access to it. There should be no "red tape" or threat of lawsuit, criminal prosecution or loss of license stopping anyone from administering this life-giving serum.

School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act

Last November, a bill that would cut through this red tape and give those in need of an EpiPen at school access regardless of whether there was one on file for that particular child was introduced in the U.S. Senate (S. 1884). And in December, this bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR. 3627). It has now been referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act would allow for schools to maintain a stock of EpiPens and administer such injections, just as they do bandages. The stock of EpiPens would not be prescribed to any particular students, but would instead be at the ready for any child and/or staff who experienced an anaphylactic emergency while at school.

This bill does allow for protection of school personnel from liability in administering such emergency injection. However, it's worth noting that if epinephrine is administered without need, a child would merely experience light-headedness, rapid heart rate and nausea, which would last only 15 minutes or so. Epinephrine is dangerous only to children with congenital heart conditions, which should be noted in school records. On the flip side, a child in need of epinephrine can die without it.

The Scoop

While this act is too late to save Ammaria, it could be instrumental in preventing many other deaths in similar circumstances. Ammaria is certainly not the first child to die at school due to anaphylactic shock, and she won't be the last if this common sense bill doesn't become law.

The saddest part of this story is that Ammaria's death was preventable, but we have become too restrained by the threat of punitive actions if protocol is not followed precisely. When a child's life is in danger, all protocol should go out the window.

If you feel strongly about this bill, please email your U.S. senators and representatives. This is a nonpartisan issue we can all support. Over and out...

Anna

New Beginnings: State Laws Taking Effect January 1, 2012

Happy New Year

January 1^st....the start of a new year, a day a big sales at retail giants, the first day of a new diet for many and the day a number of new state laws take effect. January is definitely the month of new beginnings and that rings true for many laws too.

While I haven't surveyed every state, I did take a look at some of the new state laws from around the country. I have highlighted the new laws {or absence of pertinent new laws} that have just taken effect that concern parents, kids and/or families.

While you may think this is unimportant information, take a look; there may be a few that concern you and your family. With almost 40,000 new laws going into effect on January 1, 2012, there must be something that affects you or someone you know.

A Few New State Laws

Minnesota

No news laws that pertain to families. {Let it be noted that it was quite an argumentative year in MN.}

Texas

College students attending school in Texas to get a meningitis vaccine. This law is applicable to all state universities, community colleges and junior colleges. TX is the first state mandate this. The students must have had this vaccine within the last 5 years.

Texas homeowners will be protected from aggressive homeowner associations that try to foreclose on homes based on late dues, fees and fines.

New York

Hookahs, water pipes, and shisha (a product made of primarily tobacco and smoked) shall not be sold to minors.

A new law will strengthen DEC's authority to ban products that contain mercury.

Middle class tax cuts will reduce tax rates on middle to their lowest levels in more than 50 years About 4.4 million middle class taxpayers will receive a total of  $690 million in personal income tax relief.

California

Open carrying of guns is banned;

Children under 8 and those who are too small to wear regular seat belts must use a child safety seat or booster seat.

Florida

The federal government will no longer have a hand in control the Florida school meal programs This will allow the state of Florida to use more Florida-grown fresh fruit and vegetables on school menus.

Illinois

Hotels are now required to be equipped with at least one smoke detector within 15 feet of every room that is used for sleeping purposes. (HB 1398/ PA-97-0447)

Allows local school boards to, if federal grants are available, opt in to a full-year pilot plan if a school is on academic watch status for more than 2 years. Schools that opt in must increase their school calendar by 35 days, and requires students attend a minimum of 215 days. This pilot program affects only schools in Sen. James Meeks' district.

Requires criminal background information on an employee that has been obtained by a school district within the last year to be shared, upon request, with any other school district.

Changes legislation to reflect the current criminal penalty for making a false report of child abuse to DCFS, and updates the required posted warning to reflect that a false report is a Class 4 felony violation.

Allows people in divorce situations to use life insurance as a security for child support and maintenance obligations.

Requires all employees of licensed child care facilities who care for newborns and infants to complete training every 3 years on sudden unexpected infant death (SUID), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and on the safe sleep recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Requires adult passengers in the back seat of a vehicle to wear a seat belt, and also requires those 18 and younger riding in a taxi cab for school-related purposes to wear a seat belt.

Colorado

Coaches must not allow players as young as 11 to continue playing a sport if a head injury is suspected. In order to return to play, the athletics will be required to have medical clearance. Furthermore, coaches in public and private schools and even volunteer coaches of Little League and Pop Warner football are required to take a free annual online training to learn the symptoms to recognize a concussion.

Delaware

Same-sex couples can now enter into a civil union or domestic partnerships, which give them the same state rights and obligations of those who are married.

The Scoop

Does your state have any new laws worth checking out? I'll be touching base regarding distracted driving issues in this New Year on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. Over and out...

Anna

Legal Tails: Laws Protecting Animals and People

A Fear of Dogs

Years ago when living in Iowa, I remember being at a friend's home for a small gathering of new acquaintances. These friends had two dogs, one of which was at least part Pit-Bull Terrier if not full-blooded, and also one of the sweetest dogs you might encounter. I recall another friend there who it quickly became apparent was terrified of dogs. My friends apologized for having theirs out and put them in the basement away from the party.

The terrorized friend then related her story of being attacked by a friend's dog years earlier. This dog had never attacked anyone before, but had lunged at her, and she was severely injured and taken to the hospital. Her physical scars had healed, but her mental scars will probably never go away. If this had happened to me, I would probably have different feelings about dogs. When I see a dog that is powerful and intense, I think of her story.

In Reference to Yesterday's Post {It's easier if you just go read it: Animal House}

In yesterday's post I gave you a detailed account of my crazy chaotic household full of cats, dogs and kids. You now know how I feel about animals in general {I love them...in case you missed yesterday's article} and you know that my pets and kids mix and mingle and all equally share the home with us.

Yesterday I also shared two examples of when the mix of pets and kids goes awry with very disturbing facts and endings. A reader alerted me to another similar tragic incident that occurred just a few days prior to the 2 week baby being mauled by the family dog in Houston. This story comes from North Carolina. Five dogs were taken away after one or more of them attacked and killed a 9 day old baby girl. Among these dogs there is at least one Rottweiler and one Pit Bull Terrier. The authorities are also investigating that incident to determine whether criminal charges should be issued or whether this was simply a horrible tragedy.

These news stories are frightening and might be enough for some people to rush to conclusions about parenting styles or about having pets at all if kids are in the house. These stories are not meant to scare or threaten anyone. There are many wonderful reasons to expose kids to pets. They are simply a reminder that pets are animals and can be unpredictable at times. If we make sensible choices and err on the side of caution then most situations can be avoided.

It's important to realize there's a lot we don't know about the dog mauling cases: we don't know whether the dog(s) had been introduced to the infant through smells, etc., whether the parents knew or should have known reasons to keep the dog(s) and baby separated, whether the parents were negligent in failing to keep the two separated and whether the parents were diligent in their care of their infants. The investigations of these two terribly sad incidents will determine the answers to these and other questions in deciding whether to charge anyone with a crime. Regardless of any of these facts, two families have lost their tiny, innocent, brand new babies, and I doubt anything else matters to them at this time.

It's also important to note that none of the dogs have been sentenced to death at this point which probably indicates that none of the dogs have had any run-ins with the law before; meaning no previous reports of biting, etc., up-to-date vaccination records and current licenses. Once the investigations have ended, the fate of these dogs will also be determined. {By the way, the python from yesterday's scenario was spared and is in the custody of the state now. Given the fact that she was being starved to death by her owners having not been fed for over a month and was severely underweight she was not blamed for this death.}

Protecting Your Household and Others

These are things you should know already, but let this serve as a reminder. Again, we sometimes forget these basic requirements of pet ownership. In order to protect your pets, yourself and others, you must keep your pets' vaccines current, renew licenses and keep your pet in its cage, inside a fence, on a leash or whatever enclosure is appropriate for your pet.

If you don't have an umbrella insurance policy, you might look into getting one that would cover the defense and damages of an incident involving your pet and another outside of your household {Check with policy/insurance agent for details regarding coverage.}

It's also important to be familiar with the local, state and federal laws that apply to you and your pet, depending on the type of pet you have. Laws regulating pets are centered on three basic principles: public safety, public health and animal welfare. That is to say, it's the intent of the authorities to protect the public against brutal and often fatal attacks of the owner, members of the household or a member of the public; prevent the spread of diseases, often diseases that are not native to the U.S. or animals here; and put a stop to animal neglect and animal cruelty, which so very often occurs with exotic pet reserves, horse farms or puppy mills.

Local Laws

For the most part, if you have only domestic pets, rather than exotic pets, local ordinances basically provide for licensure and leash requirements and may limit numbers and size of animals, etc. Licensing will ensure that pets are being regularly vaccinated for rabies and any other required vaccines. Licensing also aids in tracking and identifying missing or found pets.

If you are new to a city or a new pet owner or both, be sure to check your local ordinances regarding pets.

Exotic Pets and Laws

If you have exotic pets, there are many other laws and regulations that will apply to you on local, state and federal levels. The definition of exotic pets varies from state to state. So, if you have any question whatsoever as to whether your pet is "exotic" and whether there are laws that apply to your pet, check your area's ordinances, statutes and regulations on all levels.

State Laws

Due to the level of concern over attacks by animals and animal neglect by the owners, more states have passed laws banning certain types of animals in the last decade or so. If you are considering getting an exotic pet, which this term can include some reptiles, fish and birds that may not seem exotic to you, be sure to check the law prior to getting your new pet. For a comprehensive guide to state laws regulating animals, check Born Free USA.

Federal Laws

There are a few federal laws that apply to pets, such as the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act. For more information on these laws and current legislation regarding federal law and animals, check Born Free USA for their list of federal bills they are tracking, etc.

The Scoop

Overall, the message is this, know the law and follow the law for your sake, your pet's sake and for other's sake too in regards to pet licensing, vaccines and leashes, cages, fences, etc. Tomorrow I'll be discussing tips for keeping your kids safe around animals. Over and out...

Anna

 

Coffee with Anna Vlog Edition #3: Python Kills Toddler; Teacher Fired for Pumping Breast Milk, Failure to Report Child Missing a Felony & a Giveaway

  

Good Morning! On the agenda today:

• In the vlog I discuss several articles and I've got links for you in case you want to read more:
  • Python Kills Toddler; Mother Convicted of Manslaughter
  • Teacher Fired for Pumping Breast Milk
  • Proposed Legislation for Felony Charge for Failing to Report Child Missing
• If you haven't read this week's posts on bouncy house safety and liability, go read them. It's important! It could save your child's life and your savings account; or both.
• By the way, I'm giving something away tomorrow at 10 a.m. Listen to the whole vlog to find out what it is and how to enter. 
• It's much easier to write than to vlog. So, I'm going to do 1 more and then evaluate whether to continue with this format. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Have a great weekend! Over and out...

Anna

Jury Duty v. Parental Duty; Is there an Exemption?

Then & Now

Years ago when I was a law clerk and had no children I had no pity for the prospective jurors who came in and reported that they had no child care available if selected; couldn't afford child care for their young children if chosen to serve; couldn't afford to miss work and a pay check since they were supporting a young family, etc. It's not that I didn't think it would be difficult for them to figure out, but I had a hard line approach to serving on a jury as being a civic duty.

That was then. This is now. While I still believe that if called to serve on a jury each person should do his or her best to make the schedule work, I now understand how difficult it can be for so many. First, there is the issue of child care if you have youngsters at home or coming home at noon or 2 from school or if you have a special needs child or are providing elder care, etc. Secondly, there is the issue of money; either not having the funds to pay for child care or losing money because you won't be able to work for several weeks and your employer won't pay you while you do your civic duty, which means you won't have the money you need to provide for your family.

Parental Hardships

There are a number of other circumstances that could cause a hardship for a prospective juror: breastfeeding jurors; homeschooling jurors; jurors providing elder care for a parent or grandparent; low income jurors with already meager wages; stay at home parent jurors; and jurors who have no family in the area to provide free child care during jury duty.

While these are all good, real reasons that someone should be excused from serving, they are not exceptions to serving in every court in every state. For the courts without an automatic exemption for certain personal care obligations, if you received a notice for jury duty, you would still have to find child care and/or take off work and go up to the courthouse; wait with the rest of the jury pool to see if your number is called; and if it is, then you would have to sit through voir dire; answer the questions honestly; plead your hardships; and hope you were excused from the jury, for these or any other reason.

Courts with Exemptions

There are courts, some state and some federal, that do make certain exceptions. Click here for the Family Friendly Jury Duty's list of courts and their parental exemptions to jury duty. For the most part, the federal courts tend to provide more leniencies for granting exceptions to parents who must care for their youngsters or their aged and/or infirm family members. A number of states do allow for exemptions for those with children 10 or under. Some states allow for breastfeeding women to take an exemption, as well. Approximately half of the states in the U.S. have some kind of provision exempting parents with personal care obligations from serving on a jury; only a few specifically exempt homeschooling parents.

This is not to say that if a court does not have a specific exemption for parents with personal care obligations, whether it's an elderly parent or 3 year old child or 12 year old child being homeschooled, that you won't be excused. You still could be excused for these or other completely unrelated reasons, but it won't be automatic.

Why Do We Have Juries

If you have ever wondered why we have juries and the history behind the jury system, the Family Friendly Jury Duty site provides an interesting look at juries. In my experience as a law clerk, juries were often made up of people in the early 20s, who did not have families to consider and could figure out a way to miss work, and people in their 50s and 60s, who no longer had children at home and were often retired.

The Scoop

Is this the way it should be? Is this a fair representation of one's peers? Should this burden fall to the young and the old? Maybe not, but it's a hard knock life for many right now; barely making it paycheck to paycheck; forgoing child care altogether and scraping by day to day, without the extra burden of missing work and/or having to find and pay for child care in order to ensure that justice is served in a court of law.

Jury duty was not meant to be a burden on the people. It was meant to be a part of the due process of law, ensuring a fair and just trial. Has it become a burden? Do juries ensure a fair and just trial? Should all parents with personal care obligations be automatically exempted from serving on juries in all courts? Over and out....

Anna

The 4th of July Parade: Lessons in History

Memories

My favorite 4^th of July memory is from many, many summers ago. I must have been almost 10 years old. We lived out in the country, in Texas, and our long drive from the road to the house was lined with Pecan trees on both sides. There were probably 20 or more Pecan trees stretching down the gravel drive. My mom's side of the family, from the Texas panhandle, were visiting us: grandma, grandpa, aunts and cousins.

I don't know whose idea it was, but I'm guessing it was my older cousins who thought it would be fun for us to put on a patriotic parade and walk from the road to the house, as if it was a parade route down a street. We all spent hours working on our costumes, scavenging the house to create them. My grandpa, a tall man, made an impressive Abe Lincoln; one cousin dressed as a clown, with face paint and all; another cousin was costumed as Uncle Sam; my brother was a soldier; and I was the Statue of Liberty; the aunts and my grandma were the spectators. Someone must have had a couple of packs of Wrigley's gum because we all tossed foil-covered sticks of gum to our "spectators" who had to keep moving up our "street" along with the parade.

What I remember most of all was the laughter. My mom's family really knows how to laugh; and we laughed and laughed then, and those of us who remain continue to laugh about the time we put on the 4^th of July parade even now. It's funny what sticks out in our memories and what becomes individually symbolic of national holidays.

What IS This All About?

When Darling 1 asked me, "So, what's July 4^th all about?" I decided it was time to write a post about the true meaning of this national holiday. Yes, the fireworks, parades, flags, family gatherings, the hot dog grilling, the red, white and blue banners, hats, t-shirts and more are fun, but there is a deeper meaning to the colorful, fiery explosions in the air. We all know we're celebrating much more than summer fun, but could you/have you explained the details to your kiddos?

The Basics

The 4^th of July is a federal holiday that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence which declared our independence from Great Britain. Here are a few more details leading up to the adoption and signing of the Declaration of Independence:

• On April 19, 1775, after getting fed up with being oppressed under British control, 70 Massachusetts militiamen armed with guns faced about 700 British soldiers on their way to Concord to destroy the colonists' weapons depot. A shot was fired, and thus began the American Revolution War.

   

• On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Livingston and Roger Sherman.

   

• Jefferson wrote the first draft; and after Adams and Franklin made some changes, the document was ready to be presented to Congress on June 28, 1776.

   

• On July 2, 1776, twelve of the thirteen colony delegations voted to support the resolution for independence. Only one colony did not vote in favor of this resolution; New York abstained from voting.

   

• On July 4, 1776, the Congress formally endorsed Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.

   

• Although Jefferson, Adams and Franklin later wrote they had signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, many historians maintain it was not signed until August 2, 1776.

   

• It wasn't until 1782 that the American Revolution War actually ended; 6 violent years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed.

Sources: Wikipedia & the History Place

History Trivia

A few interesting tidbits:

• John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were the only signers of the Declaration of Independence to later serve as President of the U.S.

   

• Adams and Jefferson also died on the same day, July 4 1826. They both died on the 50^th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

   

• James Monroe, 5^th President of the U.S., also died on July 4, 1831.

   

• Only one president has been born on July 4; Thirtieth U.S. President, Calvin Coolidge was born July 4, 1872.

Source: Wikipedia

The Scoop

So, while this holiday is also about family, summer, baseball, barbeques and sparklers, it is also a lesson in determination and perseverance that we should be talking about more with our kids. When I was briefly discussing the Revolution War, the Civil War and the World Wars, Darling 1 said to me, "You've never told me these things before!" And it's true, history is not my forte, and I don't often discuss it with him, but I should. Have a happy and safe Independence Day! Over and out...

Anna

The List: Things You Will NOT Be Doing During the MN Government Shutdown & A Few Things You Can Still Do

Yesterday, July 1, 2011, at midnight, the Minnesota State government ceased to function. This means a lot of stress to a lot of people. It was the state's largest mass layoff. And it all comes down to the fact that the Republican-controlled legislature and Gov. Mark Dayton failed to find a compromise regarding state taxes and pass the budget bill in order to keep the government from shutting down at the end of the fiscal year.

The Minnesota Constitution requires appropriations before the state spends any money. At this point, only the Department of Agriculture's funding has been signed into law. The 388 Agricultural Department employees are at work and are fully funded.

For every other service and department, agencies, non-profits, departments, the Attorney General and the Governor petitioned the Ramsey County District Court with their recommendations of what the "critical core functions" are and urging funding and continued services for these functions throughout the government shutdown. The courts have now decided the fate of every service, agency and employee.

Some state entities are rejecting the court's decision and appealing the ruling. The MN Zoo has actually filed a lawsuit in fighting to stay open, saying they have enough revenue to continue operating on their own, but must be granted access to that money.

Updated: This just in, Judge Gearin ruled the MN Zoo will stay open during the MN Government Shutdown.

But don't plan on doing any of these activities in the next few days or weeks:

1. Go to the MN Zoo; See Update - You now can go to the zoo; the penguins will debut as planned;
2. Get a license for the first time;
3. Get a fishing license;
4. Go camping, fishing, hiking, etc. at a state park;
5. Receive a state tax refund;
6. Tour the State Capital;
7. Visit the MN History Center;
8. Go to a horse race at Canterbury Park;
9. Buy a lottery ticket;
10. Receive state child care assistance;
11. Drive on smooth, completed highways; roadway projects have been halted;
12. Get paid, if you are one of 22,000 plus state employees who just lost your job *see below regarding unemployment payments; and
13. Myriad other things.

You will be able to:

1. Call 911 & get a response from emergency personnel;
2. Get a speeding ticket;
3. Apply for and receive unemployment benefits;
4. Receive state health care aid and services;
5. Renew vehicle tabs and driver's licenses;
6. Go to school;
7. Attend the University of Minnesota;
8. Utilize the state court system; and
9. Myriad other things

Have a Happy 4^th of July! And if you are in MN or traveling to MN, remember we have no functioning government at the moment. By the way, in the 8 years we have lived here, this is the second MN government shutdown we have experienced. We have lived in 4 states in our 35 plus years, and have never had this happen in any other state.

It does make one ask the question, "Why can't we all just get along and agree?" And if you want my two-cents, the 7,700 Minnesotans who are making over 1 million per year can handle the tax increase. Give me a break, and the rest of the state residents who don't make that kind of money and pass the budget bill already! Over and out....

Note: Adding a great source for additional information: www.mpr.org

Anna

 

Making the Grade: A Plea to MN Public Educators

  

Dear Minnesota Public Education System,

Please don't let my Darling Boys down. Please provide them with warm and loving teachers who can see their bright spots and help them positively glow from a love of learning. Please don't mistake years of service as being synonymous with smarts and teaching skills; it's not. Please hire and retain teachers who exhibit a love of teaching, exploring and expanding their own knowledge base as well as the children's.

Please keep my boys safe from harm while in your care; keeping bullies, predators and dangerous activities at bay. Please teach them to embrace all people, cultures, politics and religions; teaching them by example that we can learn from each other's differences. Please prepare them for higher education; preparing them to be accepted and excel in whatever subjects they wish to further their educations and pursue careers.

I don't foresee having the funds to pay for an excellent and expensive private education for my two boys. I beg you to adequately fund public education year after year. Please remember the future of our children; our state; our country; our world is in the hands of our educators. Think twice about budget cuts; think three times about staffing cuts; and always think of the kids before the mighty dollar or the powerful teachers' unions.

Don't let me down! I'm counting on you, MN Public Education System, to do all of these things and more for my Darling Boys as we begin this long journey in September.

Respectfully yours,

Anna

Mom to two Darling Boys Who Will Soon be Attending Public Schools in the Twin Cities

You might also like:

Birds of a Feather: Tips for Choosing the Best School for Your Child

Growing Pains: How to Handle Bullying Whether Your Child is Being Bullied or Doing the Bullying

Principal Knows Best: A Ban on Home Packed School Lunches

There’s a Storm a Brewin’ in Minnesota: NOH8MN

Fear & Hate

Some say the Rapture came to Minnesota last night, bringing fear and hatred. In the waning hours of Saturday night, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed a bill that places on the November 2012 ballot the question whether to amend the Minnesota Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. This bill was not passed without a somber, civil, sad fight.

All of this happening just 20 minutes from our home, DH & I huddled around my computer listening and watching a live feed from the House Chamber floor. From the feed, we could hear chanting and cheering and faintly make out the words from just outside the chamber doors, "Just Vote No."

To be clear, there is already a law that defines a marriage as one man and one woman. This ballot item could change the Constitution to reflect the same.

Why I Take Issue with This

While Motherly Law is not a political blog, and generally I leave the politics out of my posts, I do have this to say regarding this issue. I was proud to be a Minnesotan last night as I listened to my fellow DFL (Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party) members and a few Republicans crossing party lines take a stand and discuss why a No vote was in order. I was extremely disappointed in the passage of this bill though.

Firstly, we have friends and family members in same-sex marriages or relationships, depending on what the laws of their state will allow. We love and support these stable, loving, devoted couples.

Secondly, any laws or movements or bills that in effect will limit people's personal rights and choices, regardless of how it is presented in the bill or movement or law, gets my dander up and puts me on the defensive.

This morning we explained to the Darling Boys what had gone on in our state capitol last night. We explained that we support people to make their own choices about whom to love and to define for themselves what family looks like so far as these choices do not harm or endanger others {as is the case with any right afforded anyone}.

We asked the boys how they would feel if someone told them they couldn't ever wear the color green; or they couldn't be friends with a certain person; or they had to go to a different school than the one we have chosen because the government thought another school was a better choice. The boys reported they would be sad and would not like that. They thought they should be free to make those decisions for themselves. We agree.

The People of Minnesota

Many of those who voted for this bill, cowardly and slyly passed it off as being something the people of Minnesota should decide. To my knowledge, the people of Minnesota did not ask to decide the question. The people in my part of Minnesota happily live side by side with same-sex couples; attend church with same-sex couples, send their kids to school with kids with same-sex parents and have dinner with friends who happen to be same-sex couples.

As the insightful DFL Representative from New Brighton, Kate Knuth, stated she is fearful of the messages of hate that will come to our state and fill our airways and newsprint for the next 18 months. I agree with Rep. Knuth. These messages and campaigns, inspired by fear and hate, are now inevitable in our peaceful, "Minnesota Nice" state. It is this I cannot live with; this that I am fearful of; this that I abhor.

The Scoop

So, those of you who would bring such messages to my state, my city, my neighborhood, know this: the gloves are off; there will be no Minnesota Nice to greet you. Minnesotans are strong, educated, equality-minded people who won't allow their state to be overcome with hate, fear and suspicion.

Minnesotans began organizing a #NoH8MN {No Hate in MN} campaign within minutes of the passage of this bill. There are now Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, websites, and even a march earlier today all meant to combat the fear and hate that this bill represents.

As the fine Representative John Kriesel (R) of Cottage Grove pointed out as he defiantly crossed party lines to vote, in his words, "Hell No!"; we are talking about people. As he reflected about a specific man from Minnesota, who was gay, who was a soldier, who lost his life defending our country, Rep. Kriesel said he could not support a bill that in effect says this man was not good enough to choose who he loved and wanted to marry, but was good enough to send off to war and be killed for our country.

This issue is about people, not religion. This issue is about all of us, regardless of your sexual orientation. This issue is about personal rights and choices. Period.

As if on cue, just minutes after this bill passed with a vote count of 70- 62, the rain began to pour, the lightning strike and the thunder roll. This is about people. Over and out...

Anna

In the Blink of an Eye: Babies to Teens; Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL)

Fast Moving Lives

It all happens in the blink of an eye. When I look at my Darlings; 1 is going to kindergarten in the a few months and 2 comes up to my waist when standing next to me; neither babies nor toddlers, but teetering on the edge of boyhood. Even still, I recall with the exactness of a video recording the very second I saw my Darlings for first time.

It happens in the blink of an eye. Our days and months and years are filled with the mundane have-tos of making meals, doing laundry, paying bills, going to work, going to soccer practice, going here and going there, but during all the everyday, uninteresting, going-through-the-motions occurrences life and growth are happening, and before I know it my boys will be begging me for the latest, hand-held video game system, going over to friends houses without me setting up a play date, doing homework, and then {gasp} getting their driver's licenses.

I know many of my readers are in the same place I am in life with little ones and all of their toys underfoot. We aren't thinking about the latest teen fashion, teen angst or teen drivers, but our kids are growing and developing and watching us every single day.

As I mentioned yesterday, our habits today will become the model for tomorrow. If you drive above the speed limit, don't always wear your seatbelt or use your phone while driving, your kids whether ages 2 or 7 or 12 or 16 see you doing these things. If you do these things, don't expect your kids not to when they are driving their own cars.

Becoming a Licensed Driver

When I got my license over 20 years ago, I had first gone through a driver's education course, both written and hand-on driving, plus had been driving with a parent for a year prior. My license had no restrictions on it. My mom went with me the week following my birthday to take my driver's license tests at the local DMV office. I lived in a small town and there were about 6 others in my class whose birthdays fell within the same week as mine. We were all there at the same time; talk about pressure. I passed the tests and got my license that morning. I drove my mom to the school where she taught and dropped her off {we shared a car for two years}, and then drove myself, alone in the car, to my high school.

By law, I was free to drive anywhere with anyone in my vehicle. By my parents' rules, I was allowed to drive in our small town with a select few friends, one at a time, in my vehicle. I was not allowed to drive the 45 minutes to the larger city where we shopped and dined. It would be almost a year later before my parents approved that drive. Cell phones were called bag phones then, and very few people had them at all. Texting and the Internet were not terms we had ever heard before. Driving was relatively distraction free, especially with only one friend in the vehicle with me.

GDL Laws

Well, times have changed; and so has the law. All states now have Graduated Driver's Licensing (GDL) laws of some form. Some states require teens to be 18 before receiving full driving privileges and other state laws are less restrictive. Go to GHSA for a comprehensive list of the state GDL laws.

Each state's GDL laws, regardless of the specific ages or restrictions, consist of three graduated steps: Supervised Learner's Permit; Intermediate License; and License with Full Privileges. The learner's permit stage allows the teen to get hands-on driving experience with a licensed adult in the vehicle supervising the teen, as was the case when I was a teen. The second stage, a provisional or intermediate license, was added to give teens more freedom and independence than driving with an adult, but also shield teens from high risk driving situations considering they have less experience. While each jurisdiction varies, the intermediate license generally limits the hours teens can drive and the number and ages of passengers allowed in a teen's vehicle. The last step is the conventional full privilege driver's license and the ages for receiving that license range from 16 to 18 years old, depending on the jurisdiction.

Age is not the sole determinant. For example, in Minnesota, for a teen with a provisional license to qualify for a full, unrestricted license, he or she must not receive a conviction for alcohol, drug or crash related moving violations; have no more than one conviction for a non-crash related moving violation; have driven for at least 10 hours under the supervision of a licensed driver who is at least 21 years old and be at least 18 years old.

The GDL programs are working. The number of fatal crashes involving 16 year-old drivers has fallen by almost 40% since implementing GDL programs. A federal GDL bill was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. This legislation would establish safe teen and novice driver requirements for state GDL laws and would encourage all states to adopt GDL laws that meet such requirements within three years. This act is referred to as the STANDUP ACT. For more information about this bill, go to SafeRoads4Teens.org.

Astounding Statistics

Motor vehicle crashes are the number 1 killer of American teens. In 2009, over 2,300 young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 were killed in crashes; over 1,400 teenage passengers were killed; over 1,300 teenagers in other vehicles were killed; and more than 400 young pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-occupants were killed. New teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely to crash than drivers between the ages of 25 and 69.

The Scoop

I will discuss teens and distracted driving issues next. Those of us with young kiddos still have a few precious years to teach responsible driving habits; and we all need to be cognizant of our own driving habits and model only safe behavior behind the wheel. Over and out...

Anna

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Challenge Reissued: Simulated Distracted Driving & Teens

Walking a Fine Line: Social Host Laws and Underage Drinking

Phone Down; Eyes Up: Distracted Driving Statistics Update & Driver Challenge