Posted on 03/26/2017 8:40:35 AM PDT by davikkm
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The death of a 16-year-old Iowa girl has led to finger-pointing at the Legislature, and it’s an indication of how much has changed in the 17 years since the death of another child prompted a bipartisan inquiry and passage of legislation to protect children from abuse. Five months after the death of Natalie Finn, Republican lawmakers have been split over whether to investigate her treatment. The governor has criticized a senator who spoke out about the case and Democrats have accused GOP leaders of being reluctant to take up the matter because of possible questions about reduced state staffing. The response was different after the January 2000 death of Shelby Duis, a 2-year-old from Spirit Lake. Her killing prompted then-Gov. Tom Vilsack to speak at a public hearing in the northwest Iowa city and discuss the case on national television. The matter dominated that year’s legislative session, resulting in legislation that today allows lawmakers to review confidential child abuse records. It eventually led to a tougher child endangerment law and a commitment from Vilsack to spend millions more combating abuse. Sen. David Johnson, an independent who served in the House in 2000, said at that time, both parties worked to understand why Shelby died despite warnings to the Department of Human Services.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Add the Washingtontimes, along with Breitbart, to the sites that I won’t visit due to annoying popups. And yes, I do have a popup eliminator.
Why is one death even talked about as a legislative matter.
Let law enforcement do there job.
We do not need the nanny state putting their noses into every aspect of life.
Passing laws trying to save everybody rom every thing has gotten out of hand.
If the balance of the article is as muddled as the excerpt then there doesn’t seem to be much point in bothering to look, popups or no.
The problem is, many times the state has placed its wards, as in the case of Natalie Finn, in a foster home where the child dies.
It is a HUGE problem, being investigated in many many states right now, about the high percentage of child deaths of children in state custody or foster care.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.