Posted on 05/22/2007 9:12:01 PM PDT by siunevada
CORDOVA, TN -- In drawing a line where a teenager may drive to help his dying mother, a state agency may have crossed the line -- and violated its own rules.
The Tennessee Department of Safety granted 15-year-old Seth Parrish's application for a hardship drivers license. His mother Stephanie is in the late stages of breast cancer -- four to six weeks to live. Since his father cares for her around the clock when he's not a work, Seth secured the hardship license so he can help run errands - school, hospital, groceries, etc.
There's just one condition: he can't drive to his church, First Evangelical Church in East Memphis.
"Our church is our main source of support, emotionally and spiritually, during my wife's sickness," says Mark Parrish, Seth's father. "For us not to be able to get (Seth) to church while I'm watching Steph, which is most every day now, is a hardship for us. There's no question about it."
In her letter rejecting Parrish's appeal, Wanda Moore, the Tennessee Department of Safety's Director of Drivers License Issuance, said, "Church routes are not considered a hardship route."
3 On Your Side reviewed the Parrishes' application. It allows up to five destinations that can be approved for the underage driver to travel. Destination number five is the 'Miscellaneous' category. It includes 'Church/Synagogue' as an acceptable destination as long as the applicant includes a written statement from a church official verifying the applicant's attendance at church or church events.
Mark Parrish says he included a letter from Seth's youth pastor attesting to his son's involvement in the youth group, Sunday services, Wednesday services and holiday services.
"Initially, I thought it may be one person who may have some type of prejudice or some type of problem with the church," says Mark Parrish. "But when I appealed to that person's senior management, I got the same response."
3 On Your Side contacted Mike Browning, public information officer for the agency, and he agreed to look into the case. He discovered the agency mistakenly sent the Parrish family an old application. He says the agency eliminated 'Church/Synagogue' from its hardship license application in 2005.
He said Moore is now willing to reconsider Seth's request to drive to church since her agency sent the old application.
"I think based on the old application, she would be willing to at least revisit it and perhaps grant it based on that," says Browning.
3 On Your Side has alerted the Parrishes' state senator - Sen. Paul Stanley, (R) East Memphis, Germantown, Cordova - to their case.
I wonder why?
That’s the one place the kid needs to go, especially in the condition of his mother.
I hope he gets permission, and I will put this family in my prayers.
In a situation like this, those of us who have a strong relationship with our Maker need more than ever to be in his 'house'. Leave it to a government agency to think that 'Church/Synagogue' isn't a 'necessity'.
Since the agency made the mistake of sending an 'out of date form' they should honor it anyhow.
Prayers for the family.
**In her letter rejecting Parrish’s appeal, Wanda Moore, the Tennessee Department of Safety’s Director of Drivers License Issuance, said, “Church routes are not considered a hardship route.” **
Doesn’t make sense to me. Go to the store to get something for your mom either before or after church. Problem fixed. (But then my grocery store is only a block and a half away from my church!)
Does this agency have the power to arbitrarily determine this sort of thing? It seems to me that, in most states, the legislature includes this sort of thing when it passes laws.
Can anyone verify if this is the case here?
I would think that would be true. The closest I came on a quick search was definitions under Chapter 55-50-102. The last line seems to indicate the restrictions will be defined by regulation rather than law. There might be something inside that 55-50-100 Chapter but it didn't come up on the first page of a search.
If his polticical representative is any kind of politician, he'll champion this issue, get the exception for this individual, and get the law changed. Politically, that's got to be a winner.
(E) Class H. The department may issue this class license to a minor between fourteen (14) and sixteen (16) years of age. This special class license shall be restricted to the operation of a passenger car or other similar vehicle under Class D, a "motor-driven cycle," or a "motorized bicycle" as defined in § 55-8-101. This class license shall be known as a hardship license or motor driven cycle license previously issued under the authority of former § 55-7-104(g) and (h). The use of this license shall be valid for use in daylight hours only and for travel to authorized locations as specified on an attachment and by any other restriction deemed appropriate by the department and set forth in administrative rules and regulations;
It’s the administrations right to change these regulations and in 2005 there was a Democrat governor.
And they wonder why government is disliked in this nation.
OMG!!!! We are so far from God.
That’s insane. Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse. I guess an “approved destination” would be something like, say, the Planned Parenthood clinic.
5...4...3...
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