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Posted on 04/11/2003 9:33:15 PM PDT by BenLurkin
What began for California right here in the Antelope Valley is now headed to President George W. Bush's desk where his signature will mean the introduction of a national Amber Alert system.
Fear that legislation drafted by the House that would implement a national system might be snagged in the Senate because of unrelated language added to the bill was quashed late Thursday when it was unanimously approved by the Senate.
"I'm just glad they've been able to reach a compromise," said former Assemblyman George Runner, who drafted the legislation for the system in California last year after the idea was brought to his attention by a Valley educator, Gary Cothran.
Earlier Thursday, Runner had expressed frustration over the delay.
The lives of at least 22 children in California very possibly have been spared by using the system that broadcasts information via radio and television about abducted children and their captors so that citizens can be on the lookout.
Last August, shortly after being implemented, the system played a key role in the rescue of two Antelope Valley teens abducted from Quartz Hill and, most recently, a Michigan girl was rescued from her abductor in Northern California with the help of the Amber Alert.
"In California there has not been a single death of an abducted child (since the system was invoked)," Runner said.
Though Cothran gives all the credit to Runner for championing the Amber Alert, he said he can't help but feel a little proud each time a child is rescued with the system and he said he is "ecstatic" to see how the system is expanding.
"Every time I see something (an Amber Alert rescue) on the news or something like that it kind of wells up in my heart … I don't think I'll ever get over that," Cothran said.
Cothran said the whole thing started with a 10-minute conversation in a parking lot between himself and Runner, after which Runner took the idea and ran with it to the state.
"I am very pleased … when I first learned about Amber Alert, I was looking at it specifically for the Antelope Valley," Cothran said. To now see it being proposed at the national level makes him very happy, he said.
And while no one disagrees about the need for the national system, when it comes to politics, little is simple.
Similar legislation was introduced last fall but, as was feared this time, the Senate and the House disagreed on language in the bill and the session ran out before they could reach a compromise.
"Unfortunately we've delayed the implementation of a national Amber Alert," Runner said over the fact it was not implemented sooner.
The House approved the legislation Thursday, but some Democrats in the Senate disagreed with portions of the draft they say threatens judicial discretion in sentencing criminals.
Such moves are made by legislators in a coattail approach to getting controversial legislation passed by writing it in with a popular bill like the Amber Alert.
"It's done to try to leverage their support," Runner said.
The controversial portions of the text remain but may be modified later, with all agreeing they will wait no longer to implement the national system.
The key to a national system would be to set protocol that is the same between states. In California, for example, the system is activated for abducted children 17 and under. In Oklahoma, the age is 15. Oklahoma was the first state to implement a statewide system. Some other states have regional systems.
"The first thing is to set a national standard," Runner said, adding that what is also important is the education process and that funds be made available to television and radio broadcast stations in rural areas around the country to help them finance the necessary equipment to participate.
Both Cothran and Runner are also concerned about what negative impact overuse of the system might have, fearing that people would get so used to seeing and hearing them they would stop paying attention.
Cothran said he thinks a nationwide system linked to the emergency disaster alert system would be effective.
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