Komo4 News opinionated blowhard, Ken Schram always lays it on the line. This time, it is concerning a potential new legislature bill that (D) Representative Roger Goodman (45th legislative district in Washington State) will be introducing. This new bill, if passed, will require DUI offenders, who cause the death of a parent, to pay child support. Therefore, the Marysville Parenting Examiner would like you to sound off and share your thoughts on this, and answer the question – should there be a law requiring DUI offenders to pay child support to a surviving parent when another parent is killed in a dui wreck?
Ken Schram begins by stating that a DUI incident is not an accident and that we ought to call it what it truly is. Scrham states:
When a drunk gets behind the wheel of a car that crashes into another car, or mows down a pedestrian, or runs over a bicyclist, that is not “an accident”.
The drunk chooses to disregard the law and common sense by consuming too much alcohol and deciding it’s still OK to drive.
This is agreeable. There should be stricter laws that punish those who willfully choose to drink and then drive. Their disregard for the law is appalling because they also have a disregard for human sanctity of life and safety – including their own.
Representative Goodman is, basing the proposition of this law on an incident that happened earlier this year. The story of Steve Lacey of Kirkland, Washington where he and his family became the victims of a DUI Offender, Patrick Rexroat, who was found to have more than three times the legal limit of blood alcohol content. Lacey had died instantly when Rexroat’s vehicle collided with Lacey’s.
According to current laws on DUI incidents, a person who is convicted of vehicular homicide in lieu of a death that resulted from the collision, Rexroat would be facing 3.5 years (as of July 31, 2011, and according to the Seattle Times article): a very light sentence for such a tragedy, especially when the life taken was a loving and devoted husband and father.
Hence, Representatives Goodman’s proposal where a person convicted of a DUI fatality would then be required to pay child support when the death of an individual is a parent. The question is, would such a law prevent more DUI fatalities in Washington State? Or, should the offender not only be required to pay child support, but also Alimony in cases where a parent is a stay-at-home parent and/or incapable of securing any form of employment?
The Marysville Parenting Examiner would like the readers to sound off and share your thoughts on this.
If you would like to continue receiving Parenting-related articles, including the latest news, tips and advice, please click the Subscribe Icon. It is free and anonymous. Thank you for reading and thank you for sharing this story with others, as well as your thoughts.
Story ideas can be shared at Marysville.parenting.examiner@gmail.com. You can also follow the Marysville Parenting Examiner on Facebook.
To view all recent articles, simply click “Timothy Berman” highlighted in blue at the top of this article – a full listing of articles will be shown.
Comments