Indeed. Betsy Russell reports at Eye on Boise:
Saying mothers should stay home with their children, members of a House committee have killed legislation to require minimum safety standards and criminal history checks for Idaho day-cares.
... A stunned Cathy Kowalski, a Coeur d’Alene early childhood consultant who has worked on the bill for three years, said, “I think it is a committee whose members are definitely out of touch with the needs of their constituents, and I think the working families in their districts need to let them know.” Sylvia Chariton, who testified in favor of the bill on behalf of the American Association of University Women of Idaho, said, “It’s ridiculous – those men live in a time warp, when 60 percent of all mothers of children under 6 years of age take them someplace to be cared for.”
The bill, sponsored by Rep. George Sayler (D-Coeur d'Alene), failed on a 6-5 vote in which two Republicans (Sharon Block of Twin Falls and Lynn Luker of Boise) aligned with the committee's three Democrats.
One of the men voting in the majority is none other than Rep. Steve Thayn (R-Emmett), whose name will not be new to RSR readers. Thayn's reign of pain on mainstream Idaho families continues today, as he pushes a resolution that "emphasizes that early childhood education can be, and should be,
delivered by parents in a home environment," or in other words, no pre-Kindergarten or Head Start for you, Idaho kiddies. Contrast that with the early childhood learning standards legislation proposed by Democrats Donna Pence and Branden Durst, which would help parents find the best-quality day care for their children.
Parental choice means making the best decisions for your family. For most families today, both partners work both for financial reasons and because they have skills the community needs. Thayn and the five other Republicans who killed Sayler's bill are denying reality and denying the fact that women play an essential role in the economy. They also fail to recognize that excellent child care providers and preschool opportunities are meant to supplement, not replace, parents' attention. But what do we expect from the likes of someone who calls public education "institutionalized child abuse"?
I'm appalled. Can you explain Janice McGeachin's vote on this?
Posted by: Sisyphus | February 27, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Wow. I don't see how this bill would have done anything but good.
Posted by: Cameron | February 27, 2007 at 10:22 AM
I read about this this morning and I nearly flipped. We talked about this on the show this morning. I asked on air and I repeat here: why did the Statesman ignore this story? I'd like that question answered.
Posted by: tim | February 27, 2007 at 10:52 AM
I have no idea why this wasn't in the Statesman, and I have no clue why Janice M is so utterly clueless on this matter.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | February 27, 2007 at 11:23 AM
Doesn't even take into account single parent families whose only option is daycare. I guess they could stay home and collect welfare.
Posted by: MountainGoat | February 27, 2007 at 12:16 PM
As a victim of child abuse, I am still sickened by Thayn's comments. School wasn't a continuation of my abuse, it was my salvation from abuse. Maybe when I visit the legislature on friday, I'll have a few words with him.
Posted by: Jessica | February 27, 2007 at 12:54 PM
I'll go out on a limb here and guess that Janice voted against because it would mean onerous restrictions on very small businesses. Otherwise, she bought into the BS from JoAnn Wood.
I found an article on the Statesman website, but it's just the AP wire report and plainly comes from the Spokesman-Review.
There's another on the CDA Press at
http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2007/02/27/news/news04.txt
with add'l information about the hearings.
The Post-Register article is behind their subscriber firewall. Is the ISJ website broken?
Posted by: anon | February 27, 2007 at 04:25 PM
Janice is one of the right-wingers. She often votes real conservative. She's also supporting a bill requiring women who want abortions to have an ultrasound.
In general, some of the most extreme right wingers are on H&W. It's a very bizarre committee -- half extremist and half medical professional.
It will be interesting to read the committee minutes.
Posted by: sharon fisher | February 28, 2007 at 06:03 AM
Sharon,
Are committee minutes posted online somewhere, or must one request them at the Statehouse (via the committee secretary, or at the legislative info desk)?
Thanks for the insight.
Posted by: Julie in Boise | February 28, 2007 at 08:40 AM
FYI committee minutes are posted here:
http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2007/StandingCommittees/committeeminutes.htm
They're usually updated weekly.
Posted by: MountainGoat | February 28, 2007 at 09:56 AM
Excellent. Thanks. That's a very cool resource (and a gold mine for anyone who wants to challenge Steve Thayn or Janice McG next year)!
Posted by: Julie in Boise | February 28, 2007 at 12:47 PM
To me its just another indication of how complacent the good ol boy network is in Idaho and how much the representatives just dont give a dam. Why should they? All they have to do is make sure that big "R" is next to thier name and the lemmings of this state will jump off the cliff....forgive my rashness but I have never seen a state run so roughshod.
Posted by: David Erin Anthony | February 28, 2007 at 07:08 PM
I'll assume Mountain Goat is right. I always have to google Idaho and legislature and then click on 'minutes' on the home page for the legislature.
Posted by: sharon fisher | February 28, 2007 at 08:05 PM