Equal Time --

LAW SHOULD RESCUE CHILDREN, NOT JAIL GOOD PARENTS

There is no higher priority for Gov. Sonny Perdue and his administration
than the safety and well being of Georgia's children. He and first lady
Mary Perdue have made children in need the highest focus of their lives
both personally and in public service. Because of this commitment, Perdue
and a dedicated team of policy experts, child advocates and legal advisers
are crafting child protection legislation that will be introduced in the
coming legislative session.

Contrary to the beliefs of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's editorial
board, this is not a simple task. Previous legislatures have failed to
enact such laws because of highly controversial provisions within the
various proposals and deep divisions between people of good conscience on
all sides of the issue.

We could propose and easily pass a bill reading simply "children are good,"
or "children should be safe," but, what would we have accomplished?
Administrations past have been willing to settle for bills that just sound
good in a campaign ad. Perdue wants solid legislation that does what it is
supposed to do and nothing more.

The governor is committed to creating legislation that will rescue children
from dangerous, abusive or reckless situations and serve as a deterrent to
those situations. He wants to do this without prosecuting responsible
parents whose children have accidents. If little Johnny falls out of a tree
in the back yard, the governor does not believe that Johnny's mother should
be hauled away in shackles while her son is sent to a state home.

Perdue is committed to legislation that will protect children, preserve the
rights of responsible parents and caregivers, pass legal muster and be
passed by the Legislature with bipartisan support, rather than dying on the
House floor as in the past. This legislation will fold the GBI's
methamphetamine child protection language seamlessly into a comprehensive bill.

The AJC is correct in pointing out that 49 of 50 states have something
called a "child protection" statute. Last session marked the third
consecutive failed effort to make Georgia the 50th. Perdue was out front
pushing the issue then and he continues to be. Last session, true to his
philosophy on government, he let the Legislature legislate. It then became
clear that they needed a push --- and Perdue is about to provide it.

What the governor is not going to do is to let the AJC set the policy
agenda for his administration. The details of his legislative package on a
wide variety of issues will be released after input from experts and
advocates and at a moment when the announcement makes constructive debate
and swift passage most likely.

Dan McLagan is communications director for Gov. Sonny Perdue.