CHILD LAW: A JOB WELL DONE

A bipartisan effort by Gov. Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor - along
with overwhelming support from a majority of legislators - has resulted in
passage of a bill that truly puts children's safety first.

The governor says he will sign the child endangerment bill and the enabling
legislation adding felony charges. It will go into effect July 1.

Georgia has been the only state that did not have such a law that
specifically is intended to punish parents who put their children in danger
through neglect, carelessness or reckless behavior. Many cases of reckless
conduct involving children's safety could not be punished under Georgia's
existing child cruelty laws because prosecutors had to prove malice or
intent to harm. Many egregious cases of neglect or abuse do not necessarily
involve either, but in fact create dangerous and deadly situations for
children.

It's been frustrating to see how, for four years, similar bills have been
stymied by overzealous opponents who envisioned prosecutors using the new
standards to go on witch hunts for everyone from gun owners to abused
spouses to teachers. Last year, the issue got lost after an amendment was
added that brought abortion into the debate.

Last week, a child endangerment bill, which had passed unanimously in the
Senate, passed also in the House with only one dissenting vote. Rep. Bobby
Franklin, R-Marietta, the lone holdout, continued to profess concern that
the legislation was more anti-gun rather pro-child.

Included in the bill that gives a new level of accountability for common
sense oversight of children is a provision specifically aimed at those who
endanger children by manufacturing methamphetamine. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, in a recent series about the dangers to children,
quoted Drug Enforcement Administration statistics that in 2003, in raids of
439 meth labs, at least 73 children were exposed to the highly volatile
chemicals.

We applaud the legislators' willingness to put other differences aside to
offer protection to the 2.2 million children in the state under the age of 18.